Healthcare Reform celebrates one-year anniversary

Attendees celebrate the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act during a presentation held March 28 at the Oxnard Public Library. From left, Adrian Mendoza of the AARP, Oxnard City Councilmember Carmen Ramirez, Aurora Magana Lopez, Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, and Sharon Hilbrand of AARP. Photo by Frank X. Moraga/Amigos805.com ©2011

Attendees celebrate the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act during a presentation held March 28 at the Oxnard Public Library in Oxnard.

“The health care law has provided critical benefits for families, seniors, and small businesses in its first year of implementation. The Patient’s Bill of Rights—a key component of the law—has benefited individuals and businesses across the 23rd district,” Capps stated in a media release. “For example, it forbids insurance companies from denying health care coverage to 2.2 million children in California, freeing parents from the worry that their child night be denied coverage.

“It has provided critical support to nearly 8,000 seniors stuck in the Medicare Part D donut hole who received a $250 check to help cover the cost of their prescriptions,” she said. “And over half a million small businesses in California were eligible for tax credits to help cover the cost of providing insurance to their employees to make it more affordable—helping worker productivity and the businesses’ bottom line.”

The celebration featured speakers who shared personal stories of how the passage of the Affordable Care Act benefitted their family members by providing coverage to their children over 21 and preventing insurance company from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

The celebration featured information booths from the Ventura County Health Care Agency and Clinicas del Camino Real.

A small group of Tea Party members also attended the event to protest passage of the health reform law. They could be seen in front of the library, while the celebration was held in the courtyard behind the library.

Following the presentation, Capps officially cut the cake to conclude the presentation.

Click here to see the entire set of photos from the event.