the thing that's -- dr. dybul, we're seeing increases in parts of this country. i mean, you would think that it would be decreasing everywhere in the world once sir elton talked about the young women in africa. we're seeing it, men and women in this country. where are we missing the point? dr. dybul: in rural south, it's a very big problem. among young, gay men, having sex with men, it's a big problem. i think maybe because they feel that they are not going to die, that this disease has -- you know, we mentioned it, someone mentioned it, you know, this disease can be a manageable disease, you can live with this disease. and i think, in this country, which has all of the sophisticated medicine available, that people are having unsafe sex, thinking if i have unsafe sex, i'm going to be okay because there's a pill i

can take. not really knowing or understanding consequences of what that pill might do to that their body in the long run. but in africa, they don't have that option. they just want to live. over here, they're able to live because they have medicine available. in africa and asia, they don't have that option some of the people, because they don't have the medicine. and i think you have seen a rise, a -- it's cyclical, seems to happen every ten years, that this disease starts to rise again amongst the young. and i'm at a loss to explain it because, you know, everyone knows the consequences of being hiv positive. as i say you can live a safe and healthy life like a diabetic. it is probably easier to treat someone with hiv than a diabetic . that would be my explanation, why you're seeing a rise. in the rural south it's -- it is also a huge problem as well. and i think, again, a lot of it

is stigma. a lot of people not wanting to admit they have the disease. not a lot of people are being tested. not a lot of people being tested. a lot of people are walking around not knowing they have the disease. there's still a lot of fear. even in the countries so sophisticated as america and in my country, great britain, the >> now, met element talks about the plight of ethnic muslims lived in -- living in myanmar and living in the country formally known as irma. matt: thank you. it was a lovely introduction. thank you, that was a lovely introduction. i want to thank everybody here at the national press club for

hosting michelle and myself. the largest stateless as this group -- stateless ethnic group over onerld, averaged million people. -- 6 million people. having served on the board of refugees international over the past several years, i have obviously heard about the rohingya during that time. group of greata concern going back as far as the early 90's, maybe even longer. but it was six weeks ago here in d.c. that the rohingya really got my attention. a human rights activists and

advocates was being honored at refugees international. he made a powerful speech. there was an urgency that you don't typically here from somebody at awards ceremony. it was more of an immediate, desperate plea that someone who was accepting an award. mouthrst words out of his were, "i don't exist. i learned later that, at the very moment when he was making werespeech, many rohingya suffering and dying. my decision to go to myanmar was kind of a spontaneous thing. it wasn't something that i planned. i happened to be in tokyo doing pines." "wayward at that time, there was more stop it was coming out about the

rohingya in the news. of people pictures crammed into the holds of boats like human cargo. ,tories of human trafficking and ships being turned away by countries in the region. i wanted to find out a little bit more about why these people being forced to flee. i had been on mission before with refugees international. met and spoke with displaced people in eastern congo and in sudan. i really feel that the best way to learn about what is going on is to go there and see it for yourself. and i said, ille think i'm going to burma to visit the campus. he said, i think it will be very good. he told me that another of an -- a number of ngos working there,

like msf, had been chased out of the camps. it is never a good time when msf gets chased away. it,aid, if you can go, do but because i think it will make a difference. so i decided to go under the radar, met up with a few journalist friends. we went together. city.in know, the you might rohingya muslims are an ethnic minority. the vast majority of people living there are buddhist, who are themselves an ethnic minority within the country of myanmar. in the two days that we were there, we visited four

displacement camps -- idp camps. i'm not very good with acronyms but once i get what i like to use it. village near the coastline. many of the inhabitants there, theref the people living were forced to live there after their homes were destroyed in outbursts of ethnic violence over the last three years. the first impression when you visit these camps, right away, is that nobody would live there if they had a choice. it is hot, dry, there are no trees. the people we met seemed to be thoroughly defeated. young men whose spirits were broken. somebody hands with and there was a politeness but they would immediately look

down, defeated. there were signs of malnutrition among the children. we met people who tried to escape unsuccessfully and spent several horrific months at sea only to be returned for ransom. basically lost everything and ended up in myanmar. there were others whose homes have been burned to the ground and watch their neighbors being murdered as the police did nothing to stop it. during the two days that we were there, we didn't see any aid workers in the camp's. there were signs that they were of wellhere were plenty structured the trains and things like that, but yet we didn't really see anybody. ,hat was a little bit strange because i have been in refugee camps. i didn't see anybody. i didn't visit all the camps, and again, i was only there for

a few days. from what i understand, the ngos were not having an easy time working in the region. serviced aboutic 30,000 people, with one dr. who comes four days a week for about two hours a day. this is just not enough. about the desire to help these people. the conditions in the caps on back. told, thei have been situation in the northern rohingya state is much worse when the apartheid conditions are more blatant. it is not somewhere you can visit easily. you have to go by boat, and the government really doesn't want you going there. this is where 90% of the rohingya live.

the population is almost entirely rohingya. yet, they are permitted to have administrative positions and are treated as second-class citizens. i didn't get to go there. it is not easy to access. sitway, the last rohingya in the town is a neighborhood where no one is allowed to enter. the people living there are prisoners. their economic life has been shut down. they have no access to services. appearance, as you are driving through, it seems to be like other residential streets in the town except there are barbed wire checkpoints. we don't really know what is going on inside their because it

is for didn't enter. but wasto enter off-limits and i was stopped by a policeman who was really just a kid. he insisted that i leave. this went on for a little while. him putting his hand in front of my camera. telling me i have to go. i got the point when a truck pulled up with more police with guns so we left. it is a neighborhood that is blocked off and it is literally under theolish ghetto nazis. people are contained and trapped . talking to michelle and folks at human rights watch, this is an area of concern that if the violence flares up again as it

has in the recent past that this and its inhabitants they would be trapped there like sitting ducks. with all the information is out there about them being turned away at sea it has turned it into stake the pressure off the myanmar government and turned it into an international issue. there were reports that the myanmar navy intercepted ship carrying refugees off the shore. offloadedtly rohingya: refugees. they were secretly offloaded. theship then escorted remaining refugees to

bangladesh. they were migrant workers. when they arrived, they were able to prove to the international authorities that there are no refugees from emr on this ship. they gave credence to their assertion that the refugees were ben gali. they don't use the word rohingya: . that doesn't exist. they were even praised by the state department and the u.n. for the rescue. medidn't hold water for because i spoke to several people that were on that ship including one woman who was desperate to escape with her four children and she told us how men had boarded the ship at night and ordered everyone to get off the boat and the rohingya:

were taken to shore. so many of them have taken to the cds in an attempt to escape what is happening in myanmar. the woman with the four children told me that she would do it again if she could. despite the three months of misery while she waited out in .he bay of bengal what happens is that the traffickers won't leave with the bigger ships until they are filled to the brim. it is a horrible situation. young people are tricked into coming on these ships. promised a better life. suffered like this but she said she would do it again. that is how desperate the situation was. it is mind-boggling. the reason that this is happening and will continue to happen is because the rohingya:

are stateless. even though they have been born and raised there and living there for many generations. in 1982 a law was enacted stripping the rohingya of their basic rights. there are clear signs of ethnic cleansing. the rohingya aren't permitted to travel. a law was passed with a three-year time between marriage and childbirth. it is a case of ethnic

cleansing, way of controlling the population. coming from that source it is a bad thing. if people choose to do that. in south sudan we try to encourage people if they were struggling it is hard enough to take care of one child let alone more. but this is a different thing. this is ethnic cleansing. the feeling i was left with was one of oppression and being trapped and hopelessness, no options. it is not a hopeless situation. >> actress judy collins lost her son to suicide. she talked about her book advocating for suicide prevention. suicide. she talked about her book advocating for suicide prevention. >> we are back this morning.

