ADA Applauds Courts Decision to Uphold the Affordable Care Act

The American Diabetes Association, the nation's largest and leading voluntary health organization in the fight to Stop Diabetes®, celebrated the monumental U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. For the nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes and the 79 million who have prediabetes, this decision preserves their ability to access quality health care that is vital to the prevention and management of diabetes, and in maintaining overall health.

"Today's Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act marks a crucial victory in our continued fight to Stop Diabetes®," said Larry Hausner, CEO, American Diabetes Association. "This law eliminates health insurance discrimination against people living with diabetes and provides access to affordable, quality health care and prevention programs needed to curb the current diabetes epidemic and prevent its devastating complications, including blindness, amputation, heart disease and kidney failure."

Health insurance coverage is essential to leading a healthy life, and our nation's highest Court has affirmed the validity of the Affordable Care Act, allowing implementation to continue in a way that will benefit patients with chronic diseases like diabetes. Upholding the law protects the important benefits that people with diabetes have already received since the bill became law, including the elimination of lifetime limits on health insurance coverage, access to free preventive care, lower prescription drug costs for seniors, allowing young adults to stay on their parent's insurance plans, protecting children from being denied insurance and the development of a successful program aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes.

"Every day, the American Diabetes Association works hard to expand access to affordable care to prevent, delay and slow the progression of diabetes," said Hausner. "Upholding the law is a major step forward in our continued fight as we work toward full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. People with diabetes, and all Americans, will no longer be denied access to the health insurance they need, will not have their insurance run out when they need it most and cannot be discriminated against based on pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes."

American Diabetes Association July, 2012