While this was a monumental victory of preventing the ACA from being repealed recently should not be overlooked, the time to support the ACA is just beginning. The Trump administration still has two weapons to use to hinder the survival and success of the ACA. The first is the federal budget in which there will be attempts to undermine both Medicaid and the ACA. The second is the actions of the Trump administration in general. The key to defending the ACA is not only continued support, but also a bipartisan answer to some of the problems that the ACA faces.
While Republicans maintain that the ACA is failing, the facts refute that this is true. The ACA has expanded health insurance coverage to over 20 million people and current healthcare spending is below historical trends. That does not mean that the ACA is without flaw, but now that the fight to kill the ACA is over, the time has come for bipartisan support to improve the ACA. In order for the ACA to continue its success, premiums need to be lowered and the market needs to be stabilized. While in the past two years insurance markets have stabilized more and more, but there is still work to be done for 2018 and beyond. Due to policy uncertainty and the constant threat of repeal, there has been recent deterioration of the markets as insurance companies realize there is a looming possibility of pulled funding. It is this uncertainty that has hindered the ability of the ACA to complete the task it was commissioned to do. There are bipartisan ways in which this uncertainty can be alleviated such as:
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Sara Finger, Executive Director Archives
May 2022
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