we will be focusing on suicide prevention. ,e want to welcome judy collins award-winning singer and songwriter and author of this book. madigan whoy john is vice president for public policy at the american association for suicide prevention. talk about why this is an important cause for you personally. collins: i am a survivor of my own suicide attempt as well as the suicide of my son. i'm am here because i believe that education is the best way to deal with suicide. breaking the taboo of discussing it. history part of the human history for so many decades. we are beginning to break through that. because this foundation has been so helpful in bringing it into

the public view and also letting people know that the thing to do was talk about it. educated about it and be part of the solution. >> what you hope to accomplish? judy collins? i would like to have people on the case of insurance companies. they have decided to be my doctor and what they will pay for. schneiderman ed started the first suicide prevention hotline in 1949 in los angeles. him you will want to take the word suicide out of there. he has we can't say suicide in public. what has happened is that the insurance companies have hijacked the brain. i was very lucky because i had

therapy. i had therapy for as long as i needed it and it was paid for by my insurance. they can't get the long-term talk therapy that one needs. lobby the insurance companies and tell them they have to stop living up to their ideas which is to make more money and to pay for the help that people who need help with mental health need to have. that is my purpose here. the only thing that i know that suicide prevention. is that i prevented my own suicide. >> i want to welcome our viewers to start dialing in. john madigan, layout for our viewers how big of a problem this is. madigan: suicide is now the

10th leading cause of death in this country. it is going the wrong way. we know of 40,000 plus suicides each year. leading causend of death for 10 to 24-year-olds. .t is a big big problem i have fought the cancer wars but to judy's point it is time we understand that we can't separate the mind from the body. law must companies by treat physical and mental health issues equally. it is going to take some time. the insurance companies are studying the regulations so that if you are allowed to visit your heart dr. you have to be able to visit your mental health the samefor at least

number of visits. we didn't talk about cancer in the 60's. we didn't talk about aids in the 70's. we can talk about alzheimer's until a few years ago. we have to let people understand that mental health issues are no different from diabetes, heart disease. it is located talk about it and it is ok to get help. >> what are the challenges with mental health parity? madigan: the law is in place. mental health professionals because some of them feel they are not getting reimbursed at the proper rate, many of them don't take insurance. you have to go pay for the care up front. and then submit your bill to your insurance company and get reimbursed. budget,e on a tight

that is a real problem. it is a multifaceted issue. we are working on it. the good news is that mental health is a bipartisan issue. we have friends on both sides of the aisle. there will be a major bill introduced in this congress by tim murphy of pennsylvania and ,enator cassidy from louisiana major mental health care reform. rangel look at the whole of mental health services and how they are delivered, reimbursement fees for doctors. .t will be monumental it is a long time coming. collins, tell our viewers your personal story. it began as a teenager. i was in a very pressured life even then.

there is no reason for suicide. anybody can have any reason they might have in life and the life can present terrible problems that have to be solved. it would destroy my parents and i had succeeded. i was 14 years old. i took a lot of pills. nobody then talk about it. my son was an alcoholic as i am. he was recovering. i am recovering for many years from alcoholism. alcoholism and drug addiction are good paths to suicide. my son had seven years of sobriety before he relapsed and then he took his life. his father's father had taken his life. i have to say something about the things that are available

that don't cost money. people to talk to. people that are your friends. groups that are free. you can go online and find recovery groups you have to pay anything for. you can look at your diet and clear out the junk. clear out the booze. learn how not to drink. people of diabetes have to face it on a daily basis. sugar and carbs and grains are dangerous. alcohol is a depressant. drinking means that you are liable. i was suicidally bent over the years i was drinking for 23 years. things,hat there are

homeopathic things that are free. the combination of getting some help from a professional and to doing what the things are that you can do to save your own life. it is vital to suicide prevention. i know the most about my own suicide prevention. i amsuicide survivor, dozens of times more likely to take my own life than someone who hasn't survived the suicide of a loved one. my job today is to stay >> actress ellen page receive the vanguard award for her stance on human rights. this is 20 minutes. >> ellen papers in the human rights campaign toward this is 20 minutes.

>> oh my god. i am so lucky and excited and great goal to be here. am so tallny is i that i can't read the teleprompter, so i have to take my high heels off. i'm not even kidding. ok, i didn't get a pedicure, i hope you cannot see my toes. don't pan down. i am so excited to be here tonight, it has been so long since i have been here. i got off my plane and i went

into a time or, and i ran to the west wing to hug jed bartlet and iran into frank underwood -- and i ran into frank underwood. i was grateful i did not run into trump. did i say that out loud? i'm not -- my day grew so much better when i remember. the real reason i am here tonight is to honor ellen page. [cheers and applause] with the human rights campaign vanguard award. i have had the personal pleasure of working with alan on -- ellen, on and off screen. acting with her is a pure joy. she is incredibly present, accessible, generous, and my favorite trait in any person,

she doesn't take herself too seriously, which i love. whenever i spend time with her offscreen, i always leave her feeling that i am a better person, that i have learned something from her that she has taught me about the world, the beauty in the world. and she is such an amazing person, and i am so grateful to have her in my life. her intelligence is profound. her heart is huge. her willingness to put herself out there, to expose injustice, at times at great risk to her own personal safety is nothing short of inspiring. she is truly one of those individuals in my life and in

yours who lives the truth about who she is, and who she loves. [applause] she inspires us all with her enthusiasm, her compassion, and above all her authenticity. for all youths and especially lgbtq teens, struggling with their identities and feelings in a world that can be so cruel, intimidating and cautious, ellen is is a powerful inspiration. her willingness to speak her truth, and to confront injustice against lgbtq people has made her a remarkable role model, and i cannot think of anybody more deserving of a national vanguard award. think back to last year, a very

memorable valentine's day. the human rights campaign joined with the national education foundation and the american counseling association to launch "time to thrive," the nation's first large-scale conference to promote safety, inclusion and well-being for lgbtq youth. to tap this gathering, ellen page took to the stage and for the very first time introduced herself fully to the world, and the world embraced her. how do we know that? her remarks were downloaded on video over 5 million times in the next 48 hours. take a look. >> ready?

