The Affordable Care Act Helps Americans with Disabilities

For too long, too many hard working Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies and put barriers between patients and their doctors. The Affordable Care Act gives hard-working families the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition. And it includes substantial new benefits for Americans living with disabilities.
If you’re living with a disability, private health insurance may be hard to come by. Even if you can afford to buy it, it probably doesn’t cover all of your needs. Worrying about where to get coverage and the cost of your care is the last thing you want to do. Under the new health care law when fully implemented, Americans will have the security of knowing that they don't have to worry about losing coverage if they're laid off or change jobs or being rated up or denied coverage altogether due to a disability. People with disabilities will have new options for long term services and supports, particularly those that are home- or community-based. And, now, insurance companies have to cover your preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings. The new law also makes a significant investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health, prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies.