[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6499]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  APPLAUDING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT'S HISTORIC FIRST OPEN ENROLLMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2014

  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
applaud the Affordable Care Act's historic first open enrollment along 
with the 8 million people who now have the health security they 
deserve.
  And I am proud of the immense contribution California has been to 
these surging numbers. More than 3 million California consumers 
enrolled in health insurance plans or in Medi-Cal.
  Moreover, after connecting my district to over 20 events and 
enrolling over 2,300 residents through my ``Enroll OC'' initiative, 
Orange County alone represented 10 percent of all California 
enrollments.
  These final enrollment numbers are promising and although we have 
surpassed our goals, enrollment is only the first step.
  We must now shift our focus to educating these new consumers about 
the services available to them through their health insurance 
providers.
  Therefore, as an effort to educate new consumers in my district, I 
will be initiating a new campaign and hosting ``Know Your Benefits'' 
events throughout Orange County.
  And I urge my colleagues to go beyond the kind of work necessary to 
reach those who the law was meant to help.

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