Now, I want to hear your stories about how the Affordable Care Act has helped your friends and family. Watch the video below, and share your story on my Facebook or Twitter page using the hashtag #ProtectOurCare.

I was proud to vote in favor of the ACA in 2010, and I remain proud of that vote. Like most Americans, I believe that access to quality healthcare should not be reserved only for the wealthy. The ACA is not perfect – no law is – and I hope to continue working with colleagues to perfect it.

For the majority of Americans, not only is their coverage less expensive under the ACA, it has also improved as a direct result of new standards:

• Free preventative care like mammograms and colonoscopies must now be provided by insurance companies.

• The ACA helped close the Medicare “donut hole” coverage gap, saving millions of seniors – 83,303 of them here in Massachusetts – an average of around $1,000/ year on medication.

• Young people can now stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they are 26.

• Insurance companies can no longer discriminate against patients with preexisting conditions.

• Insurance companies are now required to spend at least 80% of your money on medical care – rather than CEO bonuses –or provide a rebate to their customers. Just last year, $2.4 billion dollars was refunded as a result of this requirement.

As a result of the ACA, over 20 million adults have gained coverage, resulting in the lowest uninsured rate in U.S. history. And just last year, 12 million fewer American families had problems paying their medical bills.

I support the ACA. I support strengthening the ACA and reforming any areas where there is room for bipartisan compromise to improve it. I believe that even those who are not affected by the ACA should know that we all benefit when our national deficit is reduced, our workers are healthier and more productive, our healthcare costs are lowered, and all of our communities have access to the healthcare they deserve.

Thank you to everyone who has written, called, and emailed me over the last several weeks. I will continue to fight for you every day in Washington, and make sure Congress hears your voices. Keep standing up and speaking out. Together, we will protect all the progress we have achieved and continue to move our country forward.

Sincerely,