President Obama Celebrates the Fifth Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
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Along with many others, we have benefited from President Obama's Affordable Care Act. http://www.politicususa.com/2015/03...s-embrace-reality-debunks-obamacare-lies.html


On the five-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, one thing couldn’t be clearer: This law is working, and in many ways, it’s working even better than anticipated.

After five years of the Affordable Care Act, more than 16 million uninsured Americans have gained the security of health insurance – an achievement that has cut the ranks of the uninsured by nearly one third. These aren’t just numbers.

Because of this law, there are parents who can finally afford to take their kids to the doctor. There are families who no longer risk losing their home or savings just because someone gets sick. There are young people free to pursue their dreams and start their own business without worrying about losing access to healthcare. There are Americans who, without this law, would not be alive today.

For Americans who already had insurance before this law was passed, the Affordable Care Act has meant new savings and new protections. Today, tens of millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions are no longer at risk of being denied coverage. Women no longer have to worry about being charged more just for being women. Millions of young people have been able to stay on their parents’ plan until they turn 26.

More than 9 million seniors and people with disabilities have saved an average of $1,600 per person on their prescription medicine, over $15 billion in all since the Affordable Care Act became law. More than 70 million Americans have gained access to preventive care, including contraceptive services, with no additional out-of-pocket costs. And the law has helped improve the quality of health care: it’s a major reason we saw 50,000 fewer preventable patient deaths in hospitals over the last three years of data.

The cynics said this law would kill jobs and cripple our economy. Despite the fact that our businesses have created nearly 12 million new jobs since this law was passed, some still insist it’s a threat.

But a growing body of evidence – actual facts – shows that the Affordable Care Act is good for our economy. In stark contrast to predictions that this law would cause premiums to skyrocket, last year the growth in health care premium costs for businesses matched its lowest level on record.

If premiums had kept growing over the last four years at the rate they had in the last decade, the average family premium would be $1,800 higher than it is today. That’s $1,800 that stays in your pocket or doesn’t come out of your paycheck.

And in part because health care prices have grown at their slowest rate in nearly 50 years since this law was passed, we’ve been able to cut our deficits by two-thirds. Health care costs that have long been the biggest factor driving our projected long-term up deficits up are now the single biggest factor driving those deficits down.

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The Affordable Care Act has been the subject of more scrutiny, more rumor, more attempts to dismantle and undermine it than just about any law in recent history.

But five years later, it is succeeding – in fact, it’s working better than even many of its supporters expected. It’s time to embrace reality. Instead of trying yet again to repeal the Affordable Care Act and allowing special interests to write their own rules, we should work together to keep improving our healthcare system for everybody.

Instead of kicking millions off their insurance and doubling the number of uninsured Americans, as the House Republican budget would do, we should work together to make sure every American has a chance to get covered.

Five years ago, we declared that in America, quality, affordable health care is not a privilege, it is a right. And I’ll never stop working to protect that right for those who already have it, and extend it to those who don’t, so that all of us can experience the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in this country we love.
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What a great accomplishment. OK most of us would have preferred a single payer solution, but that wasn't going to happen. OK it's unduly complicated, it has lots of goodies for special interests, but that's the way bills are passed in this deeply divided country. Thank you Barack Obama for getting it done.
 
I agree Josiah, would have been a simpler road with single payer. I thank the President for getting it done, but I wish he would take some actions to make it simpler. At least my state has its own exchange, which helps a lot. I wish the people on the phone end of the exchange and my Kaiser HMO would be schooled on what's going on and how to do things efficiently, seems like the customer gives the lessons sometimes. :rolleyes:
 

I am one of the millions who have benefited greatly from passage of the Affordable Care Act. I will always be grateful to President Obama for his wisdom, determination, and perseverance.
 
SeaBreeze said:
I agree Josiah, would have been a simpler road with single payer. I thank the President for getting it done, but I wish he would take some actions to make it simpler. At least my state has its own exchange, which helps a lot. I wish the people on the phone end of the exchange and my Kaiser HMO would be schooled on what's going on and how to do things efficiently, seems like the customer gives the lessons sometimes. :rolleyes:
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SB, I feel that ACA will be made simpler with time and I too have hopes of the single payer plan, this will only happen if Democrats are in the majority.
 
Jackie22 said:
SB, I feel that ACA will be made simpler with time and I too have hopes of the single payer plan, this will only happen if Democrats are in the majority.
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It's not very complicated really, but the people behind the scenes need to get with the program, seems like a lot of incompetents taking care of the paperwork, etc.
 
On this fifth anniversary of the law being signed, it's a good opportunity to review the false predictions and the facts of the law's first five years. Here's just a handful of Republican prediction failures:


Failed Prediction #1: Americans won’t enroll in the ACA […]
Failed Prediction #2: The ACA won’t meet its enrollment goals […]
Failed Prediction #3: Insurers will want no part of the ACA system […]
Failed Prediction #4: The economy will suffer terribly because of ‘Obamacare’ […]
Failed Prediction #5: Even if Americans enrolled, they won’t pay their premiums […]
Failed Prediction #6: Even if people pay their premiums, the flawed ACA structure will send premiums soaring […]
Failed Prediction #7: The ACA won’t reduce the uninsured rate because it will only help those who already have coverage […]
Failed Prediction #8: The ACA will lead to a “net loss” on overall coverage […]
Failed Prediction #9: The ACA will lead to higher deficits and a weaker fiscal footing for the nation […]
Failed Prediction #10: Americans will end up hating the coverage they receive through the ACA […]

In five years, Republicans have come up with nothing but fail in response to the law: no plan of their own, no recognition of reality, nothing but "no." That's worked for them, so far. But if the Supreme Court grants their fondest desire, and guts the law, fail isn't going to be an option anymore.
 
The Real Test for the ACA will come sometime in June/July when the Supreme Court is due to release their ruling on the State Exchanges. If they rule against the ACA, this whole house of cards will quickly collapse. Given the makeup of this Court, I wouldn't be surprised if they throw this nations health care into chaos.

But, that might not be a bad thing....as such a ruling would Finally get the attention of our people, and force our government to take a serious look at the SP systems that are working quite well in other nations.
 
Don M. said:
The Real Test for the ACA will come sometime in June/July when the Supreme Court is due to release their ruling on the State Exchanges. If they rule against the ACA, this whole house of cards will quickly collapse. Given the makeup of this Court, I wouldn't be surprised if they throw this nations health care into chaos.

But, that might not be a bad thing....as such a ruling would Finally get the attention of our people, and force our government to take a serious look at the SP systems that are working quite well in other nations.
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Your effort to find a bright side is an interesting speculation, but I'd be very surprised if after the dust settled a ground swell of support for a single payer solution would emerge. One other minor benefit from an ACA defeat would be a black eye for SCOTUS which would be with it for a long long time.
 
If the Supreme Court can put something like Citizens United on the backs of the people of this nation, nothing they might do in the future would surprise me. They are showing themselves to be just another band of Partisan types who seem to mirror our increasingly worthless Congress.
 
Obama Care 5 year anniversary. Urgent Care clinics popping up faster than Walmarts and 7 Elevens and you can be seen the same day and not 6 weeks later.

And over 2 dozens new pages to the federal income tax return ie Form 8965. 5 year anniversary and first year of tax filings and penalties on their way.
 
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