When leftists claim the US healthcare system (that Democrats created) sucks, show them this
- Thread starter Diogenes
- Start date
Somehow you think that is supposed to show something?
DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT
I guess I am unclear how you get that Democrats created the health care system? Are you arguing that conservatives are too stupid to be in health care?
Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
In the House, on March 21, 2010, the ACA (H.R. 3590) passed with a vote of 219-212. All 178 Republicans voted against it.
In the Senate, the key vote came earlier, on December 24, 2009, passing 60-39. All Republicans present (39) voted against it.
WinterBorn
Verified User
We have American citizens suffering with easily cured/treated illnesses for financial reasons.
Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
Name them.
Diogenes
Nemo me impune lacessit
The ACA’s main goals were to increase access to insurance (via Medicaid expansion and marketplace subsidies), reduce the uninsured rate, and curb some cost drivers (like uncompensated care).
It succeeded in part: the uninsured rate dropped from 16% in 2010 to about 8% by 2023, per Census Bureau data.
Medicaid expansion covered millions in participating states, and subsidies helped lower premiums for those earning 100-400% of the federal poverty level.
The ACA leaned on private insurance and state opt-ins, so gaps persisted. About 26 million people remain uninsured today, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), often because of affordability, immigration status, or states rejecting Medicaid expansion (e.g., Texas, Florida).
On out-of-pocket costs, it’s a mixed bag.
The ACA capped annual out-of-pocket maximums for marketplace plans (e.g., $9,450 for an individual in 2025) and banned lifetime limits, which helped some. Subsidies also cut costs for lower-income folks. But premiums and deductibles kept climbing for many. A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation study found average deductibles for employer plans hit $1,763, up 67% since 2010, outpacing wage growth. For unsubsidized buyers or those on high-deductible plans, out-of-pocket costs often feel worse than pre-ACA.
The law tackled systemic issues—like preexisting condition denials—but hospitals, insurers, and drug companies still dictate much of the cost burden. So, while the ACA reduced some financial strain for some people, it wasn’t a silver bullet.
Premiums didn’t vanish—employer plan costs rose 55% from 2010 to 2020 (Kaiser data), and exchange plans averaged $7,500 yearly by 2023 for individuals. But ACA’s rules—like banning pre-existing condition denials and mandating essential benefits—pushed insurers to raise rates or exit markets (20% fewer insurers on exchanges by 2022).
Deductibles also climbed—$1,700 average for employer single plans by 2022—shifting more out-of-pocket burden to patients. Meanwhile, ACA’s Medicare cuts (e.g., $800 billion over a decade) and experiments like accountable care organizations slowed spending growth slightly—CBO says 1-2% less than projected pre-ACA.
The law fueled consolidation—hospitals merged at triple the pre-ACA rate (Health Affairs, 2021), partly to leverage new payment models, driving up regional prices. Drug costs? Untouched mostly—still 10% of healthcare spending ($400 billionish). The individual mandate (gutted in 2017) aimed to balance risk pools, but its loss left sicker enrollees dominating exchanges, nudging premiums higher.
Barack Obama repeatedly promised that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would reform healthcare. During his 2008 campaign and presidency, he framed it as a cornerstone of his agenda to fix a broken system—promising broader access, lower costs, and better quality. Let’s look at what he said and how it played out.
In speeches, like his June 2009 address to the American Medical Association, Obama pledged the ACA would “provide every American with some basic consumer protections” and “slow the growth of healthcare costs.”
He often cited goals like covering the uninsured (43 million then), ending pre-existing condition denials, and letting people keep their plans—an infamous “if you like your plan, you can keep it” line from 2009-2010. His pitch was systemic reform: not just patching holes but bending the cost curve, as he told Congress in September 2009, promising “the largest reduction in the uninsured in history” alongside savings for families.
Did it reform healthcare?
Depends. Coverage jumped—20 million gained insurance by 2019, uninsured rate halved to 9%—and protections like no pre-existing condition exclusions stuck. That’s big.
