The six-month anniversary of the Affordable Care Act marks an important milestone for millions of Americans who have long-awaited access to affordable, quality health care. Countless heart disease and stroke patients and their families will immediately benefit from the important insurance reforms that take effect on September 23. Among them, the ban on lifetime and unreasonable annual limits on care; the ban on denying coverage for children with pre-existing conditions; protections against termination of coverage when individuals get sick; enhanced availability of preventive services with no cost-sharing; and coverage for young adults up to age 26. In addition, the launch of the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans is providing an indelible safety net to the thousands of Americans with pre-existing conditions who were previously denied coverage.

The American Heart Association welcomes this important milestone and has recently launched a series of online videos to help educate Americans about the new law and these health consumer and patient protections that will help them access essential health services without the risk of financial hardship or personal bankruptcy. The video vignettes feature heart disease and stroke patients asking questions of health care experts some of the most common questions about the law. These videos can be found on our health care reform website, http://www.heartsforhealthcare.org/.

The recently released sobering data from the U.S. Census that an additional 4.4 million Americans lost their insurance coverage last year reminded us all that our health system was unsustainable and that enactment of reform was necessary. These early consumer protections and insurance reforms provide important relief for families nationwide. The association remains committed to working with Congress, the Administration and others to implement the Affordable Care Act and ensure that it fulfills the promise of accessible, affordable care to heart disease and stroke patients.