WASHINGTON, DC— Westport resident Ann Chrisman, a self-employed single mother with breast cancer, was one of 10 Americans to meet with President Obama today to discuss how the Affordable Care Act has improved their lives. In a floor statement, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) opposed the House Republicans’ latest attempt to take health coverage away from Chrisman and millions of other Americans who have gained insurance under the law. His remarks can be watched here.
In July 2014, Chrisman, a 51-year-old mother of three and licensed massage therapist, wrote a letter to President Obama saying that she could not afford health insurance. But when the Health Insurance Marketplace opened, Chrisman learned that she qualified for Medicaid in Connecticut. That coverage finally gave her the chance to see a doctor – and catch her breast cancer early.
In her letter to the President, Chrisman wrote, “The cancer has been detected at a very early stage, which, with a 98 percent survival rate, has saved my life! Moreover, the cost of this screening and minor procedure will be far less than the cost of treating a more developed cancer. Thank you, Mr. President, for assuring the passage of this critical legislation. You have profoundly improved the quality of my life.”
Himes said, “The Affordable Care Act has helped millions of Americans gain health insurance coverage while reducing Connecticut’s uninsured rate by half. It means that Ann Chrisman, a 51-year-old single mother who couldn’t afford health care before, now has coverage. She went to a doctor and her breast cancer was diagnosed early, giving her a 98 percent chance to survive. Today, House Republicans made their 56th attempt to take health insurance away from Ann and millions of other families that now have health security for the first time. Instead of continuing their partisan attacks on health reform, Republicans should be working with Democrats to make sure more middle-class and low-income Americans feel the benefits of our economic recovery.”
Since the launch of Access Health CT, Connecticut’s uninsured rate has been cut in half. During this year’s enrollment period, which ends Feb. 15, 95,244 residents statewide have enrolled in private insurance plans, including 29,388 new enrollees. In addition, 400,707 Connecticut residents have enrolled in Medicaid through Access Health since October 2013.
About 10 million Americans gained health insurance in 2014 because of the Affordable Care Act, according to the White House. In the first two months of 2015 open enrollment, 9.5 million Americans have selected or were automatically reenrolled in coverage through marketplaces while others obtained coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Since the launch of the Affordable Care Act's first open enrollment period, more than 10.1 million Americans have enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, according to the Obama administration.