This week, Americans are celebrating the twelfth anniversary of Democrats passing the Affordable Care Act, a landmark piece of legislation that has helped lower costs, increased protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and made coverage more affordable for working families, young adults, people with disabilities, and communities of color. And thanks to President Biden, the American Rescue Plan passed by Democrats last year is helping further cut costs by an average of $800 per person and increasing the number of Michiganders who got affordable coverage through the ACA’s health care exchanges by 14 percent.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly blocked Democrats’ efforts to lower the prices for lifesaving prescription drugs and have once again called to repeal the ACA — which would raise drug prices, increase premiums for folks with private insurance, and cut affordable coverage for millions with pre-existing conditions. Republicans have already tried to repeal this lifesaving legislation 100 times, but this latest push by GOP lawmakers like Sen. Ron Johnson shows that the GOP simply does not care that this would cause health care costs to skyrocket for workers and families.
“While Republicans put repealing the Affordable Care Act at the top of their to-do list in 2023, President Biden and Michigan Democrats are focused on passing legislation that ensures health care costs are lower for every single American,” said MDP spokesperson Alyssa Bradley. “The choice could not be more clear, and Republicans are going to have a hard time selling an agenda that would raise taxes on half the country and cause health care costs to skyrocket.”
At every turn, President Biden and Democrats have worked to make health care more affordable. Here’s how President Biden is centering lowering health care costs in his presidency:
- More Money in Pockets: Through the American Rescue Plan, President Biden provided generous subsidies that lowered costs for routine exams and reduced annual premiums by $800 lower for Americans last year.
- Deadline Extended: While the previous administration refused to open the enrollment period up for folks who weren’t able to get insured in the middle of the pandemic, President Biden extended the sign-up deadline. This allowed over 300,000 more Michiganders to get enrolled in the Affordable Care Act than the year before.
- Everyone Deserves Health Care: Last year, President Biden got rid of discriminatory Medicaid work requirements in Michigan and 11 other states, because having access to quality, affordable health care shouldn’t be based on work. Republicans however, believed that even during a pandemic, only those with jobs deserved care.
