By Felesia Martin
Vice Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin
Felesia Martin
14 years after the ACA’s passage, the fate of as many as 2.4 million Wisconsinites with preexisting conditions are at risk.
Donald Trump is threatening to repeal the ACA, which could strip away the health care protections for Wisconsinites with preexisting conditions, raise costs for 1.2 million Wisconsinites on Medicare, drive up premiums for 266,000 Wisconsinites and jeopardize protection against catastrophic medical bills for as many as 2.4 million Wisconsinites.
Nationally, Trump’s repeal of the ACA could threaten health care protections for more than 100 million Americans with preexisting conditions like cancer, asthma, and diabetes; jeopardize free preventive care like cancer screenings, annual check-ups, and cholesterol tests for 150 million Americans; cause uninsurance rates for communities of color to skyrocket; and take away access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment for millions.
Not only are Trump and MAGA Republican plans to gut our health care callous and dangerous, it’s also at odds with the majority of Americans.
In the 14 years since the ACA was signed into law, six in 10 adults hold a favorable opinion of the ACA — including over half of independents and even one third of Republicans. More than two-thirds, or 67 percent, of Americans across party lines support the ACA preventing health insurance companies from denying coverage because of medical history, and 65 percent support the ACA preventing insurance companies from charging sick people higher premiums.
President Joe Biden has bolstered the ACA to lower costs and expand access to health care by capping insulin at $35 a month for seniors and lowering premiums, saving millions of Americans $800 per year — driving record low uninsurance rates and a historic 21 million people enrolling in ACA marketplaces this year.
Trump cares more about the pocketbooks of Big Pharma than the lifesaving provisions helping Wisconsin families stay afloat. Let’s not forget: During his first term, Trump was only one vote away from repealing the ACA.
If he makes it back to the White House, Trump won’t stop at the Affordable Care Act. He plans to repeal other progress President Biden has made to lower costs for the American people, including the Inflation Reduction Act — which will save 1.2 million Wisconsin seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries money on prescription drug costs.
Voters in Wisconsin will have a clear choice this November: between Donald Trump, who is promising to jeopardize health care for millions of Americans, and President Biden, who is fighting every day to expand access to health care and bring down costs.
This November, I’m voting for Joe Biden to protect the Affordable Care Act, and the countless lives it has saved.