I don’t expect the political debate about Obamacare to end any time soon. Republicans in Congress are going to demonize it, run against it, do what they can to sabotage it.
But now, Americans can see for themselves that the Affordable Care Act isn’t about Washington politics. It’s about regular people shopping for insurance they can finally afford, and purchasing security and peace of mind along with it.
In 2010, because of President Barack Obama’s perseverance, we passed the Affordable Care Act. Some of its provisions took effect soon after, with dramatic results.
More than 100 million Americans have taken advantage of free preventive care, like mammograms and blood pressure screenings. Three million young adults under 26 have gained coverage by staying on their parents’ plans. Millions of seniors on Medicare have saved hundreds of dollars on their prescriptions. And millions of Americans have gotten a rebate from insurance companies that spent too much on overhead.
And now, the most significant part of Obamacare has begun. Tuesday, tens of millions of Americans who didn’t have health insurance because they couldn’t afford it — or had been denied access to it — were finally able to buy a health care plan they could afford.
Here’s how it works: Go to HealthCare.gov to comparison shop for health insurance plans. Enter some basic information about yourself, like your age and income, and right away, you’ll see a list of plans. You’ll be able to clearly see what each plan covers and how much it’ll cost you. And you’ll find out if you qualify for tax credits that will lower your premium cost. Pick the option that works best for you, sign up, and you’re done.
It used to be that buying insurance was a nightmare, especially if you’d been sick before. Some people couldn’t find a single insurance company that would offer them a plan. For others, the only options were wildly expensive. Very few people could comparison shop, so they never knew if they were getting the best deal.
Now, companies won’t be able to use your medical history to determine how much to charge you. They won’t be able to charge you more just because you’re a woman. They’ll have to be transparent about what they’re offering and compete against each other. It’s going to make a world of difference.
In fact, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, we now know that in the 36 states that have provided data, the average American can choose from 53 plans. Nearly 6 in 10 eligible Americans without insurance today will pay $100 a month or less for their health insurance.
The president never yielded during the health care debate. He never forgot why we ran, who we’d come to serve and, mostly, the security and dignity we could provide the middle class if we were willing to fight.
We fought to bring affordable health care to all Americans, and because of the president’s insistence — and persistence — we are delivering.
Joe Biden is vice president of the United States. He wrote this for the Tampa Bay Times.
