December 4, 2013
For Immediate Release
Contact: Trav Robertson
P: 405.427.3366

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ALLOWS MORE THAN 800K OKLAHOMANS TO ACCESS FREE PREVENTIVE CARE

Republican plan would cause consumers to lose access to preventive services with no copay

OKLAHOMA CITY– While Republicans in Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation double down on their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Democrats remain unified behind improving and effectively implementing health care reform. Already, Oklahomans are seeing the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

Approximately 105 million Americans – 71 million with private insurance and 34 million on Medicare – have received at least one free preventive health care service thanks to the Affordable Care Act. In Oklahoma, 811,000 people have received free preventive care like flu shots and cancer screenings because of the health care law [1].

Oklahoma has the sixth highest percentage of residents without health insurance with more than 690,000 uninsured Oklahomans in 2010 [2].

Meanwhile, Oklahoma Republicans – including Senators Inhofe, Coburn, the Congressional delegation, and even Governor Fallin – continue to stand in the way of making commonsense health care reforms. In fact, the Republican plan is to repeal the Affordable Care Act, eliminate services like free preventive care, and return to a broken system that leaves insurers in the driver’s seat of Oklahoma’s health care. Instead of expanding access to health care in Oklahoma, Governor Fallin continues to play politics and refuses to expand Medicaid, which would provide health care coverage for many of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable citizens.

“Republicans like Mary Fallin and Jim Inhofe continue to stand in the way of improving health care for Oklahoma families,” said Chairman Collins. “The GOP’s plan is simple: repeal the Affordable Care Act, take away benefits that lower costs for Oklahomans, and return to a completely broken system. Under the Affordable Care Act, more than 800,000 Oklahomans have received preventive care with no copay. That’s progress, and it’s why Democrats are committed to improving the Affordable Care Act and making it work. Republicans’ only plan is to make the system worse.”

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[1] Source: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/PreventiveServices/ib_prevention.cfm
[2] Source: http://stateimpact.npr.org/oklahoma/maps/interactive-map-uninsured-in-oklahoma/