The Affordable Care Act is working well, it’s more popular than ever! According to Reuters, enrollment data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services suggests that over 15.3 million Americans have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act for 2024. This is a 33% increase from last year at this time. Even more, preliminary data expects over 19 million people to enroll through the ACA marketplace in 2024.
It’s important to note that the deadline for enrollment isn’t until Jan. 16, 2024.
For health care advocates, the data is very encouraging, and it reflects what’s possible when congressional Democrats lower premiums and an administration commits to providing coverage to as many Americans as possible.
But there is a political dimension to this issue that cannot be ignored. When the enrollment data was released, President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign issued a statement reminding the public about the stakes involved.
“Today’s announcement of the record-breaking enrollment pace through the Affordable Care Act is historic and should be celebrated. This is a result of President Biden and Democrats’ work to ensure access to quality, affordable health care for millions,” the press release read. “But we cannot ignore the very real and dangerous threat of a second Donald Trump presidency ripping it all away.”
It’s no secret that Democrats would love for health care to be a central issue of the 2024 elections. And to their delight, Republicans have spent the last month or so helping advance the Democratic strategy.
Trump, for example, who’d largely ignored the ACA since leaving office nearly three years ago, has begun going after “Obamacare” in increasingly explicit terms. Former Ambassador Nikki Haley also appeared to open the door to repealing the ACA.
Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also said he intends to “replace“ the nation’s existing health care system with an alternative he’s not prepared to share.
What’s more, as we’ve discussed, some congressional Republicans are adding their voices to this debate. Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told Axios a few weeks ago,