Upholding Accessible and Affordable Health Care

June 25, 2015

By Rose Veniegas

This morning, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that will ensure that millions of Americans continue to have access to affordable healthcare. The ruling in King v. Burwell upholds the federal Affordable Care Act subsidies that allow low-income residents in states that have not set up health insurance exchanges to obtain insurance for themselves and their families.

California led the nation in implementing the Affordable Care Act and providing insurance as many of its residents as possible. Our state’s exchange, called Covered California, has enrolled close to three million people in public and private insurance since its launch in 2012. Although the ruling does not have a direct impact on Covered California, it secures the promise of coverage for many uninsured and low-income Americans who might not otherwise be able to afford health insurance in 37 states.

In 2013 the California Community Foundation supported early efforts to increase outreach and education to communities that might be hesitant to seek coverage and also made $400,000 in grants in LA County to increase awareness about the Affordable Care Act among those who were uninsured. Since then the foundation has made grants to community clinics, hospitals and community-based organizations working in coordination to enhance the quality of health services used by those who gained access to health coverage.

CCF will continue to invest in communities where health access, quality and affordability remain challenging. Today, we celebrate with the millions of people who benefit from subsidized health care throughout the United States.

Rose Veniegas is the program officer for health care at the California Community Foundation.

#LAtogether

Subscribe to receive instant email notifications of our #LAtogether blog posts and CCF e-newsletters.

Contribute

Join us in making an impact on the issues that face L.A.

Contribute

Instagram

Something is wrong.

Instagram token error.