Day 2: Women to Speak About Obamacare at Tuesday News Conference at U.S. Supreme Court

MEDIA ADVISORY for Tuesday, March 27th: Protect My Health Care - Protect the Law

Second of Three Daily 8:30 a.m. News Conferences Will Focus on Life-Changing Benefits Being Provided to Millions of Americans

Women Will Share Stories About Positive Effects of Affordable Care Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In support of the Affordable Care Act, a coalition of organizations has scheduled a news conference at the base of the steps leading up to the U.S. Supreme Court for Tuesday, March 27, at 8:30 a.m. The news conference, the second in a series held each of the three days of oral arguments on the law's constitutionality, will feature women sharing firsthand stories about Obamacare's benefits. Six patients will speak about the many ways they have been helped by the law.

WHAT: News conference featuring women giving firsthand accounts of the health care benefits of the Affordable Care Act

WHERE: Foot of the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Building, One First Street NE, Washington, D.C.

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, March 27, 2012

WHO:
Maine State Senator Margaret Craven - A long-time health care advocate who has represented the 16th Senate District of Maine since 2002. Among her constituents are many seniors and women helped by the Affordable Care Act.

Spike Dolomite Ward - A Health Care for America Now (HCAN) activist from California who was uninsured when she was diagnosed last year with Stage 3 breast cancer. Now she is covered and receiving chemotherapy thanks to Obamacare's Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

Chris Turner - A Florida activist with the National Women's Law Center who was treated with precautionary anti-HIV drugs after being raped and then excluded from coverage because using HIV medications is considered a pre-existing condition. Under the health care law, starting in 2014 Chris and millions of others with every imaginable health condition can never again be excluded from coverage.

Erinn Ackley - A Montana woman whose father died of bone-marrow cancer after his insurer initially denied a doctor's recommendation for a transplant and then was slow to respond to the family's appeals. Obamacare sets new standards requiring health insurers to expedite such appeals to protect patients.

Stacie Ritter - An HCAN activist from Pennsylvania whose twin daughters survived leukemia after the family battled with the insurance company and filed for bankruptcy. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, her daughters can never again be excluded from coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

Helen Dally - A woman from Oregon whose coverage through her parents' small business health plan is enabling her to pursue her dream of building a life and career in New York City. Her parents are active in the Main Street Alliance.

Courtney Everette - A Planned Parenthood patient who lives in Chicago with her husband and 3-year-old son. She is expecting another child, a girl, this spring.

The coalition will hold another news conference on Day 3, Wednesday, featuring Medicaid enrollees and others talking about how expansion of Medicaid under health reform benefits seniors, children, middle-class families and taxpayers across the country. At the Day 1 news conference this morning, doctors, nurses and patients described how the law has benefited them and will help millions of people.

In addition to the daily 8:30 a.m. news conferences in front of the courthouse, additional media briefings will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at the same podium after each round of oral arguments concludes. These briefings will feature legal and policy experts who attended that day's hearing and will start shortly after the conclusion of each session.

The news conferences and briefings are part of an extensive effort that includes a media operations center in the United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Ave. NE, directly across Maryland Avenue from the Supreme Court's main entrance. That center will feature a Radio Row" of national and regional radio hosts broadcasting live from the site Monday and Tuesday, and it offers a varietyof related media services.

Note to TV Producers, Photo Editors: Tuesday news conference--with patients standing in front of the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Building--will provide an outstanding visual image of community support for the Affordable Care Act from women.

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