North Carolina Resident DonnaMarie Woodson Surprised By President Obama in New Video By NowThis and Protect Our Care
Charlotte, NC — Today, Protect Our Care and NowThis are releasing a new video featuring former President Barack Obama to thank advocates for their work to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on its 12 year anniversary. During a FaceTime call, President Obama surprised health care storytellers including DonnaMarie Woodson, a cancer survivor who relies on the ACA’s patient protections. In the video, DonnaMarie described what affordable coverage means for her and her family and the importance of continuing to protect and build on the ACA so every American has access to quality health care.
The anniversary comes as ACA enrollment is at an all-time high of 14.5 million Americans and premium costs are lower than ever before. Now, President Biden and Democrats in Congress are continuing their work to strengthen the ACA by fighting to lower drug prices, reduce premiums, and expand coverage to even more families.
12 Years Later: The ACA Is Stronger Than Ever
Twelve years ago, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became the law of the land and millions of Americans gained coverage and critical protections as a result. Thanks to the ACA, 14.5 million Americans are covered by a Marketplace plan, including 670,223 in North Carolina. Last year,
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law, which builds on the strong foundation of the ACA by lowering premiums for middle and working class families, expanding coverage for millions who were previously uninsured, and increasing access to essential health services, like maternity care. After years of Republican efforts to repeal and sabotage the ACA, President Biden and Democrats in Congress have made historic investments to secure the future of American health care.
Thanks to their vision and determination, 2022 saw 5.8 million Americans newly insured by an ACA plan and an additional 83 million Americans receiving their coverage through Medicaid or CHIP. Americans can now sleep easier at night knowing the ACA is here to stay and President Biden is hard at work to expand coverage, lower costs, and reduce racial disparities in health care.