45 million Americans could lose their health insurance

by Rick Larsen

This weekend marks the anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Fourteen years later, the ACA continues to save lives, expand coverage, and have a positive impact on those who sign up.

Enrollment has hit a historic 21.3 million - opting for ACA marketplace coverage during the Open Enrollment Period. This statistic includes more than five million people — about a fourth — who are new to the ACA Marketplace and 16 million people who renewed their existing ACA coverage.

With enrollment reaching a record high and millions of American families relying on the ACA for coverage, it simply does not make sense that the Chaos Caucus’ agenda is to repeal this landmark legislation. 

Rolling back the ACA would not just rip away critical care from the 21.3 million folks using Marketplace plans — but 45 million Americans could lose their health insurance provided through other provisions of the ACA — think young adults afforded the option to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26, people suffering from pre-existing conditions that could legally be denied care, and more. 

The far-right’s eagerness to roll back health care in America — to a time of runaway corporate profits, coverage denials, and politicians inserting their extreme ideology between you and your health care provider — is not new. Extremists voted upwards of 50 times to repeal the ACA. Just days ago, some of my Republican colleagues in the House proposed a budget that would destroy this life-saving legislation. 

We will not let that stand.

I believe health care is a right. As always, we are going to fight back for Washingtonians and the millions of Americans who benefit from the provisions of the ACA. 

That is why I voted to reduce premiums for ACA members and am actively working to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care that fits Northwest Washington families’ budgets.

That is why I am continuing to work to lower the costs of prescription drugs. Why I voted to reduce prescription drug costs by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices, by imposing a tax penalty if drug companies increase their prices faster than inflation, and by capping the price of insulin at $35 per month.

And that is also why I know that 50-something votes later this is just the beginning. Millions of Americans are counting on us.

More soon,

Rick