Just before the Nov. 5 election, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., stated he would “take a blow torch” to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). If he delivers on this promise, this will likely strip insurance access for millions of Americans.
The Affordable Care Act passed in 2010. Though the premise of widespread health care access for all should have been celebrated, there was much controversy over this policy for fear of the potential impact to an already fragile national budget. Additionally, many felt the federal government would have too much control over the health care system and individual choices to have insurance coverage or not. Yet political perception does not always equate to reality.
What really happened? More than 44 million people were uninsured in 2013, the year most of the ACA’s provisions went into effect. Since then, according to a 2020 report, about 20 million Americans were uninsured, meaning tens of millions of Americans have benefitted from health care coverage, allowing them to access preventive care and the providers needed to treat illnesses and chronic conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. Under the ACA, children to age 26 are allowed to remain on their parents’ insurance plans, and coverage for preexisting conditions cannot be denied. Nearly 30 million Americans benefited from the ACA as an affordable insurance option.
Now that the election has passed, it is important to understand how that may affect your insurance access. Though President Donald Trump has denied the rumors, with Republicans controlling the House and Senate, people might lose access to affordable insurance. Additionally, Vice President J.D. Vance has suggested policies that will place healthy people in one category and those with underlying health conditions in another, where they might pay more for their insurance based upon how much they use insurance for their care. This sounds unfair. The Trump administration has yet to reveal more details about their plans.
Many low-income adults, those with disabilities, elderly adults, children and pregnant people access insurance through Medicaid. Medicaid programs allow those who cannot afford to purchase private insurance to have coverage provided by the government. Funding available through the ACA allowed many states to expand Medicaid access. States that expanded Medicaid access under the Affordable Care Act saw better health outcomes than states that didn’t expand access. This is another reason maintaining the ACA is important.
Loss of ACA funding would be disastrous for the families and children who depend on its coverage and its protections. Many of us have friends and other loved ones who might insurance if the ACA is removed?
The ACA marketplace allows individuals to shop and compare insurance policies online. Families can select coverage by visiting HealthCare.gov . But today’s prices could change. Insurance companies must help people cover the cost of insurance, often paying up to 94% of the plan costs on their behalf, when they cannot afford the coverage. If the ACA goes away, so does that subsidy.
It is my hope that if any changes are made to the Affordable Care Act, the future health of Americans will be at the center of any new policies. I recommend that legislators strongly consider how many people are benefiting from this important coverage. We cannot afford to let insurance companies go back to denying coverage based on declining, chronic or preexisting health conditions.
We must tune in to what the Trump administration’s policy agenda will be. We must carefully listen to what our elected representatives are saying about the ACA and other healthcare issues. Those who understand or benefit from the ACA—and that’s most of us—should let their elected officials know. We have not been doing a good job of caring for one another lately. Let’s make protection of the ACA something that will demonstrate the unity that the United States is capable of.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Stacy Buchanan is an assistant professor at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. This opinion piece represents the views of the author and does not reflect the opinions of Emory University faculty, staff or other employees.
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