Progressive Bull Moose: January 2023

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Obamacare-The Affordable Care Act Reaches All Time Record Enrollment Levels in Arizona and Across the Nation

Photo from CNN Politics

As Joe Biden said when he was Vice President, "This is a big f---ing deal."

Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) after numerous attempts by Republicans and the twice impeached 45th White House occupant to repeal it, has set an all-time enrollment record in Arizona and across the nation.

In Arizona, 235,229 people signed up for health care through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, an almost 20 percent increase from last year's figures.

Across the country, it was approximately 16.3 million people which amounted to just over a 12 percent increase.

Factors explaining the surge, according to reporting from Alexia Waiss from Cronkite News, include:

Longer enrollment periods.
The extension of increased ACA American Rescue Plan subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act to 2025. Many people can purchase health insurance for as low as ten dollars a month.
More health care insurance choices on the ACA marketplace.
A supporting Presidential Administration in Washington D.C.

In a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden stated:

"I promised to lower costs for families and ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. Today, we received further proof that our efforts are delivering record-breaking results.

More Americans than ever before have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. From November 1st to January 15th, over 16.3 million Americans signed up for insurance on HealthCare.gov and the state-based Marketplaces. This is more than double the number of Americans who signed up for coverage during the first-ever Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment in 2014. And for the more than 30 states that use HealthCare.gov, there has been a combined 50 percent increase in enrollment since I took office in January 2021.

Over the last few months, four out of five consumers looking for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act were able to find health care coverage for as little as $10 a month or less. These lower rates — which were originally delivered as part of my American Rescue Plan — were set to expire at the end of 2022, but thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we extended them and millions of families are continuing to save $800 per person per year on their premiums.

We’ve made record-breaking progress in expanding coverage and lowering health care costs for American families, saving them money and giving more Americans the peace of mind that comes with affordable health insurance."

If Joe Biden campaigns for reelection in 2024, he can point to this program, along with many others, as proof of how the Biden/Harris Administration has delivered for the American People.