On the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, a federal health official touts its benefits. CMS Regional Administrator John Hammarlund says Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions can now access affordable health coverage; such patients were previously denied enrollment or faced massive premiums.
He says the law is filling the Medicare “donut hole,” the out-of-pocket expense that seniors face when they’ve maxed out their drug coverage. Hammarland says last year, 60,000 Wisconsinites who “hit the donut hole,” received a 50-percent discount on brand name prescriptions.
Since the law’s passage, Medicare now covers more preventative procedures such as mammograms, EKG screenings, and testing for colon cancer and diabetes.
The health care overhaul is not without its critics. Wisconsin is among states filing suit against the Affordable Care Act because it requires everyone to buy insurance. US Senator Ron Johnson continues to battle “Obamacare.”