Ever since President Barack Obama passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) aka Obamacare, Republicans have been fighting against it.
The insurance companies are no longer allowed to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. It also set up a system of federal insurance marketplaces. The local media can sometimes make it sound more confusing without meaning to.
President Bill Clinton helped explain it during a recent speech. He said:
“All the headlines are full of the stories that average premiums are going up 22 percent. But the subheadline is, if you’re in the healthcare program, your subsidies are going up too so the increase won’t be as much.”
Also, 70 percent of people buying insurance on the Marketplace will be able to get a plan for under $75 per month.
He further said:
“So you’ve got one proposal, her opponent, just repeal it and go back to the way it used to be.”
“That’s a terrible idea. More than 20 million people would lose their health insurance. Families that can now insure their kids up to age 26 wouldn’t be able to do it anymore and 100 percent of Americans would be worse off because you today cannot deny someone coverage based on a preexisting condition. We do not want to get rid of that.”
He did talk about some of the disadvantages of the law, but it is still better than Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s non-plan.
Clinton said:
“The people who are getting killed in this deal are the small business people and individuals who make just a little too much to get in on these subsidies.”
Yes, the co-pays and drug prices are high. However, the Marketplace is the only way some people can get insurance. If your employer doesn’t offer healthcare or if you are self-employed, you would be screwed under the old rules. We need to fix this system, not throw it away.
Here is a video of the Young Turks talking about Bill Clinton’s Obamacare speech:
Featured image is a YouTube screengrab.
