Since its debut, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a battleground where the Republicans, with the ostensible blessing of the Almighty, have relentlessly tried to rip away the healthcare lifeline from millions, as if they believe that denying access to life-saving medical care is a heavenly decree.
The ACA, often referred to as Obamacare, was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010 after a tumultuous legislative battle. It has faced relentless attacks from Republicans who have voted to repeal or undermine the law more than 70 times. The law aimed to expand health insurance coverage, make it more affordable, and protect people with pre-existing conditions from discrimination . Despite initial technical glitches with the Healthcare.gov website, the ACA gradually found its footing. Millions of previously uninsured Americans gained coverage through expanded Medicaid and subsidized private insurance plans.
Lo and behold: President Joe Biden has just triumphantly announced a momentous milestone that over 50 million people have taken shelter under the ACA’s protective umbrella since its inception.
Obama echoed Biden’s sentiment, expressing gratitude for the continued efforts to improve the ACA’s affordability and effectiveness.
Astoundingly, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of countless attacks, the ACA now soars to new heights of popularity. The KFF reveals that over 60% of the public now looks upon this legislation with a favorable eye.
It seems that the more the ACA is threatened, the more the people rally around it. Under the iron-fisted rule of the Trump administration, ACA enrollment plummeted while the ranks of the uninsured swelled by more than two million. When Biden took office, he made it a priority to strengthen the ACA. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) have further fortified the ACA’s ramparts, bolstering premium tax credits and throwing open the gates of eligibility through 2025. As a result, the uninsured rate has dropped to a historic low of 7.7%.
Yet, like a ticking time bomb, these expanded subsidies are set to detonate after 2025 unless Congress can muster the courage to renew their funding, a prospect that sends Republicans into a frothing rage. Leading the charge in this unholy war against the ACA is none other than the self-proclaimed “chosen one,” Donald Trump. The former president has vowed to completely dismantle the ACA if re-elected in 2024, promising to replace it with something “much better.”
What exactly does “much better” mean? Perhaps it means allowing insurance companies to charge astronomical premiums for people with pre-existing conditions, or letting states opt-out of covering essential health benefits. The eternal thorn in the side of the Republicans who thirst for the ACA’s demise is that many of its provisions have become sacrosanct in the eyes of the American voter. Here’s to a future where health care is a right, not a privilege, and where no one has to choose between putting food on the table and paying for life-saving treatment.
Published: Sep 10, 2024 07:14 pm