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Health Care Reform in Action: One Family's Story

March 22, 2012 at 12:42 PM ET by Nancy-Ann DeParle

Summary:

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Nathan - whose son Thomas has a chronic illness -- is no longer haunted by worries like, what's going to happen if I lose my job? What's going to happen when Thomas hits his lifetime cap? How will we survive?

We met Nathan and his son, Thomas, in 2009. Thomas was born with hemophilia, and he hit lifetime limits on his health coverage with two different insurance companies before he turned seven years old. Two years ago, Nathan was hopeful about what the Affordable Care Act would mean.

Last week we spoke with Thomas’s family again and they made it clear: Health reform has improved their quality of life. It means they can focus on making sure Thomas has the best possible care. It's changing their lives for the better.

Thomas is not alone. He's just one of the 105 million Americans who no longer has lifetime dollar limits on his coverage.

The Affordable Care Act gives hard working, middle class families the security they deserve. Because of health reform, 54 million Americans with private insurance have been able to access more preventive services. In the 2011 tax year, two million workers will benefit from the small business health insurance tax credit. And 2.5 million young people under age 26 have gained coverage on their parents’ plan.

Behind each of those numbers is a person like Thomas. Two years after President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, life is a little better for millions of Americans from all over the country. You can find stories from more people who are benefiting from the Affordable Care Act with our map that shows the impact of reform, state by state.

Learn more about how the Affordable Care Act is helping Americans:For more information: