English subtitles for clip: File:President Obama Speaks on Health Reform.ogv

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Good afternoon.

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Earlier today, the Supreme Court
upheld the constitutionality of

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the Affordable Care Act -- the
name of the health care reform

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we passed two years ago.

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In doing so, they've reaffirmed
a fundamental principle that

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here in America -- in the
wealthiest nation on Earth - no

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illness or accident should lead
to any family's financial ruin.

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I know there will be a lot of
discussion today about the

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politics of all this,
about who won and who lost.

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That's how these things tend to
be viewed here in Washington.

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But that discussion
completely misses the point.

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Whatever the politics, today's
decision was a victory for

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people all over this country
whose lives will be more secure

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because of this law and the
Supreme Court's decision to

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uphold it.

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And because this law has a
direct impact on so many

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Americans, I want to take this
opportunity to talk about

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exactly what it means for you.

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First, if you're one of the more
than 250 million Americans who

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already have health insurance,
you will keep your health

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insurance -- this law will
only make it more secure and

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more affordable.

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Insurance companies can no
longer impose lifetime limits

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on the amount of
care you receive.

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They can no longer discriminate
against children with

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preexisting conditions.

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They can no longer drop your
coverage if you get sick.

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They can no longer jack up
your premiums without reason.

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They are required to provide
free preventive care like

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check-ups and mammograms -- a
provision that's already helped

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54 million Americans
with private insurance.

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And by this August, nearly 13
million of you will receive a

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rebate from your insurance
company because it spent

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too much on things like
administrative costs and CEO

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bonuses, and not enough
on your health care.

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There's more.

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Because of the
Affordable Care Act,

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young adults under the age of
26 are able to stay on their

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parent's health care plans -- a
provision that's already helped

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6 million young Americans.

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And because of the
Affordable Care Act,

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seniors receive a discount on
their prescription drugs -- a

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discount that's already saved
more than 5 million seniors on

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Medicare about $600 each.

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All of this is happening because
of the Affordable Care Act.

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These provisions provide
common-sense protections for

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middle class families, and they
enjoy broad popular support.

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And thanks to today's decision,
all of these benefits and

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protections will continue
for Americans who already

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have health insurance.

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Now, if you're one of the 30
million Americans who don't yet

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have health insurance, starting
in 2014 this law will offer you

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an array of quality, affordable,
private health insurance plans

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to choose from.

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Each state will take the lead
in designing their own menu of

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options, and if states can come
up with even better ways of

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covering more people at
the same quality and cost,

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this law allows them
to do that, too.

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And I've asked Congress to
help speed up that process,

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and give states this
flexibility in year one.

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Once states set up these
health insurance marketplaces,

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known as exchanges, insurance
companies will no longer be able

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to discriminate against any
American with a preexisting

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health condition.

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They won't be able to
charge you more just

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because you're a woman.

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They won't be able to
bill you into bankruptcy.

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If you're sick, you'll finally
have the same chance to get

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quality, affordable health
care as everyone else.

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And if you can't
afford the premiums,

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you'll receive a credit
that helps pay for it.

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Today, the Supreme Court also
upheld the principle that people

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who can afford health insurance
should take the responsibility

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to buy health insurance.

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This is important
for two reasons.

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First, when uninsured people who
can afford coverage get sick,

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and show up at the
emergency room for care,

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the rest of us end up paying
for their care in the form of

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higher premiums.

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And second, if you ask insurance
companies to cover people with

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preexisting conditions, but
don't require people who can

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afford it to buy
their own insurance,

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some folks might wait until
they're sick to buy the care

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they need -- which would
also drive up everybody

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else's premiums.

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That's why, even though I knew
it wouldn't be politically

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popular, and resisted the idea
when I ran for this office,

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we ultimately included a
provision in the Affordable

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Care Act that people who can
afford to buy health insurance

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should take the
responsibility to do so.

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In fact, this idea has enjoyed
support from members of both

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parties, including the
current Republican nominee

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for President.

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Still, I know the debate over
this law has been divisive.

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I respect the very real
concerns that millions

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of Americans have shared.

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And I know a lot of coverage
through this health care debate

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has focused on what
it means politically.

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Well, it should be pretty clear
by now that I didn't do this

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because it was good politics.

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I did it because I believed
it was good for the country.

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I did it because I
believed it was good

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for the American people.

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There's a framed letter that
hangs in my office right now.

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It was sent to me during the
health care debate by a woman

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named Natoma Canfield.

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For years and years, Natoma
did everything right.

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She bought health insurance.

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She paid her premiums on time.

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But 18 years ago, Natoma
was diagnosed with cancer.

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And even though she'd been
cancer-free for more than a

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decade, her insurance company
kept jacking up her rates,

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year after year.

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And despite her desire to keep
her coverage -- despite her

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fears that she would get sick
again -- she had to surrender

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her health insurance,
and was forced to hang

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her fortunes on chance.

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I carried Natoma's story with
me every day of the fight to

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pass this law.

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It reminded me of
all the Americans,

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all across the country, who
have had to worry not only

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about getting sick, but about
the cost of getting well.

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Natoma is well today.

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And because of this law, there
are other Americans -- other

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sons and daughters,
brothers and sisters,

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fathers and mothers -- who will
not have to hang their fortunes

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on chance.

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These are the Americans for
whom we passed this law.

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The highest Court in
the land has now spoken.

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We will continue to
implement this law.

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And we'll work together to
improve on it where we can.

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But what we won't do -- what the
country can't afford to do -- is

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refight the political
battles of two years ago,

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or go back to the
way things were.

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With today's announcement, it's
time for us to move forward --

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to implement and, where
necessary, improve on this law.

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And now is the time to keep
our focus on the most urgent

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challenge of our time:
putting people back to work,

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paying down our debt, and
building an economy where people

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can have confidence that if they
work hard, they can get ahead.

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But today, I'm as confident as
ever that when we look back five

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years from now, or 10 years
from now, or 20 years from now,

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we'll be better off because we
had the courage to pass this

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law and keep moving forward.

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Thank you. God bless you,
and God bless America.