Senator Hirono Statement on 12-Year Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), released the following statement on the 12-year anniversary of President Obama signing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law:

“Twelve years after it was signed into law, the Affordable Care Act continues to help provide Americans the care they need to stay healthy. Thanks to the ACA, more than 133 million individuals with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage, women can get essential treatment like birth control and cancer screening free of cost, and tens of millions of previously-uninsured Americans now have health insurance. In Hawaii, more than 45,000 people have gained coverage thanks to the ACA, reducing the number of uninsured individuals by almost half.

“As we mark this anniversary and the progress the ACA has enabled, we know that work remains. Access to quality health care, mental health resources and treatment remains out of reach for far too many—especially for communities of color and Native Hawaiians—and the cost of life-saving prescription drugs like insulin continues to skyrocket. That’s why I’ll keep working to build on the Affordable Care Act until access to quality healthcare is affordable and available to every single family in Hawaii.”

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