Affordable Care Act has helped millions in its first 2 years

The following is crossposted from AFL-CIO Now:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday, March 23 marks the second anniversary of President Obama’s signing of the Affordable Care Act into law. Among other accomplishments, health care reform has helped America’s families cover 2.5 million of their young adult children, saved 5.1 million Medicare (seniors and disabled) recipients $3.2 billion in drug costs, and so far has generated about $323 million in health insurance premium rebates to consumers from insurers.

Click here to find out how the Affordable Care Act has helped families in Washington, and in other states.

But following Republican legal challenges — including by Washington gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna —  next Monday, March 26, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the law’s constitutionality.

At rallies and demonstrations at the court and elsewhere around the country, working families will mark health care reform’s second anniversary. The Health Care for America Now (HCAN) coalition is sponsoring three days of vigils and demonstrations outside the Supreme Court next week. Click here to find out more.

The Alliance for Retired Americans will hold more than two dozen community events around the country to spotlight new Medicare benefits and to educate seniors on where elected officials and candidates stand on health care reform.

Alliance President Barbara J. Easterling warns that health care reform opponents are mounting huge campaigns to spread misinformation about the Affordable Care Act.

This shameless campaign has been bankrolled by the big health insurance companies and other corporations who, for too long, made outrageous profits by charging us more and giving us less. One percent of this country got wealthier whenever the other 99 percent of us got sick, so of course these companies have always opposed health reform.