Lucille Roybal-Allard: “I thank the gentleman for yielding and for organizing tonight's Special Order on the Affordable Care Act, which is…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and for organizing tonight's Special Order on the Affordable Care Act, which is helping to make health care a reality for millions of Americans across our Nation. Luckily, California is one of the States that has a plan. It has bought into the Affordable Care Act. As a result, thousands of California are now benefiting from what we in California call Covered California, which is the ACA plan there. By enrolling in the Affordable Care Act, parents and their children no longer have to endure illnesses or painful injuries because they can't afford a doctor. Parent don't have to worry about their children getting a preventable illness because they can't afford to have them vaccinated or treated for a chronic preventable disease. Why? Because under the ACA, many immunizations and preventative services are free. Seniors and adults are also eligible for free preventive services, including annual checkups, annual mammograms, prostate cancer screenings, and immunizations. Young adults, including 435,000 young Californians, don't have to worry about being a burden on their family if they get sick or are in an accident because they can remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, and get affordable insurance after that. Also critical is the fact that under the Affordable Care Act, no one can be denied health care coverage because of a preexisting condition.…”