After more than a decade, the Affordable Care Act has helped significantly lower costs for working families, increased protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and made coverage more affordable for countless families, young adults, people with disabilities, and communities of color.
Thanks to President Biden, the American Rescue Plan passed by Democrats last year has helped further cut costs by an average of $800 per person and increased the number of Michiganders who got affordable coverage through the ACA’s health care exchanges by 14 percent. And just last week a majority of Michigan Democrats voted to cap insulin at $35, which will help nearly 1 in 10 Michiganders who live with diabetes afford their treatment.
Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are committed to derailing that progress and have actively stood in the way of lowering drug prices. Even though the Affordable Care Act remains popular and necessary, the GOP is running on an agenda 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.
“The Affordable Care Act has saved countless lives by lowering costs and making health care affordable in Michigan. That’s why it’s so outrageous that Republicans are planning once again to repeal it, causing premiums to skyrocket,” said MDP spokesperson Alyssa Bradley. “Meanwhile, President Biden and Michigan Democrats are working to lower health costs for families and secure access for everyone. Make no mistake, health care is on the ballot this November – and voters will hold Republicans accountable for planning to raise costs.”
Amidst Republican calls to repeal, 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.
