Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Nearly 50 million people have received affordable health insurance through the ACA marketplaces, another 21 million are now covered through the expansion of Medicaid, and over 133 million people with pre-existing conditions are able to get health insurance coverage. These are just three of the dozens of “Obamacare” provisions that make all of our lives better, healthier and more affordable. As someone who spent close to a decade traveling almost weekly to Washington, DC to work on drafting, passing, implementing and defending the ACA, I firmly believe this law remains one of the most incredible health care achievements in a generation.
Passing this bill was very hard. There were many partisan disagreements in Congress about how to approach the bill, and a wide-range of stakeholders who had a range of interests driving their advocacy. However, it was the bipartisan Massachusetts model supported by a wide-range of stakeholder groups that laid the foundation for the ACA. It was our Democratically-led legislature, Republican governor, consumer advocates, hospitals, providers, insurers, community organizations, faith groups, businesses, and so many others who came together and ultimately made “Romneycare”, Chapter 58, a success.
We are living in a very different time right now, and the threats to our health care system are greater than anything I have seen in my 30 years of working in this field. In the face of threats to Medicaid, the ACA, gender-affirming care, reproductive health, coverage for immigrants, all of our incredible partners have never backed down from fighting for what we believe in. We envision a day when everyone in Massachusetts has the equitable, affordable and comprehensive care they need to be healthy. Until this goal is achieved, we will continue to work in coalition to advocate for health justice by promoting health equity and ensuring coverage and access for all.
For those of you who want to take action now, I urge you to sign up for our newsletter and join our Friends and Family campaign. This campaign allows those of us in Massachusetts to help influence key policymakers from across the country as they debate important decisions about the future of our health care programs. I continue to believe that Americans inherently care about one another and that we will ultimately protect essential health care services that we all need. It is this belief that keeps me motivated to get up and advocate every day.
Amy Rosenthal is HCFA’s Executive Director.