>> it's something, isn't it? ♪ >> i just want to tell you all that you are my heroes. >> looking good, barbie. ♪ >> your parents are probably wondering where you are. >> i am a ready pregnant, so what other shenanigans can i get into? ♪ >> playtime is over. >> that's the dream. i have big dreams, i woman i love who loves me. ♪

>> here i am, an actress representing at least in some sense an industry that places crushing standards on all of us. i am here today, because i am gay, i am tired of hiding and i'm tired of lying by omission. i suffered for years because i was scared to be out. my mental health suffered. my relationships suffered. i'm standing here today with all of you on the other side of that page. ♪ >> when i was doing the hrc conference they were talking about how important it is for young lgbt people in this world of social media, and it can be

great for people who feel isolated. >> for me, i feel a personal obligation and a social responsibility. lgbt people and be fired for just being gay or just being trans. that is legal, how do you feel about that? that doesn't sound very american to me. >> maybe i can make a difference, to help others to have an easier and more hopeful time. i am young, yes. but what i have learned is that love, the beauty of it, the joy of it and even the pain of it, is the most incredible gift to give and receive as a human being. thank you. [applause]

alison: please join me in welcoming to the stage this year's human rights campaign vanguard honore, my giant and beautiful friend, ellen page. [cheers and applause] ♪

ellen: allison, thank you for taking the time to be here tonight. it is rare to meet someone who is as kind, deeply sensitive and generous as you. i am fortunate to call you my friend. [cheers and applause] thank you so much for this. i am deeply moved, honored and grateful for this recognition. i have received so much support from the hrc and so many others. i cannot begin to express how much that means to me. [applause]

i can proudly stand here tonight and tell you that since valentine's day last year, i am very, very happy. [cheers and applause] i finally feel that i am truly living my life. [applause] there was a time when i thought that it would be impossible to be out. 18 months ago, with the help of your love and support, i shared my story. everything changed for me. i am still feeling the effects of that moment today. i know how lucky i am to be in this position. i acutely remember the pain i

was in before i was out. i have been able to experience a lot of things for the first time in the last 1.5 years. [applause] having my arms wrapped around my girlfriend samantha while we walked on the street. [cheers and applause] holding her hand on the red carpet. kissing her in the ocean why we surfed. yes, she has taught me to surf. and getting to say, in public, i am in love. [cheers and applause] living an authentic life should not be something we feel we must fight for. it is the countless lgbt individuals who have struggled and persevered throughout

history and organizations like the hrc that allow me to live and love freely today. this year, we saw the supreme court rule in favor of marriage equality. [applause] it is due to the truly brave and courageous people that have fought tirelessly for equality. many of whom are in this room, and i am humbled to be in your presence. [applause] for all the progress we have made, there are too many people living in pain and fear. this year, i have traveled around the world with vice and with my best friend ian, to explore what it means to be a member of the lgbt community and different parts of the world.

i have had the great fortune to meet some of the most brave and inspiring people i have ever come across. to hear their stories, and to have the opportunity to learn from such remarkable people -- it has been a life-changing experience. it has made me even more aware of my privilege. it has become increasingly apparent to me that we all need to use our influence, whatever it may be, to help others. [applause] it's crucial, actually, because the members of our community who are the most vulnerable have, and continue to experience, a far more difficult time in our society. when a life expectancy of

transgender women of color in this country is 35, and 40% of homeless youth are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, we still have so much work to do. [applause] we are so far from true equality, when in 31 states, lgbt people can be fired or denied housing strictly because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. no longer should a child row up and feel they have to suffer the consequences that come with shame. the ripple effect of intolerance are catastrophic. but i hope this will change, that the future does ring true as it has beense

proven in 2015, love wins. [applause] i feel honored to share the responsibility of being a visible person for the community . i've had many moments since coming out where young people have come up to me to share how speech at were by my the time to thrive conference and how it gave them courage to come out. needless to say, these experiences are emotional and powerful and i feel so grateful to have an opportunity to help in any way possible. still, today, when people come out of the closet, they are because thee impact moment someone who does not

fully understand our love or who we are realizes their daughter or son is gay or a teacher they or ans transgender athlete they admire is bisexual, hope lee they will understand we are all the same, and all we want is to love and be loved. [applause] for this incredible honor. thank you for working endlessly lgbteate a future where two people can live without loneliness, shame or fear. standing on a i'm lot of shoulders tonight. [applause] and the view is great from where i stand.

[applause] seek you for helping me over the obstacles in my past and making the journey easier for so many. of writing be proud this wave of change and a powerful movement toward social justice. in your darkest moment and most challenging struggle, please note the tide is turning. within our reach is a more future -- a more just horizon. i'm gotten a glimpse of that horizon and overwhelmingly, i have that life affirming feeling for each one of you and for everyone who can't be with us tonight. thank you. [applause]

♪ >> actor gary sinise on his efforts to help american war veterans and plans to build a metal of honor museum in town pleasant. this is from the national press club. press club. [applause] thank you.

thank you very much. it is good to be back. i do want to say something. the last time i was here there was a big wooden medallion on the back and about halfway through my speech and fell down. so i'm glad it's not here. [laughter] i'd like to thank the members of the national press club. thank you for the invitation to speak. it is a great honor to return. since first having the opportunity to speak in 2007 as national spokesperson for the national veterans disabled for life memorial, it was finally dedicated and opened to the public on october 5 last year. my second time addressing members of the press club was in support of the documentary film brothers at war. we first time was when

launched the gary sinise foundation. howuld like to speak about far the foundation has come in those four years with the work we are doing. what the future looks like. as we continue to grow. i like to emphasize how important it is to have nonprofits in the military support space. our military servicemen and women continue to confront the dark forces of this world on many fronts. with long and very tough deployments. i would like to acknowledge a few people who are here today. today.ce is here

guest thatinguished general james e livingston was awarded the highest military decoration, the , for her road to actions in 1968 during the vietnam war. on that fateful day captain livingston and about 800 fellow marines ran up against a north vietnamese company of 10,000 enemy combatants. 10,000. .gainst 800 marines captain livingston says it was a fair fight. captainhe ensuing fight livingston was wounded three times through heavy fire and despite his wounds he coordinated attacks to destroy more than 100 enemy bunkers.

he repelled a savage enemy counterattack and refused to be evacuated from the field and so he was assured of the safety of his men. and he would serve to combat tours. he was presented the medal of honor in 1970 by president richard nixon. he retired from the marine corps as a major general. philosophyingston's on leadership is to lead from the front. it, then iling to do can ask you to do it. he never had a marine under his command come up and say i don't want to do this. they all his example, did their job and performed superbly. that is true and inspiring leadership. thank you general livingston for

being here. [applause] [applause] we are truly grateful for everything you've given us. we have several veterans here today. i want to personally say thank you to all of our veterans for being here. for stepping forward to serve our country. it has been said that the united states will always be the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave. the veterans of that are here today have ensured that we live in a free country because they were willing to take the fight to the enemy and keep the enemy from coming to our shores. city, country can

only flourish if people have the peace in their everyday lives to enjoy their life and liberty. to have the opportunity to pursue their happiness. in doing so they make their communities flourish with commerce and trade. and created an environment where each child's dream has the hope to be realized. born ofseen a nation these ideals. from generation it has shown itself to be the greatest strongest and most prosperous nation honors. the envy of the world. have an all volunteer force that wears the uniform and is kept safee home by the men and women of the united states military. willing to serve and sacrifice. so much of our way of life is secure. these sacrifices being made each and every day.

