This is a rare blog post for me. But the 4th anniversary of the President signing the Affordable Care Act is important to recognize. It has been a long four years of continuous fighting against the negativity and outright lies of the opponents of ObamaCare.
Nevertheless the healthcare reform is achieving its goal of making health insurance more affordable, reducing healthcare costs and enabling those who have never had health insurance due to pre-exiting conditions to have quality coverage.
After a bumpy start, enrollment in health insurance policies through the Health Insurance Marketplaces is surging and is now over 5 million people.
Below is one of the supportive emails I received from one small business owner in South Carolina in response to my recent opinion editorial of how Obamacare has benefited my family small business. The message speaks for itself.
I am a partner in a small business in one of the poorest counties in our state. Our experience has been exactly as you describe. We have always struggled to provide health care for our employees at an enormous expense for our small firm. We do so because it is not a luxury in our estimation, and it is a vital benefit that employees need. Thanks to the ACA we received a wonderful and much appreciated tax credit this year of over $9000! That is significant to us and, of course, makes it easier for us to continue these benefits that we believe are so important.
As you noted, it takes time to study and implement some of the things that work. And I don’t believe the insurance companies are motivated to help insureds find the most efficient plans for their employees. So many people are frustrated. But if people would do a little homework, they would see some real benefits. I know it may not be perfect, but it’s a start, and it is long-overdue!
Some people just want to complain. I’ve learned that. And South Carolinians seem to be the most critical of our President and every single thing he has tried to do. I wonder if the Republicans had initiated the ACA in its present form if it would have been better received? I guess we will never know. I just wish that everyone would give it a chance. It is working for us.