City Recognizes Five-Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 20, 2015

For more information, please contact:

Nancy Woolery, Health Projects Manager, City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, 812.349.3851

Alexa Lopez, Communications Director, City of Bloomington Office of the Mayor, 812.349.3406

City Recognizes Five-Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

Bloomington, Ind. - Today, in recognition of the five-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Mayor Mark Kruzan announced that in Bloomington and the surrounding area more than 6,013 people signed up for health care coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Nationwide, more than 16.4 million people have gained coverage since the ACA passed. This is the largest reduction in the uninsured since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid.

Mayor Mark Kruzan said, "Clearly, the ACA is benefiting people in Bloomington and the surrounding area. I am so thankful that the ACA continues to keep people insured."

"These historic enrollment numbers show that the American people know the ACA is working for them," said US Dept. of Health and Human Services Region 5 Director Kathleen Falk. "Thanks to the ACA, people can no longer be denied health care because of a preexisting condition, healthcare spending is at the lowest rate in 50 years, and people no longer need to worry about being one illness away from bankruptcy."

As a result of the ACA, almost 3 million people in Indiana with a pre-existing health condition can no longer be denied health care coverage. Millions of Americans, and almost 3 million Hoosiers, who already had insurance, have seen their coverage improve because they now have access to preventive services like vaccines, cancer screenings, and yearly wellness visits at no out-of-pocket cost. Since the ACA allows young adults to stay on their parents' plan until they turn 26, 62,000 young adults in Indiana gained coverage.

Nationwide, nearly 11.7 million consumers selected a plan or were automatically enrolled in Marketplace coverage. These enrollments contributed to the 7.1 percent drop in the uninsured rate since the ACA was passed.

In Indiana, 219,185 consumers selected plans or were automatically re-enrolled in quality, affordable health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace as of Feb. 22, according to HHS. Additionally, more than eight out of ten Hoosiers could select a Marketplace plan for $100 or less per month, and a vast majority of enrollees received an average tax credit of $319.

Open enrollment in the Marketplace has ended, but a Special Enrollment Period is now available to consumers who are subject to the fee for not having health care coverage in 2014. If you were unaware of or did not understand the implications of the new requirement, you have until April 15 to enroll. To find help in Indiana, call 2-1-1 to get an appointment with a counselor near you. Consumers can also visit [HealthCare.gov|https://www.healthcare.gov/] to learn more, or call the federally-facilitated Marketplace call center at 1.800.318.2596.

For more information, contact Nancy Woolery at 812.349.3851. To schedule an interview with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region V Director Kathleen Falk, please call 312.226.2896 or email [annmarie.schult.slosser@hhs.gov|mailto:annmarie.schult.slosser@hhs.gov].

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