The new administration and Congress have already taken steps to do away with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Congress passed it in 2009, and it’s been phased in over the last several years.
By many measures, the law has been a success. Even those who want to repeal it say its key provisions should be kept.
Which leads to the question: Why repeal it? Why not keep the law but fix what needs to be fixed?
So here are 9 reasons to keep Obamacare:
1. 664,000 Ohioans gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act.Source: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
2. 339,000 Hoosiers gained coverage with Obamacare. Source: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
3. 404,000 Kentuckians gained coverage under the law. Source: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
4. The uninsured rate fell from nearly 16% in 2010 to under 10%. That is a historic low. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
5. Fully repealing Obamacare would actually be extremely costly. It would increase the budget deficit by $350 billion over 10 years. Source: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group.
6. Insurance companies can't deny coverage or charge more because of pre-existing conditions. At least 50 million Americans under the age of 65 have some type of existing medical condition. Source: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
7. Under the ACA, insurance companies can't charge women more than men.
8. If you don’t make enough money to afford an Obamacare plan, you can get help through a subsidy.
9. There is no plan to replace it.
