Washington, D.C. – Today marks the 16th anniversary that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. And for 16 straight years, Republicans in Congress like Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ-7) have tried to tear it apart to go back to the dark ages when insurance companies could drop people when they got sick, deny coverage over ‘pre-existing conditions’, impose lifetime coverage caps, and kick young people off their parents’ plans.
It’s an especially sobering anniversary after Rep. Kean helped Donald Trump pass the Big Ugly Bill’s catastrophic $1 trillion cuts to Medicaid and the ACA to bankroll tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. The fallout of these cuts is just beginning: premiums more than doubled for nearly 22 million families across the country while nearly 800 hospitals, nursing homes, maternity wards, and other critical providers nationwide are now at grave risk of closure. And over four million will lose their coverage because Republicans made it unaffordable. It’s why health care costs now top Americans’ economic worries, “rising well above other necessities.”
“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress like Tom Kean Jr. decided billionaires and price-gouging corporations needed another tax break more than Americans needed access to quality, affordable health care,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Save My Care. “Passing the deepest health care cuts in U.S. history was no skin off the back of these Republicans who still enjoy the best health care taxpayer money can buy. But it’s a BFD for millions of families and seniors who’ve been socked with skyrocketing premiums that’s forcing tough decisions between housing, food, and health care. The wasteful $1 trillion Trump-GOP tax giveaway to greedy CEOs and the likes of Elon Musk has resulted in the most anemic and lackluster economy in years, giving working Americans even less to celebrate. Was it worth creating a health care affordability crisis, Rep. Kean?”
ACA 16 YEARS ON, BY THE NUMBERS:
How Health Coverage Has Expanded 16 Years After The Affordable Care Act:
- GAINED: Nearly 50 million people have gained health coverage through the ACA Marketplace since it was established.
- GAINED: Nearly 23 million people signed up for Marketplace coverage for 2026.
- GAINED: Nearly 80 million Americans have coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, including 36.4 million kids.
- GAINED: Children can stay on their parents’ plans until age 26.
How Families’ Health Care Costs Are Lower 16 Years After The Affordable Care Act:
- GAINED: All plans must cover preventive care at no out-of-pocket cost to patients.
- GAINED: Insurance companies are required to cover essential benefits, including prescription drugs and contraception, which benefits over 220 million Americans with private coverage.
- GAINED: Improved access to care and financial security for families.
How Patient Protections Are Strengthened 16 Years After The Affordable Care Act:
- GAINED: Protections for up to 129 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.
- GAINED: A ban on insurance companies charging women more for the same care as men.
- GAINED: A ban on insurance companies imposing annual and lifetime caps on coverage.
- GAINED: Reduced disparities and improved health outcomes for communities of color, rural Americans, people with disabilities, and more.
How Republicans Are Devastating ACA Coverage:
- GONE: Low-cost, high-quality coverage as premiums doubled and tripled for over 20 million hardworking Americans, including small business owners, farmers, and older adults.
- GONE: Health coverage for over one million Americans who can no longer afford to see a doctor
- GONE: Health care for an estimated 5 million Americans after they are unable to pay their premiums and are kicked off their coverage.
- GONE: High-quality coverage for one in three Americans who buy health care on their own and were forced to reduce their coverage due to costs
- GONE: Budgets for food, clothing, and basic necessities as countless families have been forced to cut backin order to afford health insurance and greater out-of-pocket costs.
###