But costs? Premiums rose—employer plans up 55% from 2010 to 2020 (Kaiser)—and out-of-pocket burdens grew (deductibles hit $1,700 average by 2022). Total spending still climbed to 19% of GDP ($4.5 trillion) by 2023, though CBO credits ACA with shaving 1-2% off projected growth.
The “keep your plan” promise flopped—millions lost non-compliant plans in 2013, sparking backlash.
@Grok
It succeeded in part: the uninsured rate dropped from 16% in 2010 to about 8% by 2023, per Census Bureau data.
Medicaid expansion covered millions in participating states, and subsidies helped lower premiums for those earning 100-400% of the federal poverty level.
The ACA leaned on private insurance and state opt-ins, so gaps persisted. About 26 million people remain uninsured today, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), often because of affordability, immigration status, or states rejecting Medicaid expansion (e.g., Texas, Florida).
On out-of-pocket costs, it’s a mixed bag.
The ACA capped annual out-of-pocket maximums for marketplace plans (e.g., $9,450 for an individual in 2025) and banned lifetime limits, which helped some. Subsidies also cut costs for lower-income folks. But premiums and deductibles kept climbing for many. A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation study found average deductibles for employer plans hit $1,763, up 67% since 2010, outpacing wage growth. For unsubsidized buyers or those on high-deductible plans, out-of-pocket costs often feel worse than pre-ACA.
The law tackled systemic issues—like preexisting condition denials—but hospitals, insurers, and drug companies still dictate much of the cost burden. So, while the ACA reduced some financial strain for some people, it wasn’t a silver bullet.
Premiums didn’t vanish—employer plan costs rose 55% from 2010 to 2020 (Kaiser data), and exchange plans averaged $7,500 yearly by 2023 for individuals. But ACA’s rules—like banning pre-existing condition denials and mandating essential benefits—pushed insurers to raise rates or exit markets (20% fewer insurers on exchanges by 2022).
Deductibles also climbed—$1,700 average for employer single plans by 2022—shifting more out-of-pocket burden to patients. Meanwhile, ACA’s Medicare cuts (e.g., $800 billion over a decade) and experiments like accountable care organizations slowed spending growth slightly—CBO says 1-2% less than projected pre-ACA.
The law fueled consolidation—hospitals merged at triple the pre-ACA rate (Health Affairs, 2021), partly to leverage new payment models, driving up regional prices. Drug costs? Untouched mostly—still 10% of healthcare spending ($400 billionish). The individual mandate (gutted in 2017) aimed to balance risk pools, but its loss left sicker enrollees dominating exchanges, nudging premiums higher.
Barack Obama repeatedly promised that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would reform healthcare. During his 2008 campaign and presidency, he framed it as a cornerstone of his agenda to fix a broken system—promising broader access, lower costs, and better quality. Let’s look at what he said and how it played out.
In speeches, like his June 2009 address to the American Medical Association, Obama pledged the ACA would “provide every American with some basic consumer protections” and “slow the growth of healthcare costs.”
He often cited goals like covering the uninsured (43 million then), ending pre-existing condition denials, and letting people keep their plans—an infamous “if you like your plan, you can keep it” line from 2009-2010. His pitch was systemic reform: not just patching holes but bending the cost curve, as he told Congress in September 2009, promising “the largest reduction in the uninsured in history” alongside savings for families.
Did it reform healthcare?
Depends. Coverage jumped—20 million gained insurance by 2019, uninsured rate halved to 9%—and protections like no pre-existing condition exclusions stuck. That’s big.
But costs? Premiums rose—employer plans up 55% from 2010 to 2020 (Kaiser)—and out-of-pocket burdens grew (deductibles hit $1,700 average by 2022). Total spending still climbed to 19% of GDP ($4.5 trillion) by 2023, though CBO credits ACA with shaving 1-2% off projected growth.
The “keep your plan” promise flopped—millions lost non-compliant plans in 2013, sparking backlash.
@Grok
