Health Reform Helps Millions with Chronic Conditions

Nearly 72 million American adults live with chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes. Prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") these individuals often struggled to maintain stable coverage—particularly those without employer-sponsored health insurance. Passage of the Affordable Care Act provided these Americans with new rights and protections, which will prevent insurance companies from refusing to issue coverage or otherwise discriminating against older, sicker individuals, as well as women. Yet opponents of the Affordable Care Act are trying to undermine these new gains by unraveling these reforms. This article includes an interactive map showing state-by-state prevalence of asthma, diabetes, and hypertension.