Twelve years later, Obamacare continues to thrive
12 years ago today, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law.
Standing next to President Obama just before he signed the bill, then-Vice President Biden noted what a big deal the ACA was. As new reports have come out over these past few months, it’s easy to see what a huge impact ObamaCare continues to have on millions of people’s lives.
In January 2022, it was announced (Opens in a new tab) that 14.5 million people enrolled in the Affordable Care Act exchanges, a new record.
More than 30 million people (Opens in a new tab) now have health insurance thanks to the exchanges and Medicaid expansion.
The uninsured rate dropped more than one percentage point (Opens in a new tab) between Fall 2020 and Fall 2021.
As more Americans are able to access health care through the Affordable Care Act, more people will continue to benefit from changes that the law guaranteed 12 years ago, including:
Protections for the 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.
The option for young people to stay on their parents insurance until age 26.
Standardizing costs for care—women are no longer charged more for their health care than men.
Insurance companies can no longer limit coverage with annual or lifetime caps.
Free preventative care that requires insurance to cover things like flu shots, cancer screenings, mammograms, and contraception at no cost to consumers.
The legacy of the Affordable Care Act is one that will continue to grow over time as more Americans benefit from the law. It’s a credit to the activists who worked so hard for decades to make access to reliable, affordable health care a reality.
