| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 20, 2022 |
PRESS CONTACT Abby Shepard abigail.shepard@firesidecampaigns.com |
Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard Reflects on President Biden’s First Year in Office
President Biden made important progress toward affordable care and created opportunities for more to come
DENVER — Today marks one year since President Biden took office, and despite the many challenges 2021 brought, the president still made progress on key issues, including health care. From making health insurance more affordable and available through the American Rescue Plan, to implementing a long-awaited solution on surprise medical billing, President Biden helped many more Americans access the care they needed and set our country up for further progress in the years ahead.
Health Care Voices Founder and Affordable Care Act Advocate Laura Packard issued the following statement:
“Over the course of his first year in office, President Biden had several important accomplishments. The American Rescue Plan provided much-needed support for American families through policies like additional Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, expanded health insurance options for the unemployed, emergency paid medical leave, and the child tax credit. This, along with the ACA special enrollment period in the spring, led to record enrollment in ACA plans, meaning more people are covered and able to receive the care they need. Finally, at the beginning of 2022, the No Surprises Act went into effect, protecting consumers from surprise medical billing.”
“While we applaud President Biden and his administration for their efforts thus far, there is still lots of work to be done to support our recovery from a global pandemic, and ensure all Americans have access to the health care they need. This starts with passing the Build Back Better Act, President Biden’s major social policy legislation. Provisions in this bill such as extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, filling the Medicaid gap to cover low-income families in 12 states with health insurance, lowering prescription drug prices, and providing paid family and medical leave are crucial and remain incredibly popular among the majority of Americans.”
“This coming year, we urge President Biden to continue working with elected officials on Capitol Hill to pass crucial legislation like the Build Back Better Act that supports our recovery and progress toward a thriving and healthy society. It will save countless lives like how the Affordable Care Act saved mine.”
Laura Packard is a small business owner and health care advocate, executive director of Health Care Voter, and founder of Health Care Voices. She is a stage 4 cancer survivor, and the Affordable Care Act saved her life. If you’re interested in connecting with Laura to discuss President Biden’s first year in office, the Build Back Better Act or America’s health care system more generally, please reach out to abigail.shepard@firesidecampaigns.com.
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