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“Without the Affordable Care Act, I simply could not have retired at 62.”

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Donald L., Palm Coast, FL

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  • Health Reform and the Recovery Act: Unprecedented Tax Cuts for the Middle Class

    Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on April 13, 2010 at 4:20 PM EDT

    It’s that time of year where we’re all filling out our tax forms to get them in under the deadline, so we thought it would be worth taking a step back and looking over how two of the President’s top priorities – health reform and the Recovery Act – are helping to give a little relief to middle class families.  While some critics and media outlets may want to mislead the public, or cherry-pick provisions to give another impression, there is no debating the fact that making the tax code more fair for the middle class, and helping working families get through these tough economic times has been the central plank of the President’s agenda.

    Health Reform: The health reform legislation signed into law by President Obama includes the largest health care tax cut in history for middle class families, helping to make insurance much more affordable for millions of families.  Here’s a more extensive list of how health reform helps ease the financial burden on the middle class:

    • The largest health care tax cut in history for middle class families.
    • Americans buying the same coverage they have today in the individual market will see premiums fall by 14 to 20 percent compared to what they would pay without health insurance reform and by as much as 3% for those who get coverage through their employers.
    • The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit can cover up to 35 percent of the premiums a small business pays to cover its workers. In 2014, the rate will increase to 50 percent
    • Reduces out-of-pocket expenses so insurance doesn’t still leave families holding the bag
    • Bans lifetime limits on coverage

    The Recovery Act: As the President noted in his last Weekly Address, you can get a good handle on how the Recovery Act might help you out on your taxes through our Tax Savings Tool.  Here’s a glance at how the numbers break down nationwide:

    • Over $160 Billion - Tax relief provided through the Recovery Act so far to families and businesses. 
    • Nearly $3,000 - The record average tax refund taxpayers are seeing this tax season, something the IRS says is largely due to the Recovery Act.
    • Nearly 10% - The percentage average tax refunds are up this year - something the IRS says is largely due to Recovery Act tax credits.
    • 95% - The percentage of working families benefiting from the Recovery Act's Making Work Pay tax credit, making it the broadest tax credit in the history of the country. 
    • $800 - The amount most married couples are collecting through their paychecks this year thanks to the Recovery Act's Making Work Pay tax credit. Individuals collected $400 this year thanks to Making Work Pay.
    • Up to $2,500 - The expanded amount eligible taxpayers can collect with the American Opportunity Credit to help cover college expanses thanks to the Recovery Act.
    • Up to $8,000 - The amount new homebuyers can collect this year for purchasing their first home thanks to the Recovery Act's expansion of the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit. 
    • Up to $1,500 - The amount homeowners can collect this year on improvements made to their homes like energy-efficient windows, doors and insulation thanks to Recovery Act tax credits.
    • 65% - The amount by which the Recovery Act cut the cost of COBRA health insurance premiums for unemployed workers last year through an up-front tax credit.

    Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

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  • ONAP Releases Report of Community Recommendations for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy

    Posted by GMillett on April 9, 2010 at 1:00 PM EDT

    Last fall, the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) asked Americans to give us their input for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which will be released in the coming months.  From the beginning, ONAP recognized that community feedback would be invaluable to our National HIV/AIDS Strategy development so we hosted 14 community discussions and meetings throughout the United States, in addition to launching an online portal for Americans to send their comments directly to the White House.  In the end, we received over 1000 written responses from nearly every state and U.S. territory, from people affected by or living with HIV, from men, women, and transgender individuals, from young and old, and from respondents of various ethnicities, racial backgrounds and sexual orientation. 

    Despite the diversity in setting and respondents, a core set of common themes emerged across all of the recommendations.  Today, we are releasing a report of the major themes that we heard from the public .

    Throughout this process we heard that people want to bring the issue of HIV/AIDS back into the forefront of the American psyche through efforts such as social marketing campaigns and comprehensive HIV prevention and education for youth, injection drug users, communities of color, and gay and bisexual men.  Access to care was also commonly discussed.  Specifically, expanding support services for people living with HIV and the need to diagnose and treat co-occurring conditions such as Hepatitis, substance use, mental health, and markers of economic instability (e.g. housing, joblessness).    

