What did Obamacare do for healthcare?

Asked by: Flavie Gerhold  |  Last update: May 28, 2025
Score: 4.3/5 (18 votes)

The law will result in health insurance coverage for about 94% of the American population, reducing the uninsured by 31 million people, and increasing Medicaid enrollment by 15 million beneficiaries. Approximately 24 million people are expected to remain without coverage.

How many lives did Obamacare save?

One such study estimated that just during the four years after 29 states expanded Medicaid, roughly 19.2 thousand lives were saved from treatable conditions (such as heart disease and diabetes).

Why was Obamacare mandatory?

The argument is that healthy people buying coverage not only gives them access to care but also offsets costs for less-healthy people who access services more frequently. States also mandate coverage to ensure health insurance policies meet certain standards and to increase revenue.

What did Obamacare do to Medicare?

Medicare Improvements: Obamacare included several provisions to improve Medicare, such as closing the prescription drug coverage gap known as the “donut hole,” providing free preventive services, and offering annual wellness visits without cost sharing.

What exactly did Obamacare do?

It did so by expanding Medicaid to people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (the poverty level in the continental U.S. is $15,060 for a single individual in 2024); creating new health insurance exchange markets through which individuals can purchase coverage and receive financial help to afford ...

How Does The Affordable Care Act Work?

15 related questions found

Who benefited most from Obamacare?

The biggest winners from the law include people between the ages of 18 and 34; blacks; Hispanics; and people who live in rural areas.

What was the problem with Obamacare?

Obamacare has increased the cost of health care and health insurance. The ACA's federal mandates and spending, including Medicaid expansion and subsidized individual plans, have drastically increased the cost of health care and health insurance. 2. Obamacare increases Americans' reliance on the federal government. …

What did Obama do for health care?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.

What was HealthCare like before Obamacare?

Before the ACA, insurance companies used medical underwriting to determine whether to offer a person coverage, at what price, and with what exclusions or limits based on the person's health status; the purpose was to ensure a healthy risk pool by requiring people to pay premiums that reflected their expected medical ...

What are the pros and cons of Obamacare?

The pros of the ACA include prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage based on health history and providing subsidies to reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The cons of the ACA include small business challenges and limited provider options in some regions.

How much did Obamacare cost per month?

Before subsidies, the average lowest-cost Bronze plan in 2020 was $331 per month and the average Silver plan was $$442 per month, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. However, after subsidies, the average person in HealthSherpa's study paid $47 because they received a subsidy of an average of $634.

Why do Republicans oppose Obamacare?

The opposition to a government role in health care is based on the fact that that the vast majority of our citizens do not trust their government. Republicans are much less trusting of the federal government and much less supportive of a government role in health care than Democrats.

Who is not eligible for Obamacare?

Must live in the United States. Must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present). Learn about eligible immigration statuses. Cannot be incarcerated in prison or jail.

What is Obamacare called now?

Affordable Care Act (ACA) The comprehensive health care reform law was enacted in March 2010. A measure of income issued every year by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Can I refuse health insurance from my employer and get Obamacare?

Obamacare is available to everyone, whether or not their employers offer insurance. From a practical standpoint, though, there are financial consequences to doing this. Often, an employer subsidizes part or all of their employees' coverage.

What disqualifies you from the premium tax credit?

For tax years other than 2021 and 2022, if your household income on your tax return is more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line for your family size, you are not allowed a premium tax credit and will have to repay all of the advance credit payments made on behalf of you and your tax family members.

What did Obamacare actually do?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a comprehensive reform law, enacted in 2010, that increases health insurance coverage for the uninsured and implements reforms to the health insurance market. This includes many provisions that are consistent with AMA policy and holds the potential for a better health care system.

What do Republicans believe about healthcare?

Republicans' alternative solution focuses on lowering health care premiums for families and small businesses, increasing access to affordable, high-quality care, and promoting healthier lifestyles – without adding to the crushing debt Washington has placed on our children and grandchildren.

Does Obamacare cover surgery?

All plans offered in the Marketplace cover these 10 essential health benefits: Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care you get without being admitted to a hospital) Emergency services. Hospitalization (like surgery and overnight stays)

Who actually pays for Obamacare?

The health reform law known as Obamacare (officially the Affordable Care Act) is paid for with a combination of cuts in government spending and new revenue from several sources, including tax increases.

Did Obamacare help black people?

After the main ACA provisions went into effect in 2014, coverage disparities declined slightly as the percentage of adults who were uninsured decreased by 7.1 percentage points for Hispanics, 5.1 percentage points for Blacks, and 3 percentage points for Whites.

What states use Obamacare the most?

Florida had the largest number of ACA exchange plan sign ups for 2023, according to new data from CMS. A total of 16.3 million people enrolled in marketplace coverage between Nov.