As MAGA Republicans Refuse to Give Up on Their War on Health Care, A Record Number of People Rely on the ACA
Washington, D.C. — Fourteen years ago tomorrow, President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law, and millions of Americans gained access to quality, affordable health care as a result. Thanks to the tireless work of President Biden and Democrats in Congress, the 2024 open enrollment period was the most successful in history — a record-breaking 21.4 million Americans signed up for coverage. Coupled with the health law’s expansion of Medicaid, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and cost-saving measures, the ACA has touched the lives of nearly every person in the nation. Read Protect Our Care’s ACA anniversary fact sheet here.
The ACA has survived countless repeal attempts, and now it’s stronger than ever. President Biden has shown what it means to make health care more affordable — he has lowered prescription drug costs for seniors, helped millions of families afford coverage, and taken on big drug companies and other corporate interests. Over 100 million Americans now rely on marketplace and Medicaid for coverage. Yet, Republicans still want to destroy the ACA and all of its protections for over 100 million people with pre-existing conditions. Just this week, they once again introduced a budget that would strip away protections for people with pre-existing conditions, increase insurance premiums and prescription drug costs, and put Medicaid coverage for millions in jeopardy. Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump sabotaged affordable health care and pre-existing condition protections while he was in office, and has renewed his calls to “terminate” the ACA at least seven times over the last several months.
“Fourteen years in, the law is now woven into the fabric of America and is only getting stronger,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Thanks to the ACA, millions of people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes or asthma are protected from being refused coverage or charged more for it, over 45 million people who get insurance on their own have affordable coverage thanks to premium tax credits and Medicaid expansion, and over 150 million patients have access to free cancer screenings and other preventive care. We’ve seen people’s health and financial security improve. The ACA has been essential to reducing inequities in health care and has laid a strong foundation to do more to ensure everyone — no matter who they are or where they live — has access to the health care they need.”
“On the ACA’s 14th anniversary, it’s important not to lose sight of Republicans’ war on health care,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “They want to raise costs on families, they want to go back to a time where people with pre-existing conditions paid more, and they want to put big pharmaceutical and insurance companies back in charge. While President Biden and Democrats in Congress are working tirelessly to build on the ACA and expand affordable, quality health care to every American, the MAGA-Republicans are still fighting in Congress and in the courts to gut the ACA and undermine the law’s protections. Some things never change: Republicans want to gut health care, only taking us backwards and throwing the entire health care system into chaos.”