    Even when access to treatment is available, the stigma surrounding an HIV diagnosis may be too great for people to get tested or enroll in care. We heard from many people living with HIV who spoke about the stigma associated with being HIV-positive and its effect on their daily lives.    Many people discussed the ways in which stigma and discrimination contributed to HIV-related racial, geographic, and gender disparities. People also described personal accounts of discrimination and stigma from providers and difficulties in accessing a range of services, including dental care and prenatal care. 

    Last, many expressed the importance of coordinating HIV prevention and treatment activities across the Federal government.  Many also expressed the importance of evaluating current HIV prevention and care efforts and making sure that these evaluation activities help guide Federal, state and local activities and funding. 

    These recommendations are only a subset of the input that we had received and many more recommendations for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy are detailed in the community discussions report. Not all of the recommendations, however, will appear in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.  To be effective, the strategy must include a small number of high payoff items that will address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States.  Nevertheless, we intend for this community report to provide a baseline for the status of the domestic epidemic and serve as a planning tool and resource for Federal, State and local agencies. We are grateful for the many Americans who helped make this report possible and for the many insightful recommendations that will go a long way in ensuring that the National HIV/AIDS Strategy is a success.
     

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  • World Health Day: Healthy Cities, Healthy People

    Posted by Adolfo Carrion, Jr. on April 9, 2010 at 11:19 AM EDT

    Bravo to the World Health Organization (WHO) for focusing global attention on the impact of urbanization on health. On April 7th the WHO recognized World Health Day 2010 with the "1000 Cities - 1000 Lives" campaign, calling on cities around the world to hold events that open up streets for activities promoting health and wellness.

    Smart investment in the built environment is the foundation of a healthy community. The location of your parks, supermarket, and schools (among other things) directly affect the health of an individual. And as people gravitate toward urban areas across the globe, we see increased demand on infrastructure, housing, and services. Global urbanization magnifies the responsibility of planners, governments and communities to develop more livable, walkable and active environments.

    Our Administration is working each day to bring federal agencies together to promote comprehensive investments in communities that enhance health and quality of life. The Sustainable Communities Partnership with Housing & Urban Development, Transportation and Environmental Protection is an interagency effort to support community plans that will reduce vehicle miles traveled; connect green, safe, and affordable housing options to transportation; and create inclusive and inspiring community spaces. We are aligning housing, education, safety and health and human service policies such that every child grows up in a rich and nurturing community.

    World Health Day also speaks to the key role urban leaders can play in a cultural shift toward healthy living. The First Lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative is an example of such an effort here in the US. The WHO’s “1000 Cities Initiative” urges cities across the world to do the same. This weekend I plan a long bike ride with the kids in support of global health and wellness.

    Are you ready? Let’s Move!

    Adolfo Carrión, Jr. is the Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs

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  • Health Reform and You: Reinsurance Program for Early Retirees

    Posted by Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on April 7, 2010 at 2:48 PM EDT

    For millions of Americans ages 55-64, retiring early also means giving up their health security.  Fewer and fewer employers provide coverage for these early retirees. And purchasing coverage in the individual market is not a viable option for many in this group, either because it’s unaffordable or because they have a preexisting condition like high blood pressure or diabetes.

    But thanks to the new health insurance reform law, help is on the way.  Starting in about three months, a new retiree reinsurance program will bring support for needed employer-based coverage for retirees.

    Tomorrow at 1:00 PM EDT, I’ll be discussing this topic during our second in a series of webchats about the new health reform law and you.  We’ll also be answering your questions.

    You can view the webcast at www.hhs.gov/live.  Email your questions in advance to Healthreform@hhs.gov.  We’ll answer as many questions as we can on the webcast, and address others on our website in the days ahead.

    The retiree reinsurance program provides $5 billion in temporary financial assistance so that employer plans can continue to provide valuable coverage to certain retirees.  It will make it easier for employers to give benefits to the workers who made their companies strong, and give retired workers the peace of mind that comes with quality health insurance.  You can learn more about the reinsurance program for early retirees by checking out this fact sheet (pdf).

