Senate Republicans on Wednesday were unsuccessful in their attempt to repeal the recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The repeal measure failed to receive the 60 votes it needed to pass, ultimately being defeated, 51 to 47. Repealing health reform – and its vital consumer protections – would have a devastating effect on the thousands of Nebraskans who already are benefiting from the law, not to mention the countless more who will benefit from the law’s continued implementation.
Thanks to Senator Ben Nelson and all of the other senators who voted against the repeal measure, thousands of Nebraskans with pre-existing conditions and parents of children with pre-existing conditions will be able to purchase coverage. Insurance companies will not be able to place lifetime limits or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care you can receive. Nor will insurance companies be able to drop your coverage if you get sick. If needed, our children can stay covered on our policies until they’re 26. Nebraska’s seniors, our parents, will continue their access to no-cost preventive services, help with the cost of prescription drugs and eventual elimination of the doughnut hole. And the list goes on. See our January 19th blog post for a more complete list of current and future benefits under the Affordable Care Act.
Opponents of health care reform have set their sights on taking away what the Affordable Care Act has already provided thousands of Nebraskans without offering their own plan to fix our broken health care system. Those who oppose health care reform, or seek to delay its benefits, are playing politics with the lives and livelihoods of our most vulnerable citizens. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. Instead of wasting enormous amounts of time and money to dismantle what’s already working for so many, let’s work to make the law better and ensure that it is implemented in a manner that benefits all Nebraskans to the maximum degree possible.