Category: ACA - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

ACA Enrollment Numbers Climb - What You Can Do Now

7/21/2021

New Numbers for the ACA!

Health Care Reform Forum

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has subsidized health insurance plans for more than 2 million more people since President Biden reopened health insurance markets. This pandemic response plan enabled 1.5 million to enroll through the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace and 600,000 through state-run insurance exchanges. Since April 1st, customers have been given much more generous financial assistance. Although this benefit is temporary, the administration hopes to make it permanent through legislation later this year.

The special enrollment period is scheduled to end on August 15, 2021.

If you know anyone you think may be uninsured, encourage them to check out the options available in the ACA by logging on to Healthcare.gov. Informational flyers are available for download.

Spanish Version

English Version

Pictured here is our Forum member, Deb Sperry, posting flyers at the Eldridge Library. Contact PACG's office manager if you would like flyers to distribute.

Frank Samuelson

ACA Wins in the Supreme Court - Again!

6/29/2021

Health Care Reform Forum
A Message to Our Membership

ACA Wins!!

On Thursday, June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act for the third time, leaving in place the broad provisions of the law enacted by Congress in 2010. The vote was 7 to 2. The decision threw out the challenge that Texas, and other objecting states, were not harmed in any way. "To have standing, a plaintiff must 'allege personal injury fairly traceable to the defendant's allegedly unlawful conduct and likely to be redressed by the requested relief,' " the majority wrote. "No plaintiff has shown such an injury 'fairly traceable' to the 'allegedly unlawful conduct' challenged here.”

The Biden administration has increased subsidies for lower income families and both ACA marketplace insurance and Medicaid coverage have reached record levels. We advocate that providing a “public option” would further strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

Julie Ross

What You Can Do Now - Enrollment in the ACA Opened

2/16/2021

New Opportunity For ACA Health Insurance! Update

The Biden Administration is offering a new enrollment opportunity for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (the ACA or Obamacare) from February 15th through August 15th.

An estimated 9 million Americans may be eligible for low- or no-cost insurance from the ACA. Log on to Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to explore your options.

If you have lost your health insurance during the pandemic, or for any other reason are uninsured, you may qualify for coverage. If you know someone who may be uninsured, encourage them to check out their options on the ACA.

Please help share this good news by reprinting the flier and posting it at your church, on community bulletin boards, or wherever it may be seen.

Thank you!

The PACG Health Care Reform Forum

Julie Ross

Open Enrollment for ACA Nov 1st to Dec 15th

10/20/2020

Spread the Word About the ACA! Open Enrollment Starts Soon
November 1st through December 15th

Health Care Reform Forum

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is still the law of the land!

Uninsured families, including those who have lost health insurance or have lost income due to the pandemic, may qualify for insurance and/or a subsidy on the ACA Marketplace. Open enrollment is from November 1st through December 15th.

You can help share this good news by:
1. Encouraging any friend, neighbor or family member that you think might need health insurance to check out their eligibility on HealthCare.gov.

2. Distributing or posting a flier about the ACA enrollment on community bulletin boards, in barber shops, salons laundromats, churches, etc. Place these wherever (especially, low income) people might see them.

3. Download and print “Need Health Insurance?” fliers like the one below, or contact me for copies.

Frank Samuelson

need_health_insurance_2020.pdf
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ACA Deadline for Laid-Off Workers

6/2/2020

ACA Deadlines Near For Laid-Off Workers

Health Care Reform Forum

Workers who were laid off due to the coronavirus shutdown, and who lost their employer health insurance, have a 60-day window of opportunity to seek replacement insurance on the Affordable Care Marketplace.

Low-income or unemployed workers may be eligible for subsidized insurance on the ACA. If you know anyone who might qualify for this benefit, encourage them to go to www.healthcare.gov/ to see if they qualify. They must apply within 60 days of becoming unemployed.

Frank Samuelson

What You Can Do Now - ACA Enrollment After Job Loss Due to the Pandemic

4/16/2020

Letter to the Editor - Important Update
Regarding ACA Enrollment After Job Loss

Health Care Reform Forum

On behalf of, and with the approval of, the PACG Health Care Reform Forum, I submitted the letter that follows to the local QC newspapers, and it was published on Saturday, April 11. My involvement with PACG was duly noted. If you know of anyone who has lost his/her job and associated health insurance, please bring the potential assistance that might be available at healthcare.gov to his/her attention.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are losing their jobs. Those with employer-provided health insurance may also be losing that coverage at the worst possible time: leaving them with potentially no income and, if they become ill, no insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) offers them valuable resources.

Iowa and Illinois residents in that situation may be able to get insurance on the federal ACA Marketplace. They may also qualify for a premium subsidy or for coverage under Medicaid. The website healthcare.gov allows them to explore their options. It is important to note that they have a 60-day window after losing their employment in which to apply.

Although some insurers have waived some consumer costs of coronavirus treatment, such costs can still be very high, especially if hospitalization is required; moreover, other health care issues (broken leg, appendicitis) may still arise. Having good health insurance is essential.

The coronavirus pandemic has made us acutely aware of how important it is for all Americans to have access to good health care. The Affordable Care Act has already provided health insurance for millions of uninsured families, and it is there for many of us who need the coverage now. Our people need our government to uphold that law, not seek its overthrow in the courts.

One of the lessons we must learn from this terrible time is that good health care coverage needs to be strengthened and expanded to cover everyone, in good times as well as bad.

Karen Metcalf, Co-facilitator
Health Care Reform Forum
Progressive Action for the Common Good

Health Insurance Sign Up Help Is Available!

10/22/2019

Help Get The Word Out About Health Insurance Sign Up!

Health Care Reform Forum

Help Get The Word Out On Health Insurance!

Flyers are available to help uninsured people access health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

ObamaCare - Enroll

Open enrollment is from November 1st to December 15th.

Our flyer is also available as a download below. If you know someone who may be uninsured, give them a flyer. If you can post flyers on public bulletin boards, in stores, or restaurants, please do so. If you need a quantity of flyers to post or hand out, contact Frank Samuelson at cfsam22@gmail.com.

Note: See our Health Care Reform Forum Statement on Health Insurance Choices.

Frank Samuelson

hcr_health_insurance_flyer_-_2019.docx
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hcr_health_insurance_flyer_-_2019.pdf
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Health Care Reform Forum Meetings

4/8/2019

Health Care Reform Forum Meeting - Tuesday, April 16th at 6:00 pm

St. John's Lutheran Church
45070 7th AV, Rock Island, IL (map)

Our Forum is now meeting twice a month.

At our April 2nd meeting we decided to first focus our efforts on "Health Care 101," a program to educate (especially) people who are uninsured on the basic concepts and terminology of health insurance, and to encourage them to check out how they may get insurance through Government programs and the ACA. This will be a primary focus of our next meeting.

The second focus will be on planning an event celebrating the (almost) 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. This event will be in late October to help jump start the ACA open enrollment period which begins November 1st.

Other priorities will be to refine "Health Care 201" which we "premiered" at St John's congregation last month, to get the results of the ACA petitions used with students at Augustana and to consider other venues to collect signatures.

We have ambitious goals. Please join us in planning and accomplishing these goals.

A Message from the Health Care Reform Forum

1/14/2019

Have You Contacted Your Senators Lately About the ACA?

A month ago, we were all alarmed about a Texas judge’s ruling that the Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. He ruled that, since the requirement for all to carry health insurance was eliminated in the 2018 tax law, the entire Affordable Care Act was unconstitutional. If upheld, his ruling would strip away quality, affordable health insurance from millions of Americans, including protection for over 133 million Americans from losing coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Fortunately that ruling was widely criticized as faulty, or even frivolous, and Attorneys General of 17 states, including Illinois AG Lisa Madigan, have challenged the ruling in court. This and other legal appeals insure that the ACA benefits will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. So for now at least, the over 8.4 million Americans who signed up for insurance in 2019 on the ACA marketplaces will continue to have the security of good health insurance.

The midterm elections changed the political dynamics in the House of Representatives, and the new membership has already begun to take actions to support the ACA and to address the issue of the rapidly increasing cost of prescription drugs. The majority in the new House has formally authorized attorneys to join those who are challenging the ruling of the Texas judge, and this past week 235 members voted to support the ACA protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

We recognize that actions by the people’s House will probably be buried in the Senate and/or be vetoed by the President, but they will send an important message to all legislators, and to the public, that quality, affordable health insurance is supported by most Americans.

Our forum will continue to monitor developments in health care and inform you of actions you can take to support positive reform proposals. In the meantime, continue to contact your legislators and urge them again to recognize the popular support for quality, affordable health care, including coverage for pre-existing conditions, and to add their voices and votes to legislation that moves toward the goal of effective, accessible, affordable health care for all Americans.

Thank you for all you have done—and keep up the good work!

Frank Samuelson,
Health Care Reform Forum
cfsam22@gmail.com

Recent ACA Ruling in Texas

12/17/2018

Regarding The Recent Ruling Invalidating the ACA

from the PACG Health Care Reform Forum

We are, of course, dismayed that one federal judge in Texas has ruled to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act, but we will immediately begin looking at what actions we might take and/or recommend to the PACG membership in order to help fight this ruling, to support the ACA, and to continue to work for quality, accessible, affordable health care for all Americans.

In the meantime, please remember that the ACA is still the law of the land.

There will be a long process of legal appeals, probably ending up in the Supreme Court. The five judges who voted to uphold the law when it was first challenged are still on the court. The ACA continues to gather increasing public support even as major benefits of the law have been challenged or eliminated by the present administration. We hope that support, including from grassroots Americans, will help elect a new congress and president in 2020 that will uphold, strengthen, and expand the provisions of the ACA.

So don’t panic. The ACA is still in effect for the foreseeable future, and we will be bringing forward some actions we can take to fend off this latest effort to repeal it.

Frank Samuelson
cfsam22@gmail.com