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Weekly Address: Make 2015 the Year for Quality, Affordable Health Insurance - YouTube
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[9]
The Vice President:
Hello everyone,
[9]
this is Joe Biden.
[11]
I want to wish you
all a Happy New Year.
[13]
I know this is the time
of year when we make
[15]
resolutions to take care
of our health, whether
[18]
it's joining a gym
or eating healthier.
[20]
But there's one thing you
can do right now that will
[24]
also make a big difference
in your health:
[26]
that is getting quality,
affordable health
[29]
insurance through the
Affordable Care Act.
[32]
Because of that law,
access to quality
[34]
health care
is improving.
[36]
Last year, almost 7
million people signed
[40]
up for health care
coverage under the new law
[42]
and paid their
premiums.
[43]
And in many cases the cost
of health care is less
[47]
than the cost of your cell
phone or your cable bill.
[51]
In addition, millions
more are getting the care
[54]
that they need
through Medicaid that
[56]
they weren't
getting before.
[58]
And because of the new
law, people who already
[62]
had health insurance are
also benefitting from
[64]
additional
protections.
[65]
For example, their
insurance companies
[68]
can't deny them coverage
because of pre-existing
[70]
conditions, like
asthma or diabetes.
[73]
And they're able to get --
for free -- preventive
[76]
services like mammograms
or blood pressure
[79]
screenings that their
doctors ordered for them,
[81]
saving them a
lot of money.
[83]
Everyone is beginning to
realize what millions
[85]
of you already
know -- the
[87]
Affordable Care
Act is working.
[89]
And we're just
getting started.
[92]
Because there are millions
more of you who can
[94]
get quality, affordable health
care if you sign up before
[97]
February 15th
of this year.
[100]
That's now through
February 15th.
[102]
Now if you don't have
insurance, you can
[105]
go to HealthCare.gov,
where you'll find a menu
[108]
of a bunch of different plans
and what each plan covers
[111]
and how much
each plan costs.
[113]
All you have to do
is just pick one.
[116]
The best one that fits
your family's health care
[118]
needs and your
family's budget.
[119]
If you don't want to go
to HealthCare.gov and you
[122]
want to talk to somebody
on the phone instead,
[125]
you can call, I'm going to
give you the number now,
[127]
you can call
1-800-318-2596.
[134]
From this moment on, you
can call any time of the
[136]
day, any day
of the week.
[138]
Phone lines are open 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
[143]
And for folks listening
today whose family
[146]
and friends may
not speak English:
[148]
let them know that there
are translators available
[150]
in over 150 language to guide
them through the process.
[154]
And if you're not
comfortable going online
[157]
or speaking on the phone,
and you want to sit down
[159]
with an individual to help
you through this, you can
[162]
find out where
to go as well.
[164]
Because in every
community, at local
[167]
libraries or community
health centers, people
[170]
are there to help.
[171]
All you have to do is
go on HealthCare.gov,
[174]
type in where you live, and
you can find out exactly where
[177]
to go to sit down with
a person who will help
[180]
you walk through
the process.
[182]
But here's the really
important point
[184]
I want to make.
[185]
If you don't sign up by
February 15th of this year
[189]
-- with only a very few
exceptions -- if you don't
[191]
sign up by the 15th of
this year, you're going
[193]
to have to wait until 2016
to get health insurance
[197]
through the
Affordable Care Act.
[199]
And even those of
you who already have
[202]
health insurance through
the Affordable Care Act,
[204]
you can also go on
HealthCare.gov to find
[208]
a plan that might offer
more benefits or be more
[210]
affordable in
price for you.
[212]
You might even qualify for
additional help paying for
[215]
the insurance you choose
because your income
[218]
isn't what it
was last year.
[220]
Now I'm sure some of you
already heard from your
[222]
friends and neighbors
who've signed up for
[225]
health insurance under the
Affordable Care Act what
[228]
I hear all around
the country.
[230]
I hear it provides peace
of mind that someone you
[233]
love will be covered if
God-forbid something happens.
[236]
It provides security, so
if you have a bad strain
[240]
in your ankle or your back
and you don't have the
[242]
money to get treatment,
you can now get the
[244]
treatment rather than
wait, put it off,
[246]
and end up with a
chronic condition.
[248]
And it provides a lot
of freedom, and choice,
[250]
and opportunity -- so you
can switch jobs or move
[253]
to another city without the
fear that you'll lose out
[255]
on the health insurance
with the company
[257]
you now have
it with.
[259]
And what I'm hearing
most is how pleased
[261]
and excited people are
about how affordable it is.
[264]
An awful lot of people who
didn't think they could
[267]
or would find
quality, affordable
[269]
health insurance are actually
able to get assistance
[272]
from the government to
help them pay for their
[274]
health care plans
at a cheaper rate.
[276]
Let me give
you an example.
[278]
A family of four with an
income of around $95,000,
[282]
they can still get a
subsidy to lower their
[285]
health care premiums.
[287]
But maybe most
importantly, what I hear
[289]
is that we have finally
ended the debate in this
[292]
country of whether or
not health insurance
[295]
is a right or
a privilege.
[297]
We think everyone in
America has a right
[300]
to have adequate
health care insurance.
[303]
And the Affordable Care
Act gives them that right.
[307]
So sign up.
[308]
And spread the word.
[309]
Protect your health --
not only for your sake,
[312]
but for the sake of
your families.
[315]
Thanks for listening, and
Jill and I wish you again
[318]
a happy and
healthy New Year.
[321]
God bless you, and may
God protect our troops.
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