ICYMI: Community Leaders Celebrated the Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act
Highlighting the Progress and Continued Need to Address Health Affordability, Access, and Disparities in the Central Valley
Sacramento, California – Last week, Valley Families Unite, Health Access California, Courage California, and California Alliance for Retired Americans came together to host a virtual event to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The event celebrated the historic legislation while shedding light on the ongoing challenges of health affordability, access, and disparities in California’s Central Valley.
The virtual press conference convened a diverse panel of speakers who provided insights into the state of healthcare in the Central Valley, reflecting on the strides made under the ACA and more recently under the Inflation Reduction Act. The speakers also underscored the importance of supporting President Biden’s budget, which aims to extend significant financial relief to millions of individuals through the expansion of benefits, reduction of drug costs, and fortification of core programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Watch the recording of the virtual press conference here.
Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access California, emphasized "Over 132,000 Covered California enrollees in the Central Valley benefit from [ACA] tax credits, saving an average of $535 each month…The ongoing health reform debate matters to all Americans, and all Californians, but they are particularly meaningful in the Central Valley, given its significant disparities of access, affordability, and outcomes by race, income, immigration status, and more."
Irene Kao, Executive Director of Courage California and Valley Families Unite, stated, "Valley Families Unite is urging John Duarte, Josh Harder, David Valadao and Jim Costa to stand up for their constituents, oppose repealing the ACA, and support President Biden’s budget to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs for thousands of Californians."
Yesenia Cuevas, Central Valley Organizer of California Alliance for Retired Americans, remarked, "The ACA has brought tangible financial relief to Californians, especially seniors, with enhanced subsidies and tax credits reducing out-of-pocket costs. These measures have not only made insurance premiums more affordable but have also lowered deductibles and copays for essential healthcare services like doctor visits and prescription drugs."
Jodi Reid, Executive Director of California Alliance for Retired Americans shared a personal anecdote about an 82-year-old woman from the Central Valley who was able to receive expensive medications because of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare annual cap on prescription drugs, which helped her to receive medications that would have been an economic burden with a cost of $1,000 per month. Reid stated, “she never would have been able to afford those drugs, had [the cap on prescriptions] not been passed… this is a constant refrain for many of our members…this is just one of thousands of stories that we [C.A.R.A.] hear about all the time.”
The event served as both a celebration of the ACA’s impact on Californians and the Central Valley and as a call-to-action for Central Valley members of Congress, including John Duarte (CA-13), Josh Harder (CA-09), David Valadao (CA-22) and Jim Costa (CA-21) to support President Biden’s budget and prioritize the healthcare needs of their constituents.
Watch the full webinar here. For media inquiries, please contact Mario Vasquez Zuniga at 661-483-4927 or mario@valleyfamiliesunite.org.
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Valley Families Unite represents a shared vision of economic prosperity for working families and accountable leadership in California. With the collective strength of Courage California, Inland Empire United, Communities for a New California Action Fund and Lower Costs California, we are eager to hold our elected officials accountable for fighting for the economic well-being of California families.
