| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2022 |
PRESS CONTACT Abby Shepard abigail.shepard@firesidecampaigns.com |
Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard Recognizes Anniversary of the American Rescue Plan and COVID-19 Pandemic Declaration
DENVER — Two years ago tomorrow, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. On the same day last year, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law–the first major legislation he passed as president. In light of all that has happened in these past two years, it is more important than ever to invest in building a better health care system.
Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard issued the following statement:
“Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, nearly one million Americans, and over six million people globally, have died from COVID-19. These victims have names and faces, including my stepfather Randy Cavanaugh.”
“Many more millions face the ongoing effects of Long COVID, with no end in sight. On the anniversary of the pandemic declaration, we’re thinking of the family members, friends and all of those impacted by pandemic-induced losses, and pledging support for the survivors.”
“One year ago, President Biden’s American Rescue Plan was a bright spot in the pandemic for millions of Americans. Policies like additional Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, expanded health insurance options for the unemployed, emergency paid medical leave, and the child tax credit eased financial hardships and helped Americans access the care they needed even in the midst of a global pandemic. Unfortunately, many of these policies have expired or will expire shortly, leaving millions of families to deal with sky-rocketing health care costs on their own–a situation that will only worsen once the public health emergency ends.”
“When I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, the Affordable Care Act saved my life. We cannot go backwards and take away health care from people, especially during a pandemic.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way. We can invest in health care in America again, starting with the policies President Biden outlined in his State of the Union address. Congress must act to lower the cost of prescription drugs, fill the Medicaid coverage gap so millions of working class Americans in states like Florida, Georgia and North Carolina can get health care, renew the subsidies for ACA health plans so that millions more can continue to afford their health insurance, protect access to health care including the right to safe, legal abortions, and invest in cancer research, diagnosis and treatment–because building a better America starts with building a better health care system.”
Laura Packard is the founder of Health Care Voices, executive director of Health Care Voter, and a stage-4 cancer survivor. The Affordable Care Act saved her life. She is a co-host of Care Talk, a call-in health care show on act.tv to answer America’s health insurance questions about the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid (airing Mondays at 4:30pm ET). If you’d like to connect with Laura to discuss these anniversaries or health care policy more generally, please reach out to abigail.shepard@firesidecampaigns.com.
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