.here comes much need more than ever, it is so important to have successful nonprofits in the military support space. as government alone cannot possibly fill all of the needs. over the years there have been so many experiences that have led me to realize that we must be there for our men and women in uniform to make sure they are taking care of before, during and after the battle. after the tragic events of september 11, wanting to do something to support those who were going to harm's way, i began to volunteer for the uso. to letn handshake tours our military know that they were appreciated and we were thinking of them.

their service and sacrifice did not go unnoticed. during the thanksgiving holiday in 2009 i was visiting bagram air force base in afghanistan. of operations for came to me and informed me that there would be an angel flight. early the following morning. for a fallen special forces soldier who would been killed in action. the general invited me to the ceremony. the u.s. military would load the casket of our fallen american hero on a plane to repatriate his remains that to america. what my eyes saw and my heart felt that day has always stayed with me.

i watched hundreds of american servicemen and women from all , most of them never knew the soldier personally, but they gathered in formation in his honor to pay their respects and offer a farewell salute to a brave fellow american soldier. the mood was somber. the casket was draped with an american flag. by eight members of his unit moving slowly and solemnly onto the plane as the formation was commanded to give their final salute to an american who gave his last full measure of devotion for his country. behold.to members of his unit placed his casket on the bed of the c-17.

they offer their final prayers and farewells. the rest of the formation followed suit. ranked by rank. it was my sobering honor to be by the general's side as we knelt down beside the casket. i was flooded with a motion for this young man and his family. the painful and sobering reminder of the cost of freedom. in looking back at my own , supporting our wounded through the disabled veterans organization in the 90's, and then i began to understand the full weight that our servicemen and women carry with them into battle.

and often bring home with them when they return from long deployments. began supporting many military charities and participating in as many support concerts and fundraising events as i could. to raise awareness and spirits. 2011 i brought all my endeavors together under one umbrella launching the gary .inise foundation with the generosity and support of the american people, we have been able to support many programs to make a difference in the lives of our service members. from building specially adapted custom homes. mobility devices for our most severely wounded veterans. restoring independence and supporting empowerment.

boosting round. raising the spirits of the children of our fallen heroes. providing emergency funding for .eedy families supporting first responders in communities all around the country. each day we are helping our veterans and military families find the strength and support they need to move forward in their lives and we are affecting the communities. as john said when i last spoke here in 2011, i had been part of fundraising events to build three smart homes at that time. for some of the most catastrophically wounded servicemembers. quadruple amputees. say that now of the five quadruple amputees from these wars four of them are living in new homes and a home is in progress for the fifth.

the foundation will have participated in the development or construction of up to 35 homes for those suffering very .erious life-changing injuries these homes give our wounded heroes the freedom and independence that they need. since, the years lieutenant dan band has played many concerts in support of our nations defenders and their families. 140 concerts for the uso. hundred 78 fundraising and benefit concerts. we just performed in colorado on sunday night for a big veterans support concert. the band is part of our nonprofit. it is now a program of the foundation. through our invincible spirit festivals that we put on at our nations military medical centers

complete with a live lieutenant dan band concert and a delicious , we have lifted over 50,000 spirits of our heroes and their families and their caregivers. giving them a respite from the rigors of their medical treatment and reminding them of the hope and positivity along the road to recovery. through our serving heroes program we have shown gratitude to our nations defenders by serving them a hearty classic american male. we have served more than 27,000 meals to five major travel hubs across the nation. we're looking to expand our efforts to include other venues at other airports around the country. the foundation program has

veterans through their times of urgent need. 162 children of the fallen. with first responders outreach, the foundation has provided support to train 45 firefighters in black forest colorado after the devastating fires there. support the families of the hotshots in prescott arizona. after 19 firefighters were lost in a deadly firestorm. we have awarded six grants around the country for a free meal.

and as part of the educational outreach, we have a new world war ii program. as part of our educational effort, we have a world war ii partnership with the national world war ii museum in new orleans. it has helped finance a historian who has recorded 35 world war ii veterans oral histories preserved on video in the museum archives. preserving america's history and their legacy. we will include a trip next week for 50 world war ii veterans from california to see this magnificent museum built in their honor. we have come a long way. in four short years. it is truly the most rewarding mission i've had in my life to serve the members of our military. one of the hardest things to come to terms with when you

endeavor to a life of service is the enormity of the knee that exists. it has to be upon us in our communities. to close the gap in meet that need. with all the bureaucracy and inefficiency and the difficult challenges being reported within , it is important that there be successful nonprofits in the military support space. we must inspire as many communities within this country as we can. all the military nonprofits that are here today doing good work. during the conflicts in afghanistan and iraq, we have seen remarkable advances in field medicine and care. while this may have reduced the number of casualties, many more have returned home injured or seriously wounded. we have been at war for the past 14 years. roughly 50,000 military

personnel currently live among us bearing severe wounds of war both physically and mentally. there struggles can affect the entire household and ongoing treatment can quickly become ruinously expensive. we have become aware of the startling shortfalls in the career of these men and women often face. they have provided troubling glimpses into the health-related complications that veterans experience in seeking care. the bigger picture is alarming. survey data suggests that 71% of americans do not understand what combat veterans and door. the publicrans said has little awareness of the challenges they face in life after combat. tos suggests an urgent need supplement existing support and raise public consciousness on a grassroots level. at epidemicauma is

proportions. 103 thousand2012, cases of posttraumatic stress were reported. an average of 22 american veterans continue to take their .ives every day physical injuries often command -- compound the emotional damage. beyond the personal struggles, loss of limbs or physical disfiguration, it places tremendous stress on veterans families. loved ones often must take on the role of caregivers and posttraumatic stress can affect the entire family. our wounded, maintaining

access to ongoing health care is in daunting task. reentering society and finding employment is especially difficult. more than half of all veterans report feeling disconnected from their communities. disconnect is a solvable problem. willingness to help. raising awareness of where help is needed in needed in the individual communities. local citizens need to connect with these veterans and their families to provide support however possible. fromtizens, who benefit what they do for us, it is our simply if every neighborhood and every community in every town and city in every state sought out their local veterans and offered their help, we would greatly reduce the

problem and most likely have the problem solved. it is a dangerous and unpredictable world. we need to keep our military strong and ready to face the evils of this world that would seek to destroy our way of life. they are the freedom providers. they and their families need our help. know, we all too often take our freedom for granted. i recently returned from my third trip to korea performing for our troops. dmz. visit to the a very strange and sad place. this time while there something happened that did not happen in my previous trips. as we came out of the building and approached the borderline.

