Pallone Invites Highland Park Constituent to Joint Session of Congress to Highlight Importance of ACA

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that Jon Whiten of Highland Park, NJ will be his guest at President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Mr. Whiten's four-year-old-son has type 1 diabetes and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has prevented insurers from raising premiums or denying coverage all together based on his pre-existing condition.

“It’s an honor to have Jon as my guest,” said Congressman Pallone. “We can’t let the debate over the Affordable Care Act become ideological. It is making a real difference in the lives of real Americans and for Jon’s son it has meant the ability to obtain affordable health coverage to confront a challenging and costly condition. We need to send a strong message to President Trump and Republicans in Congress that repeal is unacceptable.”

Congressman Pallone has been a leader in speaking out against GOP efforts to repeal the ACA and played a key role in authoring and passing the ACA in 2010.

Background:

Repealing the ACA would reverse historic gains in coverage and access to care and endanger the health and welfare of hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families in New Jersey.

Here is what is at risk:

• 665,000 individuals in the state who have gained coverage since the ACA was implemented could lose their coverage if the ACA is entirely or partially repealed.
• 249,395 individuals in the state who purchased high quality Marketplace coverage now stand to lose their coverage if the Republican Congress dismantles the exchanges.

• 205,242 individuals in the state who received financial assistance to purchase Marketplace coverage in 2016, averaging $322 per individual, are at risk of having coverage become unaffordable if the Republican Congress eliminates the premium tax credits.
• 532,900 individuals in the state who enrolled in Medicaid under the ACA’s Medicaid expansion now stand to lose coverage if the Republican Congress eliminates the Medicaid expansion.
• 36,000 kids who have gained coverage since the ACA was implemented are also at risk of having their coverage rolled back.
• 59,000 young adults in the state who were able to stay on a parent’s health insurance plan thanks to the ACA now stand to lose coverage if the Republican Congress eliminates the requirement that insurers allow children to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26.
• 129,277 individuals in the state who received cost-sharing reductions to lower out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance are now at risk of having healthcare become unaffordable if the Republican Congress eliminates cost-sharing reductions.
• 4,210,183 individuals in the state who now have private health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles stand to lose this access if the Republican Congress eliminates ACA provisions requiring health insurers to cover important preventive services without cost-sharing.
• Roughly 1,234,000 individuals in the state who have pre-existing health conditions are at risk of having their coverage rescinded, being denied coverage, or being charged significantly more for coverage if the Republican Congress eliminates the ACA’s ban on pre-existing conditions.
• The state is at risk of losing $3.58 billion in federal Medicaid dollars if the Republican Congress eliminates the Medicaid expansion.
• 211,881 seniors who have saved an average of $1,241 each as a result of closing the Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” gap in coverage stand to lose this critical help going forward.
• 940,537 seniors who have received free preventive care services thanks to ACA provisions requiring coverage of annual wellness visits and eliminating cost-sharing for many recommended preventive services covered by Medicare Part B, such as cancer screenings, are at risk of losing access to these services if congressional Republicans go forward with their plan to repeal the ACA.