More work needed to move us closer to affordable, universal coverage

Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law almost 12 years ago, millions of Americans’ lives have been transformed for the better. The ACA expanded health insurance to more than 20 million people and significantly improved the quality of coverage for many more.

This has meant that insurers cannot turn away a woman based on her gender or charge a family that has a child with a pre-existing condition like asthma a higher premium. The ACA has also guaranteed coverage for basic essential health needs like prescription drugs, maternity care, and preventive screenings. Yet despite this tremendous progress, many Americans still struggle to pay for the care they need.

Families are being forced to make the difficult decision between paying for rent or groceries or important medical procedures and treatments. These struggles have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and Republican attacks on the ACA. The previous administration deliberately created instability in the individual market, forcing over 1 million people off their coverage. Meanwhile, the current public health crisis exposed underlying barriers to quality care in our system. Strained household finances and job loss have increased the number of people in the coverage gap and decoupled others from employer-based coverage, adding 31 million people to the existing population of 40 million uninsured Americans.

As Congress continues to focus on advancing President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, we must build on the proven success of the ACA to move us closer to universal, affordable coverage for all Americans. 

The New Democrat Coalition represents the moderate voice in the House. We are also the caucus that secures the majority for Democrats in the House, with many of our members hailing from purple districts. The NDC has long been focused on listening to our constituents, regardless of their party affiliation, and they are calling for immediate action to make healthcare more affordable. 

My priority as NDC Chair for the 117th Congress is continuing the coalition’s work on lowering costs and expanding coverage. Our North Star in delivering on this promise is building on the ACA by making permanent the increased individual market subsidies and expanding Medicaid in the remaining holdout states. 

The success of the American Rescue Plan is clear evidence of why this approach is one of the best uses of our resources. The stimulus package contained increased premium subsidies that reduced the cost of healthcare coverage for 9 million Americans. An additional 1.7 million uninsured Americans will be covered in 2022 alone thanks to these increased subsidies. But like many programs in the law, this support will only last a year. Making the subsidies permanent will allow us to further close the coverage gap and ensure that millions of households aren’t again priced out of coverage.
 
Beyond building on the success of the individual market, we should also focus on the success of Medicaid expansion that provides coverage to 12 million Americans. Twelve states have continued to resist expansion, leaving 4 million low-income Americans without coverage. Full expansion of Medicaid in non-expansion states, something the NDC has long advocated for, will also move us further toward our goal of universal coverage. 

In addition to expanding affordable and accessible coverage, we must adapt our healthcare system to meet the needs of the 21st century. The coalition championed expanding telehealth and home care in the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan to ensure that patients could still access the care they needed without putting themselves at risk during the pandemic. Investing in medical research so we have the right technologies, treatments and cures for the future is also necessary for the future of American health.