guards cameean right up to the border's edge to take pictures of our group. i was two feet away. directly into the eyes of these guards. eyes.ng and very sad worship ofothing but the supreme leader and they are slaves to their master. perhaps there is no place on earth where one can feel the palpable difference between freedom and slavery more than standing on the border between north and south korea. nothingh koreans know of freedom. for three generations they have ,een oppressed by dictatorship

indoctrinated by a regime that has enslaved them and seal them off from the rest of the world. the north koreans have a military that is there to suppress them and take their freedoms away. with united states by their side, the south koreans have a military that has the purpose of protecting freedom and providing life liberty and the ability for every man woman and child to pursue happiness. key to makinghe sure our generation and future generations know the high cost of freedom. and what our military men and women have sacrificed to indore in providing it. it is precious and we must never take it for granted. world getse in this to live like we do. is there any doubt that there

are evil forces in this world that given the opportunity would do anything they could to destroy what we as americans have grown so accustomed to? freedom. liberty. the pursuit of happiness. like our brave heroes of world war ii, when there were only two possible outcomes in the world, tyranny or freedom. our defenders today stand as guardians of all that we hold evil thatst another beheads and crucify as christians, in slaves and oppresses women and children, and oppresses anyone who does not submit to their twisted view of the world. on october 22 1962, addressing the nuclear threat, president john f. kennedy said, the path

we have chosen for the present is full of hazards. as all paths are. but it is the one most consistent with our character and her courage as a nation. our commitments around the world . the cost of freedom is always high. and americans have always pay it. id it. one path that we will never choose the path of surrender or submission. today we face many threats to the peace and security of the world. we are thankful to have american men and women who are willing to do the dangerous work necessary to ensure that we remain free and secure. disconnectthe between the average american and the military i believe educating our citizens and our youth as to

what our military men and women is in order.bat so that we better understand why it is critically important to support them and take care of them. this is why i want to talk to you today about the medal of honor museum. a national museum in mount pleasant, south carolina. general livingston is a very busy man. among other things he is a member of the board of directors of the medal of honor museum foundation. he and several other medal of honor recipients are on the steering committee that will review all the society is the brotherhood of the 79 living medal of honor recipients. education can come in many forms. one way is through memorials and

museums where the stories of those who served have a permanent place to have their voices heard. since the first medal of honor was awarded by president abraham lincoln on march 25, 1863, more than 25 million men and women have served during our nation's conflicts. fewer than 3500 of them, less than .2%, have received the medal of honor. those who wear the medal represent america's bravest and best. all who have served and sacrificed in defense of our nation. their stories are lessons for us all in how to live our lives with honor, integrity, and character. my own history with the medal of honor society and foundation goes back to 2007. i've been humbled and blessed to serve on the foundation's president's advisory group and now on the board of directors as a national spokesperson for the medal of honor museum effort.

it has been my privilege and honor to get to know many of the recipients of the medal of honor personally and to hear their stories. to be among america's bravest, to listen to them, and interact with them has been a blessing and a true education. they have all shown me a quiet strength and modesty. they all say they where the medal of honor him and not for themselves, but for all those who fought so bravely alongside them and did not make it home. that we would remember them and their sacrifice. more than 18%, 646 of the medals awarded since 1863, have been presented posthumously, but from the civil war until world war ii, of the 2418, just 83 were presented posthumously. from world war ii to the present

however, more than 60% of the medals have been awarded posthumously. 58% in world war ii, 73.8% in the korean war, 62 .9% in the vietnam war, and 43.7% in the wars in iraq and afghanistan. within the last few decades, the defense department has reviewed records of a number of potential medal of honor recipients who have been passed over the past because of their race, religion, or ethnicity. as a result of these reviews, a number of african americans, hispanics, japanese, and jewish servicemen have received long overdue recognition as medal of honor recipients. medal of honor recipients hail from every walk and every station in life. they reflect the ethnic, cultural, economic, religious,

and educational diversity that is a hallmark of the american experience. all 50 states, the district of columbia, puerto rico, guam, and more than half a dozen nations are represented. more than 20% of recipients were born outside of the united states. today, as i mentioned, there are 79 living recipients, fewer than at any time since the civil war when the medal was first awarded. the oldest recipient, a world war ii veteran, is 94. the youngest, a veteran of the war in afghanistan, is 25. their average age is 71 years old. the medal of honor is the nation's highest award for valor in combat. it is the only military medal that is worn around the neck. its recipients are the only individuals whom the president salutes as a matter of custom.

it is awarded by the president in the name of congress to a member of the armed forces who distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantly risking his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action against the united states. so the medal of honor museum is in the works. why? to preserve the stories of medal of honor recipients presenting them to new generations sorely in need of true heroes to look up to and emulate, to help visitors understand what it means to preserve service above self, and the meaning and price of freedom. the future site of the museum is located at patriot's point not

pleasant, south carolina, on the eastern shore of charleston harbor directly across from the uss yorktown. throughout the museum, visitors will have multiple opportunities to meet and interact and learn from the recipients through films, videos, and dynamic elements, and in-depth explorations of personal stories and experiences that will honor and promote the ideals and values associated with the medal. two galleries will be devoted to educate america's youth and citizenry. as one teacher recently commented on the character development program, saying, "our children want to change the world on so many levels. the medal of honor curriculum offers them the tools and opportunity to do just that, now and in the future." again, education is the key to helping the youth of america understand and be inspired by

the valor and selfless acts of courage that those who earned the medal have valiantly portrayed in the most harrowing of circumstances. i'm honored to serve on the board of directors and is national spokesperson for this worthy an important project and encourage you to seek out more information by going to the medal of honor museum website. mohmuseum.org. you can learn more about the gary sinise foundation at garysinisefoundation.org. james michener in his book, "the bridges of toko-ri," writes movingly of the heroes who fought in the korean conflict, and in the final scene, and admiral waits on the carrier waiting for pilots he knows will never return from their mission. as he waits, he asks in the silent darkness, "where did we get such men?" today as i stand in the presence

of general livingston and all our veterans today, i ask again, where did we find such men and women who are willing to go into harm's way to keep us free? the answer is very simple. we find them where we have always found them. in our villages and towns, on our city streets, and in our shops, and on our farms. america's families defend us all. one generation fighting for america's future, one generation inspiring the next so that again a young american would rise out of the communities that would dare to stand and face those who would do us harm and say boldly and with conviction, "not on my watch." to those who stand guard, deserving to know there is a grateful nation standing behind them, and who may, from time to time question whether their

service will go unnoticed or who would ask, will our sacrifices, the sacrifices of our fallen, our wounded, our military families, be forgotten? i say, and i encourage all of our fellow americans to say, "not on my watch." thank you. [applause] >> we look back on some of the notable people that died this year including new york governor mario cuomo that will show you

his 1980 four democratic convention speech on economic inequality in america. here is a portion of what you will see tonight. >> and the president is right. ways, we are a shining city on a hill. but the hard truth is, not everyone is sharing in this cities splendor and glory. a shining city is perhaps all the presidencies from the white house and the veranda of his ranch where everyone seems to be doing well. but there is another city. another part of the shining city. the part where some people can't pay their mortgages and most younger people can't afford one. others can't afford the education they need and -- in this part of the city, there are more

