In response to 14th Anniversary of the landmark Affordable Care Act (ACA) that has brought the number of uninsured people to a record low, reduced racial health disparities and stopped insurance corporations from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, Health Care for America Now Education Fund (HCANEF) Executive Director Margarida Jorge issued the following statement:
“For fourteen years, we have defended, protected and implemented the landmark Affordable Care Act as the biggest achievement in healthcare since passage of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s. Passing the bill in the face of political and corporate opposition was a massive accomplishment and has changed the face of healthcare in the United States for the better. Thanks to the new law, hundreds of millions of people have better and more reliable coverage and tens of millions more have coverage they would have been able to access without the law.
“The ACA cut the rate of uninsurance in half, from 45 million down to 26 million in 2022, bringing the number of uninsured people to a record low by making coverage in the ACA marketplaces more affordable and expanding coverage to low-income workers through the Medicaid program that provides comprehensive coverage at very low administrative costs. A record number of people enrolled in ACA coverage this year thanks to enhanced tax credits to make coverage affordable that save enrollees an average of $800 annually. Our charge is to continue this success and ensure that the remaining uninsured also get affordable coverage they can count on when they need it.
“It took thousands of activists, advocates, patients and stakeholders from all across the country to reach this point and we’ll need them all to keep going, especially given renewed threats to the law by former President Donald Trump and other opponents of the law who continue to attack the ACA despite its efficacy and popularity. But, as we’ve shown before, we’re ready to meet that challenge with the confidence that average Americans will hold accountable anyone who tries to take away their healthcare.”