Happy Anniversary!

On the 1st anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, we decided to take stock of just what health care reform has meant for South Dakota.

• 346,000 South Dakotans with a pre-existing condition are no longer denied coverage by insurance companies

• 41,000 South Dakotans now have access to quality and affordable health care because of comprehensive health care reform

• 10,169 South Dakota seniors have benefited from additional coverage because Democrats closed the Medicare “donut hole”

• 46 community clinics exist in South Dakota because of the Affordable Care Act (Now that’sjobs!)

• 217,000 South Dakota families will receive tax credits and other assistance to make sure they can afford quality coverage

• 67,000 young adults in South Dakota can now stay on their parents’ health care coverage

In a word: Woah.  So while Republicans continue to spout empty rhetoric, we’re moving forward. In the words of Senator Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy:

“The great adventures which our opponents offer is a voyage into the past. Progress is our heritage, not theirs.”