families in trouble. more and more people that need help but can't find it. , there are elderly people that tremble on the houses there. and there are people that sleep in the city streets. in the gutter. where the glitter doesn't show. >> see former governor cuomo's entire speech at the democratic convention tonight on c-span on "in memoriam." a look at some of the people that died in 2015. it begins at 8:00 eastern. as 2015 wraps up, c-span presents, "congress: year in review." a look at the debates and hearings that took center stage on capitol hill. join us as we revisit mitch mcconnell taking his position as

senate majority leader. pope francis's historic address. the resignation of house speaker john boehner. the election of paul ryan. the debate over the nuclear deal with iran. and reactions on mass shootings here and abroad. then control, terrorism, the rise of isis. congress: year in review. on c-span. three days of future programming this new year's weekend on c-span. night, law-enforcement officials, activists, and journalists examine the prison system and its impact on minority communities. to punish people for antisocial behavior and to remove that threat to society. whether they will rehabilitate the prisoner or deter future

crime, those are the secondary concerns. is to keep purpose society safe from the threats imposed by those folks. >> saturday night a little after 8:00, a race relations meeting for those experiencing racial tensions with police. job, sayingheir that i am protecting the public. idea is the public gave them their marching orders. that's us. and we talk about transparency, we need to look at those rules and see what they start used to engage with those in the community. >> and a discussion on media coverage of muslims and how american muslims can join the national conversations. gather in the house

of commons to discuss issues important to them. people feel disdained, deprived, and disillusioned. as a child, i could not wait. look forward to children chattering and drivers honking. when we grow up, let's see trains lose their smiley faces and the swishing and the honking. >> for a complete schedule, go to c-span.org. this morning, washington journal took an in-depth look at the federal health care law of the affordable care act. its impact, recent changes, and where the law is likely to head in the new session of congress. this is about two hours. >> "washington journal," continues.

host: we are going to talk about the affordable care act and health care in america. we have two working reporters who cover this issue. jennifer haberkorn is with "politico" and kimberly leonard is with "u.s. news & world report" where she also covers health care. let's begin, kimberly with health care 2015. what happened with regard to the affordable care act? some of it was brought into question by republicans and the supreme court. most of the lot remained intact, but some parts of been pushed back. certain taxes that were supposed to go into effect, now have about a two year delay. that will cost the country billions of dollars, but because the law is cheaper than what we thought it would be, it will even out. , in: jennifer haberkorn

question. jennifer: this year, congress passed -- host: what is the cadillac tax? plans,cks on health care to discourage this superhigh plans that draw -- was that if you tax them, there will be fewer of them and people would pay more for their health care. if you are paying for the first dollar of your health care, you are more willing to act the dr., do i really need that or take a test, things like that. labor unions were hit hardest by this tax. they have been lobbying for years to get this delayed or eliminated. they were successful. this was supposed to go into effect in 2018. this past year, they were able to get it delayed until 2020. the question is, will they continue to be delayed?

it is a lot of money. this was supposed to be one of the drivers to reduce health care. host: it was supposed to be a funder? it was supposed to do something to change the way we consume health care. unions were lobbying very hard and democrats, the ones who care about this law, or willing to get rid of it. it was a sign to me, democrats want both. they want the health-care coverage that is expensive, but they do not want to have to pay for it. law is changing a little more than what i anticipated. host: did the uninsured rate drop? jennifer: yes, it did drop. it is continuing to drop. a far, they have signed pointer million people -- 8.3 million people.

we talked about the deadline for open enrollment, those who wanted insurance to begin january 1, when he designed up by december 15. they ended up pushing it back to the 17th. people have until january 31 to sign up for health insurance through the marketplace. the department of health and human services is working really hard to target the remaining uninsured. host: senator jeff sessions talked about some of the political aspects of appealing the affordable care act. here he is. ago, there -- clearly the republican people did not favor this legislation. they resented it. the democratic leadership, president obama, they were determined there were going to pass it no matter what the people said. we are going to get this done. they ran it through christmas eve 2009, even though scott brian was elected one month

later in massachusetts on a campaign to kill the bill. had he been here at that time, there would have been only 59 toes -- insufficient votes shut it off and the bill would not have passed. the one in massachusetts, one of our most liberal states on a campaign that i would veto to kill this legislation. i would say first and foremost, the american people knew this would not work. they opposed it from the beginning and they opposed the philosophy of that, and they knew we were going to have a mess on our hands. now, we have a majority of republicans in both houses, 54 republicans in the senate when there were 60 democratic senators at that time. we are going to move this reconciliation bill. it will end the effectiveness of

obamacare, according to the rules of the senate and what we can do when it passes. we know that president will veto it. i would just say this, colleagues, this is a historic moment. this is a moment of great importance. six years after this bill passes, and you can be sure to the people who put this passage were absolutely confident. the people that opposed it then, they get used to it and go along with it, it could never be repealed. that has not happened. the voters have elected members of congress to oppose this legislation. the polling data shows continuous strong opposition to this legislation. what we are going to do, is established that the elected congress of the american people, the majority of both houses, incredible this

piece of legislation. host: jennifer haberkorn of politics of 2015 when it comes to the affordable care act. jennifer: i think it has changed, democrats love it and republicans hate it. that will remain and i do not see it changing anytime soon. had tothe republicans take steps to prove how much they do not like the law. that is in anticipation for the 2016 election. they have been promising for years to come up with a replacement, but have not come up with something that the whole party can get behind. it took some steps through the -- the bottom line is, they only need 51 votes in the senate, which they have. major partsepealed of the law for budget reconciliation and they will send it to the president desk when signals back to the house. is in like all of this

anticipation of 20 16 so that republicans can say if you elect to the presidency and the majority of the senate, we would take steps to undo this law and here's what we would do to replace it. so horrible for these populations that are getting health care coverage and the people who dislike this idea that this country should do something to encourage people to have health insurance. picture, we did see that both sides softened on the politics of the aca. we were saying that democrats were willing to delay the cadillac tax. republicans were willing to make little tweaks of the law that did not get a lot of attention, and frankly do not have real significance, but they were willing to pass those easily. think in 2016, they will harden again because of the presidential election and both parties need to campaign on this law. maybe long-term, i think both

parties would take their foot off the gas a little bit. , we: that said, kimberly are going to put up the phone numbers. we have divided them a little bit differently because all of our segments "washington journal," your participation is vital. 202 is the area code for all of our nobles. if you have health care insurance through the preferable care act. we want to hear from you at 202-748-8000. if you are insured through your employer, 202-748-8001. if you are uninsured, 202-748-8002 is the number for you to call. said, thisonard that new system -- is it here to stay? can't it be gotten rid of? kimberly: i think it is really interesting that things have

softened this past year. few things that democrats and republicans managed to agree on. they agreed to repeal the medical device tax which is a tax on hospital beds, artificial joints, pacemakers. tax credit was pushed back for a couple of years. that is going to cost the government about $4 billion. it was something that the republicans wanted to repeal. they immediately brought it up as something that they wanted to tackle. democrats agreed with them on that. it was something that they were able to compromise on. host: has health care costs gone or atstantially in 2015, the same rate they have gone up in the past? >> we have data from 2014, that that healthgrowth

care has has got up again. the cost of health care has gone up year-to-year. but we had swelling after the recession and the lingering effects of the recession. at the time, the obama administration said that the affordable care act was responsible for the slowing. it depends you ask on that. we are starting to seem a growth again. budget actuaries say that the growth is occurring because we are covering were people through health care, through medicaid, and also through private insurance bought through the marketplace. we are also spending more on prescription drugs. 2014 saw a rollout of significantly expensive prescription drugs. host: what is happening in the state? the states are interesting because it is almost a different story in a -- saw several states at the end

