First lady Michelle Obama joined Dr. Mary Wakefield of the Health Resources and Services Administration earlier this week in a conference call briefing 1,000 nurses across the country to recount the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, which passed six months ago.
During the 30-minute conference call, arranged with help from the American Nurses Association, the first lady emphasized the law’s changes in denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, preventive care, and other protective reforms outlined in the Patient’s Bill of Rights of the act.
According to the first lady, the reforms will help individuals and families gain control over their health care by implementing protective clauses for patients.
“Insurance companies can no longer discriminate against kids because they have a pre-existing condition,” asserts Obama. “Patients can no longer be dropped by their insurance companies because they get sick. … And college kids and young adults just starting out on their own can now get coverage through their parents’ plan.”
The first lady also cited new services and benefits related with preventive care. Preventive services like mammograms, cervical screenings, childhood immunizations, and prenatal care screenings are to be provided to patients without deductible or copay.
Preventive care was emphasized by Obama, especially in the case of childhood obesity, “because we all know, everyone on this call, that the best way to keep families healthy and cut health care costs is to keep people from getting sick in the first place.”
The first lady mentioned that early childhood screenings, BMI screenings, and other preventive measures not only have a significant effect in precluding childhood obesity, but also heart disease, and high blood pressure early on in life.
Obama urged nurses on the call “to spread the word, to use your—not just your professional channels … but also your personal channels as well” about the benefits of becoming a nurse, which is supported by grants from the Affordable Care Act.
Obama claimed that the Affordable Care Act was advanced in part by ideas and shared experiences from nurses nationwide.
“[Nurses] play such a critical role in helping patients understand what’s going on with their health care, giving them the information they need not just to get better, but to stay healthy,” said the first lady. “And right now, there’s some very important new information that we really need to help pass along.”
During the 30-minute conference call, arranged with help from the American Nurses Association, the first lady emphasized the law’s changes in denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, preventive care, and other protective reforms outlined in the Patient’s Bill of Rights of the act.
According to the first lady, the reforms will help individuals and families gain control over their health care by implementing protective clauses for patients.
“Insurance companies can no longer discriminate against kids because they have a pre-existing condition,” asserts Obama. “Patients can no longer be dropped by their insurance companies because they get sick. … And college kids and young adults just starting out on their own can now get coverage through their parents’ plan.”
The first lady also cited new services and benefits related with preventive care. Preventive services like mammograms, cervical screenings, childhood immunizations, and prenatal care screenings are to be provided to patients without deductible or copay.
Preventive care was emphasized by Obama, especially in the case of childhood obesity, “because we all know, everyone on this call, that the best way to keep families healthy and cut health care costs is to keep people from getting sick in the first place.”
The first lady mentioned that early childhood screenings, BMI screenings, and other preventive measures not only have a significant effect in precluding childhood obesity, but also heart disease, and high blood pressure early on in life.
Obama urged nurses on the call “to spread the word, to use your—not just your professional channels … but also your personal channels as well” about the benefits of becoming a nurse, which is supported by grants from the Affordable Care Act.
Obama claimed that the Affordable Care Act was advanced in part by ideas and shared experiences from nurses nationwide.
“[Nurses] play such a critical role in helping patients understand what’s going on with their health care, giving them the information they need not just to get better, but to stay healthy,” said the first lady. “And right now, there’s some very important new information that we really need to help pass along.”
