In case you missed it… With the 10th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act happening this week, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper has an op-ed in the Delaware Gazette discussing how the health care law has benefited Ohio — and how Donald Trump’s attacks on the ACA have harmed public health and our preparedness for the coronavirus outbreak.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
- The coronavirus pandemic is revealing weak spots in our health care system and social safety net, and now Donald Trump is doubling down on his attempt to destroy one of the things that has helped most — the Affordable Care Act.
- During a pandemic, the ACA’s protections are more important than ever. The health care law requires insurers to cover “essential health benefits,” which includes coronavirus testing and treatments. When a coronavirus vaccine is available, insurance companies will be required to cover it at no cost to the patient because of the Affordable Care Act. Insurance companies will be barred from discriminating against those who recover from COVID-19. The ACA boosted funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the Prevention and Public Health Fund, and it also helped hospitals, particularly many in rural communities, by reducing uncompensated care costs.
- According to the Ohio Hospital Association, as many as one-fourth of Ohio’s hospitals would be at risk for closure without the Affordable Care Act.
- Unfortunately, under the Trump administration, Ohio has been going backward on health care. After years of declining, Ohio’s uninsured rate is now inching up again, from 5.6% in 2016 to 6.0% in 2017 and 6.5% in 2018.
- Ohio was one of eight states that saw its uninsured rate jump in 2018, and the number of uninsured kids increased by 28% from 2016 to 2018.
- Donald Trump’s health care agenda is toxic, and even he seems to know it. That’s why he continues to lie about protecting people with pre-existing conditions.
- This is the choice facing voters in 2020 — are we going to sign on for four more years of Donald Trump’s ineptitude in a crisis and absolute devotion to undoing the Affordable Care Act? Or are we going to elect a president that is steady in a crisis and devoted to protecting health care, not taking it away?
READ MORE:
Delaware Gazette: Affordable Care Act turns 10 amid pandemic