2014, they tried to set up their own exchange. some states, it did not go well, so they joined healthcare.gov and told the feds to come in and do it. v has now, healthcare.go been working. is just easierit for the federal government to do it. they are trying to manage so many pieces of their health care puzzle, it is these for the feds to do it. story in theiggest states right now. secretary told me that you brought up the cost of prescription drugs. here is a little bit from secretary burwell earlier this year on that issue. of patients, i

will care system, and our economy, we must simultaneously support affordability. today, we know that too many americans struggle to afford the medications they need. a recent survey shows that almost a quarter of americans have skipped filling a prescription over the last year. costs for medicines are up, and even more pronounced in specialty drugs. of spending on new drugs over the last two years was for specialty drugs. we have also recently seen slight increases for drugs that are not new. nationwide, our spending on specialty drugs was about $87 billion in 2012. that is roughly 25% of our total drug spending. that is also a little more than 3% of national health spending. it has been estimated that it could quadruple by 2020, reaching about $400 billion.

that would be more than 9% of national health spending. host: kimberly leonard, your response or reaction. kimberly: this is one of those things for economy -- the economist to predict. we do not know how much they are going to cost. much of the increase that we saw in 2014 was actually due to the israeli -- they are expensive to produce and expensive to afford. when you look at the budgets, looking at medicaid budgets and medicare, the strikes that treat hepatitis c have shown to drop some of the costs of prescription drug spending. a reminder, if you have insurance through the affordable care act, want to hear from you on 202-748-8000. if you are insured or your employer, you can call 202-748-8001.

if you are uninsured, home 202-748-8002. of guests jennifer haberkorn "u.s. news & world report" and jennifer haberkorn from "politico". let's hear from james that is insured through an employer. caller: good morning. a friend of mine works for a company in indiana. he just got a letter stating that the company will only the workers independents. spouses will not be included. i do not know what the spouses are going to do. is that legal? that is my question. >> yes, it is legal. it is part of a larger trend we have seen, and even prior to aca . employers are producing their coverage of employees and dependents. i do not think i have heard of

an example of employers dropping spouses, but keeping dependents. it is certainly within what the employer can do. they might face scrutiny in 2016, depending on the size of the employer. --2016, much of the employer part of the employer mandate is going to go into effect. they do not provide employees of coverage on -- that depends on the size of the company. in general, employer coverage is what the vast majority of americans get their coverage. situation,y in this it has gone down in recent years. for: obamacare is no care the working poor. kimberly leonard, large corporations with a lot of minimum wage workers, including fast food restaurants, often

-- offersurance insurance only they have 100 employees. that number is going to drop 250 as of january 1. >> right. it was supposed to reach 50, but it was pushed back by the administration. even hillary clinton has admitted that certain parts of the law, including this part in hash the employer mandate forced some workers and two part-time work because of some of the mandates of the law that only apply to certain hours and employees. tohink this might be an area watch in 2016 because employers have been vocal about their frustrations on the employer mandate. day, thatl the other the ministrations delayed some of the reporting requirements for the mandate, a two-month delay.

employers are worried that are going to have to count the number of employees to get insurance. if you are working at a place with a lot of turnover, how you count employees starts midway through the month. there is a lot of paperwork requirements that seem very complex. the employer community so far has been very vocal was sharing their frustration with the administration. host: susan is calling from florida. you have aca insurance, is that correct? caller: all of my kids do. i am on medicare myself. it was a godsend for them because my daughter has a hard condition -- part condition rob bishop -- while she was pregnant. 2009ad been laid off in after a great fall out. just about when everybody was bottom out, things haven't came along.

they actually own their own business. their consultants can do that because -- otherwise, either one of them would have to go find a job someplace just to get the insurance covered. in florida, premiums went down this year. they are very affordable. how many people call into shows all the time saying they have $5,000 deductibles per family member? i used to work in the industry, and i know that this is not possible even on the private market. it seems that we need a lot more education about how to sign up and choose the right plan. i think as people find the right meetsto be at, and what their needs, i cannot just imagine anybody being

unsatisfied. we can pick any option we want. it is working out very well. host: she spoke about the platinum, silver, and gold plans. what are those? plans, lesse quality coverage. the silver plans are more expected to be standard. the gold plans, obviously, courted -- color-coordinated as the best planes. one of the frustrations about they --ze plans, premiums are low, so they sound enticing. then, you have to use your coverage for "face at the pluggable that are pretty high. what i have heard from consumers the bronzey took plan and decided that it was not good enough think of the silver plan the next year. if you are someone that does not go to the doctor very often, and you are just looking for

coverage to avoid paying the mandate and just have insurance if you had a catastrophic illness, the bronze plan is probably the right policy. ,he silver plan is the standard where subsidies are set at. the gold plans are the best coverage. host: from the kaiser family foundation on health care average out of pocket limit, you can see the bronze plan is $6,600, $6,100 for silver. $4700 for gold and platinum plan is $2400. who gets the platinum plan? >> those who can afford the higher monthly premiums. host: have both of you gone to andfederal health exchange typed through that to see what it was like? what was your experience? >> whether the improvements they

have made, they have listened to people's complaints and they did not realize what they were buying and how much it would cost me. it allows you to search for drugs, doctors, hospitals. it allows you to say, when i am getting this plan, what am i actually getting for my money at what will actually be covered. it will show you a sheet of different prices of what you will be paying for all of these different things and here estimate actual cost for the year. it is important not to just look at the fact that most people are only paying $100 a month for premiums. it is all the other costs that go into health care that people need to be concerned about. that just comes with educating yourself as a consumer. host: anthony from rochester, minnesota. sorry, for michigan. caller: rochester from michigan. and morning kimberly jennifer and peter. i'm calling to say i have the state medicaid because of low

income. my doctor -- i did not hear you peter. anthony, we are listening. when you get through, europe to turn down the tv because there is a delay. tvler: yeah, i have the turned down. let me take off the speakerphone. host: we are simply speaking to you. i think anthony or tony is gone. monique is in washington. caller: i just wanted to say that i had to educate myself because i was on the side where the premiums were so high, i cannot afford them. that was because i did not do my job. with paying $500 a month united health care. my job, they made it their business to educate their employees of the different plans

