Obamacare: The social program with 9 lives
Not to mention the massive computer crash when HealthCare.gov was launched.
The saga of the Affordable Care Act illustrates how difficult it is to do away with a government program once millions are benefiting. In the latest episode, three Republican lawmakers broke with their president and leadership to join
Sens.
"It came down to people who didn't like 'Obamacare' realizing this was going to take away their chances for coverage," said former Rep.
Despite its problems — rising premiums, shaky insurance markets — the ACA extended coverage to about 20 million people, reducing the nation's uninsured rate to a historic low near 9 percent. It delivered by combining two approaches: subsidized private insurance, and a Medicaid expansion for low-income people that 31 states have accepted. The
Never hugely popular, "Obamacare" actually saw an increase in support as the "repeal and replace" debate intensified.
An
"Whichever fan of the welfare state first applied the term 'entitlements' to these benefits was brilliant," said Brands. "People come to think they are entitled to them, and heaven help the politician who tries to take them away."
Said
Obama's office issued a statement Friday calling attention to the broader benefits of the ACA, including free preventive care and a greater focus on improving the quality of hospitals.
Those get less notice than the coverage expansion, but affect more people. For example, contraceptives are now provided free of charge to most women, a policy the Trump administration is seeking to narrow. And when people with employer coverage get routine colonoscopies, they no longer face a copayment for the test.
"It's about the dreams protected, and the untold misery and ruin prevented," said the statement from Obama's office.
President
Trump talks about "Obamacare" as if it's on the verge of collapse, which does not reflect reality everywhere. The Medicaid expansion, which has added about 11 million to the insurance rolls, operates more or less on automatic pilot even if costs are a concern. Private insurance markets are in trouble in some states, but not in others. People eligible for ACA subsidies are shielded from premium increases, but not those who buy coverage outside the health law's markets, many of whom face another year of double-digit premium hikes.
Trump tweeted what appeared to be a veiled threat after the
"It is time for it to stop being Obamacare or Trumpcare," said Slavitt. "We need to make it something that everybody owns."
Much of the public and the private sector already seem headed in that direction, said Slavitt. The question is whether the politicians will join them.
"
Study: More than 1 million Virginians are ‘working poor’
Florida Homeowners Insurance Company Takes a Stand Against Cancer
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News