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President Barack Obama recently reviewed one of the signature pieces of his administration in an article contributed to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Writing as “Barack Obama, J.D.,” the President reflected on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its six years of implementation.
The President gave praise to the healthcare overhaul and pointed out how the ACA has sharply reduced the number of uninsured in the United States while improving coverage for those who already had it. The current enrollment numbers, as of February 2016, are 12.7 million enrolled through the marketplace, and nearly 20 million total between the ACA between the Marketplace, Medicaid expansion, young adults staying on their parents plan, and other coverage provisions.
“The Affordable Care Act is the most important health care legislation enacted in the United States since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965,” wrote the President in the abstract. “The law implemented comprehensive reforms designed to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care.”
Latinos have been the group that has arguably benefited the most from the implementation of the ACA. Since the Act’s passage, the largest reduction in of uninsured in four decades has taken place; 4.2 million Latinos (ages 18-64) have gained health insurance coverage. This has lowered the uninsured rate among Latinos by 7.7% points.
“More can and should be done to enhance competition in the Marketplaces,” the President wrote. “Public programs like Medicare often deliver care more cost effectively by curtailing administrative overhead and securing better prices from providers. The public plan didn’t make it into the final legislation. Now, based on experience with the ACA, I think Congress should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited.”
Adding a public option and boosting tax credits would both require congressional action. The single largest group of the remaining uninsured are people who could obtain coverage as a result of the law but choose not to. It is believed that the main argument in refusing to obtain coverage is financial.
“Policy makers should build on progress made by the Affordable Care Act by continuing to implement the Health Insurance Marketplaces and delivery system reform, increasing federal financial assistance for Marketplace enrollees, introducing a public plan option in areas lacking individual market competition, and taking actions to reduce prescription drug costs,” the article said.
Read the President’s article here.
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By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