that were available to us. i saw thatround, and they had the same thing. -- for half of the price. now, i'm paying $250 a month for my premium, as opposed to $500 a month in getting the same service. i want to apologize to the lawmakers from a educating myself over the options that i had. monique, you are currently insured to your employer, correct? caller: yes. host: how many options were you offered? , i say i was offered about almost 20 options. because you had the basic, and then the high. host: do you work for a large

employer? caller: i work for united states postal service. not only that, when i look more to it, i looked at the different states and how they price bid. some states were under one, some were under two, they went up to four. what i looked at the different of the blue and red states. a lot of the red states' insurance are cheaper than the blue states. i think a lot of people need to educate themselves on what is going on and the costs of the different plans. if i had paid attention last year, i went not have ended up paying a $500 premium. i could have been paying half of that. my fellow americans, educate yourself. .ost: jennifer from "politico" jennifer: i think we're going to continue to see for a wall that insurance is confusing.

you are not going to the store and buying shoes and a cd price is 3999. insurance is far more complicated, particularly for people who have never had insurance before. re.gov, even ifca you are not next to a counselor, it is confusing. you do not know what your health care demand is going to be this year. you do not know if you will be healthy or get a catastrophic illness, or injure your knee and need therapy. all of these things cost different amounts of money. consumers are going to the website or an application counselor, they are facing questions they had never been asked before or never thought about. if you want to pay a higher premium, and not pay as much when you go to the doctor. or if you want to do something different. i think for the next couple of years, we are going to be seeing this with people who are frustrated when they go to the

doctor and find out they have a $5,000 deductible on their plan. people respond to this this year. s said they will put more into education, but it will be a slow process. that, education does not just occur when you are buying insurance. >> it occurs when you are using it. thatrly: you need to know every question the doctor asks you is a preventive question, and not one that can turn into a diagnostic visit. i spoke with some patients who ended up spending hundreds of dollars without they were just going for their annual checkup. with preventive care in particular, it is difficult because it is something that the administration has said, look what a great benefit this is. people decided to take advantages of that, are finding that it is more expensive than it needs to be. in addition to that, doctors do

not charge the same thing for the same service. if one doctor gives you a prize, he might be in your interest to go elsewhere and see what someone else will offer you. host: when we were putting the segment together, along with the searchers i was doing and etc., i saw a lot of article saying that hospital stocks are up in the health care services stocks are up because of the aca. why is that? >> people are consuming more health care. when you have insurance, you can go to the doctor. you can argue that that is a good thing, they are going for their preventive health care visit. drive up the cost of health care because you are consuming and more. hospitals are doing well in the stock market and wall street. i think that will continue. it is an hospitals'interest to have more people insured. it means more people who walk in the door are backed by people

who can pay their bills. if you come off the street and you do not have insurance, it is a sign to the hospital to go after that guy. and they can go after united for etna, they would much rather do that. in that sense, this is good for the industry. it does not mean that the whole story is good. there are problems and health care, consumers are frustrated. some providers are telling patients that when they come in, you are coming for your preventive visit. if we find anything wrong, that is not going to be a preventive care visit. it will not be free. we are in this learning curve of people getting to know health care. providers getting to know how to cover people who have not had insurance before. it will be a process that will probably take years. host: victor tweets, seriously,

that is legal? that goes back to the employer not having to offer insurance to his spouses and kids. and employer can justify to not cover spouses, just to kids? wow, talk about a morale boost at work. an employer can offer just the end loyalty insurance, correct? >> it depends on the employer. small employers do not have to provide insurance. if you work for a very large company, they do have to provide insurance. this year, we are seeing a group of employees -- no, they do not have to provide for the spouse and dependents. that is what democrats are calling a family glitch in the health care law. yet it was yes, you would have to cover the entire family. the way the law is written, employers do not have to.

democrats are hoping to fix that in another version. i could see employers being a poster that because that would drive up their cost. i do not see that changing anytime soon, but for now that is legal. from rents them new jersey and is on medicare. caller: hello. can you hear me? host: we are listening. aca, we hadr to the an earlier health care law that still exists, although it has been updated periodically. it is called the mental health -- act. i am under 50 and i have been on medicare for a while because i am disabled. it is a terrible flaw in the long. you happen to live in a county where one of the health insurers will sell you a medicare

supplement plan and it is a good plan. you can get a good part, if not all of your services, reimburse at the same rate. medicare original would pay for them. , and no oneoo young is offering a supplement plan or if what they do offer is low in where you do not get much coverage, you end up using an advantage plan. these are hmos and provider organizations in some cases. what happens with these plans, i have seen with private employer plans, once upon a time, i worked in a mental health service provider as a night receptionist. people had all kinds of different health insurance, but there primary insurance was bodily health care. they would contract out the mental health care to any number

. there are just a few in new jersey that are big and all around they might be few. host: we are going to let it stand there and see what you really are jennifer has to say about that. >> in terms of the mental health portion of the law, just like with other parts, we are seeing a few loopholes and lack of clarification in terms of what is covered for mental health. when you say parity, what does that mean? should a one hour appointment with a therapist has the same as a 10 minute obama with a doctor? these are questions that have come up with regard to how mental health should be treated equally under the law. that is one of the big provisions under the law. it is considered an essential health benefits that is to be covered by all health insurance plans. host: the population of the u.s. is about 320 million before the affordable care act, up to 47

million of those folks were uninsured. million% of the 11.4 who got insurance through the aca are getting some form of cost assistance. how do they qualify for that? >> if you make up to a certain , the government will subsidize your monthly premium. we are talking only about premiums are not deductible and other out-of-pocket costs. , iy are receiving assistance think eight out of 10 are paying hundreds in premiums per month or less. host: what was the cost of the aca in 2015? is there a figure? >> there is, but i do not have it in front of me. because we saw some of those taxes the late at the end of the year, the cost of a bit.

those funders and taxes are going to be going away. overall, i should save in 2016, the cost will go up. is in florida who is insured through his company. caller: good morning. is the affordable care act effective? concerned, i am 65 years old, and i'm -- in my going to be forced to buy maternity insurance? >> the aca is in effect now. we already talked about the cadillac tax that will go in effect in 2018 and will be delayed until 2020. there is medicare that will go into the -- independent advisory

board which has faced a lot of criticism that is not yet been activated. that is a board design is medicare spending reaches a certain form, how do they reduce those costs. that being said, the vast majority of the eighth a is an affect. if you are 65, you should qualify for medicare. your wife would be on it in two years. this is a common criticism that people who do not need maternity coverage or do not want maternity coverage, they are being forced to buy it. i assume it is expensive because it is expensive to have a baby in a hospital. that is part of the essential health benefits. awaynot see that going anytime soon because maternity care is so expensive. i think lawmakers are going to keep that is one of the requirements under the law. host: kimberly leonard, what is the difference between the medicaid and affordable care