Here’s my simple belief – in the most powerful, affluent country in the world, nobody should die or go bankrupt simply because they have the misfortune of getting sick and not having enough money to see a doctor. Today, America spends twice as much on health care, per capita, as any other country in the world, and we get results that simply don’t warrant all that extra expenditure.

The Affordable Care Act is a first step toward fixing this broken system. It’s no secret that health care costs have been increasing at an unsustainable rate in our country, and skyrocketing prices mean that fewer Americans receive the care and services they need. But in the years since the law’s passage, the Affordable Care Act has worked to bring down costs and help millions of Americans get covered. To date, the law has enabled 20 million Americans to get health insurance – including more than 115,000 in Connecticut.  The law also requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of all premium dollars on patient care rather than administrative or marketing costs. In addition, the Affordable Care Act has improved Medicare for the nearly 600,000 beneficiaries in Connecticut, provided free preventive and wellness care to all Americans, and allowed young people to stay on their parents’ health care plan until age 26.

Will Congress need to make further reforms and improvements moving forward?  Of course. It’s up to all of us to work together to improve the law and make it better. But make no mistake – the Affordable Care Act has made our health care system more affordable and has tilted the balance of health care power away from insurers and toward patients and providers. I believe that quality, affordable health coverage should be a right in America, not a privilege reserved for those with a lot of money. The Affordable Care Act is already improving health care in our country, and I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to improve the law so it works even better for people and businesses across Connecticut.