Affordable healthcare at risk

The Affordable Care Act (2010), created access to affordable health coverage for nearly 25 million Americans.

In 2014 – the first year of operation –  enrollment was over 8 million, in the following year over 11 million, and in the final year of the Obama administration to over 12 million.

The CMS reports that the ACA marketplace remains an important source of coverage and financial assistance for millions of low-income and middle-class Americans.

• 52% benefit from reduced deductibles and other cost-sharing
• Over 90% live in household with income at or below poverty level

According to Pew Research, only inflation ranks as a higher concern than rising healthcare costs.

And yet, from Day 1 of his administration, Donald Trump repeatedly tried to repeal the Act, and when that failed launched a sustained attack on the program:

• Within days of taking office – and while enrollment for 2017 was still open – slashed the enrollment assistance budget by 90% and cancelled television ads for the marketplace outreach campaign.
• Halved the duration of the enrollment period, reducing open enrollment from 90 days to 45 days.
• Eliminated the individual mandate penalty and loosened regulation of ‘short-term junk plans’…effectively diverting applicants away from ACA.
• Stopped reimbursing insurance companies for their costs of compliance with the ACA’s financial assistance to low-income enrollees. Insurance companies responded by increasing premiums for silver plans to cover the cost of the cost-sharing subsidies.

The Center for American Progress estimates that if not for these added obstacles, at least 1.26 million more people would be enrolled in marketplace coverage today.

America’s ‘essential workers’ cannot endure without basic healthcare coverage. Protect their rights in November.