The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in March 2010. The public health community—including the American Lung Association—has stood firmly behind this Act from the beginning. The Lung Association continues to strongly support ACA because it benefits millions of Americans with asthma, lung cancer and other lung disease. The law also gives many more smokers access to treatments that can help them quit.

There are many reasons why the Lung Association supports ACA and strongly opposes further attempts to repeal or weaken it. Below are the Top Ten Lung Health Benefits from ACA.

One of the most critical provisions of the law is the creation of the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Fund invests in critical public health initiatives, like community programs that help people quit smoking, support groups for lung cancer patients, and classes that teach people how to avoid asthma attacks. Most recently, it allowed for the development of the “Tips from Former Smokers” mass media campaign on the health effects of tobacco use. In tough economic times prevention funding is often threatened. Maintaining this fund as originally intended in the law is crucial to efforts to prevent disease and lower healthcare costs.

The ACA continues to help smokers quit across the country. It is critical that all smokers who want to quit have access to treatments that will help them quit, like medications and counseling. This law ensures that these life- and cost-saving treatments are available to pregnant women on Medicaid, and many people insured privately.

To find out more about the Affordable Care Act, visit www.healthcare.gov.

Press Releases

• Read our press release about the second anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care
• Read our press release about the Affordable Care Act