Five years after Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, the law known as Obamacare remains politically divisive, but that reality disguises another one: The law has meant significant change for the better for many Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians.
In this state alone, the number of uninsured adults has been cut nearly in half, from a high of 1.2 million before the law began to take effect. More than 400,000 state residents purchased coverage plans through Healthcare.gov, and 90 percent of them were eligible for subsidies that helped them pay for it.
Beyond the impact on uninsured residents, Obamacare has guaranteed free preventive care, including annual checkups and mammograms. The law put an end to coverage bans on patients with pre-existing conditions and it allows young adults to remain under their parents’ plans until age 26.
Even more Pennsylvanians will benefit once the transition put in place by Gov. Tom Wolf to expand Medicaid, permitted and almost exclusively funded by Obamacare, is complete.
Some of the goals of the Affordable Care Act, however, have not been achieved. Although the overall growth in health care spending nationwide has slowed, consumers are paying more. A survey of 700 Pennsylvania adults taken earlier this month found that 37 percent said they are paying more in out-of-pocket medical costs.
Providing access to affordable health insurance coverage is only part of the job; reducing the prices that consumers must pay beyond their policies remains a significant challenge.
That’s a worthy birthday wish for the nation to make as Obamacare turns 5.
First Published: March 23, 2015, 4:00 a.m.