    The retiree reinsurance program is just one of the many ways early retirees will benefit from health insurance reform.  Reform also helps to control costs, improves the quality of care for everyone, and strengthens Medicare.

    Join us tomorrow at www.hhs.gov/live to talk about this and other ways the new health insurance reform law will help seniors.  Again, submit your questions to Healthreform@hhs.gov.

    Kathleen Sebelius is Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services

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  • Acting Quickly to Create a Better Health Care System for Americans

    Posted by Jesse Lee on April 6, 2010 at 7:45 PM EDT

    This afternoon, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius spoke at the National Press Club to discuss how health reform will increase health security. She explained that the Affordable Care Act will give Americans more control over their health care by reining in unfair insurance practices. The law includes the largest middle class tax cut for health care in American history and provides the biggest expansion in health care coverage since Medicare.

    Secretary Sebelius explained that the new law “is not a magic pill that will cure all the problems in our health care system.” She described the reforms as “puzzle pieces,” with each reform being implemented after the next to strengthen the health insurance system without disrupting it.

    She said that they have already began acting to enforce the law by working with states to create high risk pool programs that will help uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions get coverage. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been restructured to prepare for the new responsibilities under health insurance reform, and later this week, HHS will open new Medicaid options to cover low-income adults.

    Secretary Sebelius also pointed out that scam artists have been trying to capitalize on the new health care law by setting up 1-800 numbers and trying to sell fraudulent insurance policies. Today, Secretary Sebelius sent letters to State Commissioners and Attorney Generals to investigate and prosecute these scams. 

    Secretary Sebelius said that HHS will make sure that Americans can receive the full benefits of the new law by providing Americans with access to information, eliminating waste in order to make every dollar count, and noted that “we will never lose sight of why we pursued this legislation in the first place, fought so hard for it, and are celebrating it as such a historic accomplishment.” She explained that they are beginning to implement the reforms of the health care legislation effectively, stating that “Our work didn’t end when President Obama put down his pen. In some ways, it’s just begun.”

    As always, find out what health reform means for you, and learn about the benefits kicking in this year in the Health Reform section of WhiteHouse.gov. 

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  • Double-Dipping Explained

    Posted by Dan Pfeiffer on April 6, 2010 at 9:55 AM EDT

    There has been a lot discussion about reports that some businesses are expecting some additional costs from health reform.  The problem doesn’t lie with corporate accounting, it lies with those who have politicized that accounting, treating first quarter earnings from about a dozen companies as a way to judge the entire impact of health reform on America’s business.

    The markets didn’t make that mistake. And today, a New York Times editorial elaborates on why the critics have it wrong.

    As we've explained, the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill included not only a subsidy to help companies pay for retiree prescription drug coverage, but also allowed them to deduct that subsidy from their taxes as if it was their own spending. Thus the headline of the editorial: "We Call That Double-Dipping." After health reform was signed, which kept the subsidy in tact but simply eliminated the ability to deduct the subsidy as well, affected companies posted earnings figures indicating they had taken big losses as a result of this change -- but as the editorial says:

    Those look like staggering amounts until one understands that they don’t require any immediate cash payments and that the added taxes will be paid out slowly — over perhaps 30, 40 or more years, depending on a company’s retiree plan.

    Wall Street certainly gave a collective yawn. Stock prices for the companies that made announcements barely budged (some went up), and analysts urged investors not to overreact because the accounting change would have a negligible impact on these companies’ valuation, or market capitalization.

    As for the question of how this change will affect seniors, the editorial closes on this note:

    The remaining tax subsidy is substantial and many companies and their workers value the retiree drug benefit, so defections may be small. If some retirees do lose their company drug benefits, they can buy government-subsidized coverage in Medicare that may be just or almost as good and will be getting better as health care reform progresses. Willing employers could also help subsidize their retirees’ drug coverage in Medicare.

    That’s the least they should do in return for the generous tax benefits they have been receiving.

    Dan Pfeiffer is White House Communications Director

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