Americans Begin to Feel Benefits of Health Reform, but Republicans Like Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Ros-Lehtinen Threaten to Take it all Away

Though Seniors Are About to Receive Prescription Drug Rebate Checks, Republicans Are Still Calling For Repeal of Reform

See the New DNC Ad 'We Can't Afford to Go Back' Targeting Republicans for Trying to Repeal the Affordable Care Act: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2TdqERnRl0

WASHINGTON, June 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As one of the many benefits seniors will see as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), today the federal government is sending the first round of $250 rebate checks to seniors to help pay for prescription medications that fall within the Medicare Part D coverage gap known as the donut hole.  Those checks are among the many benefits of health reform already made available to the American people.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080519/DNCLOGO )

Unfortunately, despite benefits like these that will improve the lives and health of Americans, Republicans across the country, including U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen have advocated for the repeal of health insurance reform.  In fact, last month Republicans in the House introduced legislation that would do exactly that.  If the Republicans got their way, the benefits of reform would be rolled back.  Under the Republican plan:  

• Nearly 30 million Americans receiving coverage under the ACA would be denied coverage under the Republican plan.
• Insurance companies would again be allowed to discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.
• Seniors would be denied needed relief on costly prescription drugs, would be denied free preventive care, and would be denied free annual wellness checkups, and Medicare would be put on an accelerated path to insolvency.
• Small businesses would lose tax credits.
• The deficit would soar by $75 billion.

While Republicans are working to repeal reform, recent polling shows they are on the wrong side of the American people on the issue.  In a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 55% of Americans said they would be more likely to support a candidate who would "give the law a chance to work and make changes as needed," while only 42% would be more likely to support a candidate who would repeal it entirely. (NBC/WSJ, May 10)  

In reaction to Republican efforts to repeal the benefits of health insurance reform, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said:

"Republicans fought tooth and nail to preserve the old status quo, where insurance companies profited and average American families were being bled dry by the rising costs of health care.  Republicans in Congress did everything possible to prevent the Affordable Care Act from becoming law.  And now, just as Americans are beginning to secure the benefits of health insurance reform, Republicans want to take those benefits away.

"In short, the Republicans want to put insurance companies back in charge.  They want to return to the days of insurance companies denying coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions, and their plan would raise prescription drug costs for seniors and end tax credits that are helping small businesses provide health care to their employees and create jobs.  If Republicans had their way, premiums would skyrocket and our deficit would explode.  Their approach is one only the insurance companies could love.  And we can't let their approach prevail.  That's why it's so important that we talk to Americans about the new benefits available to them as a result of the Affordable Care Act --like the $250 prescription drug rebate checks being mailed to many seniors today -- and why we must work doubly hard to make sure Republicans don't get the opportunity to put the insurance companies in charge of our health care again."

To highlight what's at stake in the debate over the Affordable Care Act, the DNC went on the air today with a new television ad entitled "We Can't Afford to go Back" which can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2TdqERnRl0.  

SOURCE Democratic National Committee

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