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Obama Urges More People To Sign Up As ObamaCare Causes 45% Plunge In Uninsured Rate

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President Obama isn’t content with what the ACA has achieved. President Obama is urging Americans to sign up for ObamaCare as the wildly successful law has led to a 45% plunge in the uninsured rate.

Video:

The President said:

For decades, too many working Americans went without the security of health insurance – and their financial well-being suffered because of it.

We’ve begun to change that. As the Affordable Care Act has taken effect, we’ve covered 17.6 million Americans. Since 2010, the uninsured rate has decreased by 45%. And for the first time, more than 90% of Americans are covered.

If you haven’t gotten covered yet, or if you care about someone who hasn’t gotten covered yet, now’s your chance. It’s open enrollment season for the Health Insurance Marketplace.

What that means is, with a few clicks on HealthCare.gov, you’ll find private insurance companies competing for your business. You can compare plans and choose the one that’s right for your family. In fact, most Americans will find an option that costs less than $75 a month. Even if you already have insurance through the Marketplace, check it out. Shopping around can save you a lot of money – last year, consumers who shopped saved almost $400.

Take the story of a man named Phil Viso, who emailed me earlier this year. Phil’s a software developer from my hometown of Chicago. Last winter, he had an idea for a new app and decided to start his own company. And that can be scary when you need to get your own insurance. But Phil logged on to HealthCare.gov, answered a few questions, picked a plan, and even found out he was eligible for a tax credit that saved him money.

Here’s what he wrote: “I’m still sort of in shock about how great the experience of signing up for health care was…I will have a lot to worry about over the course of the year as I try to get my app released, but thankfully, good health care will not be one of those worries.”

After he sent me that email, Phil ended up getting a new and better job anyway. But that’s the whole point of health insurance. Peace of mind. And under the Affordable Care Act, if you want to change jobs, go back to school, or chase that new idea, you can do it without worrying about going broke if you get sick. If you’ve got a pre-existing condition – diabetes or cancer or heartburn or a heart attack – you can no longer be charged more or denied coverage. You can no longer be charged more just for being a woman. And preventive care like checkups and immunizations now come with no additional out-of-pocket costs.

What we’re talking about is no longer just a law, and it’s certainly not the myths and scare tactics that the cynics have peddled our way for years. This is reality. This is health care in America. And the bottom line is, Americans like it. They’re happy with their plans and their premiums.

So join them. Give it a shot. Check out HealthCare.gov, CuidadoDeSalud.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596 to find a plan that’s right for you or someone you care about.

And by the way – if you live in one of the 20 cities participating in our Healthy Communities Challenge, I want to see how many of your neighbors you can get signed up. I’ll come visit the city that enrolls the highest percentage of folks who aren’t covered right now. That’s a promise.

After all, this country is at its best when we look out for each other. And together, we can help more Americans get the security that they and their families deserve.

Republicans can’t avoid it. They were completely wrong about the ACA, and they are going to face outrage if they try to take the country back to the bad old days of health insurance pre-ACA.

What isn’t discussed enough is that the Republican idea of repeal and don’t replace would impact hundreds of millions of Americans. Since the ACA expanded what private health insurance plans have to pay for, changing the rules would harm the 91% of the country that is covered.

The Affordable Care Act has been successful beyond what most people could have imagined. There is no going back. ObamaCare is working. The ACA is the law of the land, and Republicans are fighting a losing battle against President Obama’s legacy-defining achievement.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

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