Bridget’s Story
As-delivered on December 12, 2019.
Mr. President, I am here to speak about the success of the Affordable Care Act in Rhode Island. It has been very well managed in Rhode Island, and it has made a very big difference in many, many lives.
The marketplace plan that the Affordable Care Act set up in Rhode Island is called Health Source Rhode Island. It has been well run, and it has been successful. For 2019, it has 34,533 people getting health insurance through the plan.
We also expanded Medicaid, as the Affordable Care Act allowed. Under the Medicaid expansion, 72,000 Rhode Islanders got coverage that they didn’t have before. So if you put those two together, that is 106,000-plus Rhode Islanders who got the benefit, the comfort, and the confidence of coverage for healthcare as a result of this bill. It is 10 percent of our population, and it has driven our uninsured numbers way, way down, into low single digits, which has been a very big win for us.
I will also say that we have taken very good advantage of the accountable care organization provisions of the Affordable Care Act, with two of the best performing ACO’s in the country as two of our lead primary care provider groups: Coastal Medical and Primary Care Partners. They are showing just terrific results, as they are changing the way they deliver care. They can do so because we have changed the way they can be reimbursed for care.
That Rhode Island snapshot is part of a larger story of success.
Eleven and a half million Americans around the country have enrolled in ACA marketplace insurance in 2019. There are 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries who have saved a total of $26.8 billion on prescription drug costs. That is over $2,200 per senior. That is something to celebrate. Unfortunately, it is still at risk in the courts.
President Trump and this Republican administration are still trying to knock it down. If they succeed, 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions will be at risk of losing healthcare coverage protections.
One hundred and fifty-six million Americans with private or employer sponsored insurance will lose the consumer protections in the ACA for preventive care, disallowing lifetime or annual limits and closing waiting periods to enroll — things that have really made a difference in people’s lives. These are big numbers, and they add to a tremendous story of success, but behind the numbers are faces. Every one of those 34,533 Rhode Islanders who signed up and got health coverage through Health Source Rhode Island has their own story.
Today it is my privilege to come to the floor of the U.S. Senate to tell the story of Bridget from Tiverton, RI. I can’t tell it better than she does, so I will simply read her story. She says:
For the majority of my life, I have suffered from chronic pain. Though I am only in my 20’s, I have suffered from acute arthritis in my left hip due to multiple surgeries to correct complications from a hip dysplasia surgery for almost 15+ years. I was told for years that I was not a candidate for hip replacement as I was still growing, so when I was finally developed enough and found a surgeon willing to perform the hip replacement surgery my life felt like it was actually mine again.
Last year, I finally was approved for a hip replacement. It has been a year since that day, and I thank God every day that I was able to receive the help I need. Without the hip replacement, I would still be living in bed and confined to a wheelchair or crutches.
Without my coverage, the preventative care that ensured my health would not backpedal would have been gone. I cannot stress enough how terrifying the thought of losing the opportunity of living my life was. I would not wish this endeavor on anyone, especially a child without coverage as I have been in their situation.
Since my surgery, I have been able to hold my first full time job, I have been able to consider going back to college, I have lived pain free for the first time in practically my whole life.
No one should have to struggle with chronic issues, or be discriminated against because of pre-existing conditions. Every day I grow stronger, and my voice for those who are not as strong as I am now grows louder. I will fight for my right to health care and for others who deserve the treatment they need for the rest of my life.
Bridget, congratulations. Thank you. God bless you.
Let us make sure we do not let this administration tear down the millions of stories like Bridget’s that they seek to undo with this reckless litigation.
I yield the floor.
