Underwood Visits VNA Clinic in Joliet to Promote Open Enrollment Before January 16 Deadline

JOLIET – Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) visited the new VNA Health Care Joliet Clinic to discuss local efforts to get people in the community signed up for marketplace health coverage from the Affordable Care Act during the Open Enrollment period. A historic 20 million Americans have already signed up for coverage during this enrollment period, thanks to Underwood’s Health Care Affordability Act. Her legislation has helped four out of five Americans find a plan for less than $10 a month.

“I want all of our neighbors to know that the deadline to get affordable health care through the marketplace is on January 16th!” Underwood said. “Year-over-year we are breaking records for enrollment because the Affordable Care Act works. My legislation, the Health Care Affordability Act, has made it more affordable than ever to get covered, and I know there is an affordable plan for you and your family on HealthCare.gov.”

At the Joliet clinic, Underwood stressed how her legislation has led to record-breaking enrollment for the third straight year, and how access to health coverage can reduce medical bills, lower the cost of a prescription, connect people to providers, and give families peace of mind. In addition to this, Underwood secured federal funding to help open the VNA Clinic.

A short-term version of Underwood’s Health Care Affordability Act was included in the Inflation Reduction Act, and it’s currently saving families of four an average of $2,400 on their annual premiums for Marketplace plans. But this provision is set to expire in 2025, leaving millions of Americans facing costly price increases for their health coverage. Underwood is calling on Congress to pass the Health Care Affordability Act and make these savings permanent.

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