Joe Biden just nailed it
As the Biden administration and Democratic legislators are working to accomplish much of their agenda before 2023, we are beginning to realize the full benefits of the American Rescue Plan passed in March, which made the recovery possible and set forth record levels of growth. Aside from reducing poverty by half, the relief legislation has also had another significant effect: Dropping the price of monthly premiums for Obamacare by 40%.
The special window to enroll that the administration opened on February 15 has allowed an additional 1.5 million people to enroll in new health care plans, with another 2.5 who were already covered taking advantage of expanded assistance that the American Rescue Plan provided.
The shift has increased enrollment for a number of insurance companies, with Aetna planning to expand its plans into different states next year, making it harder for Republican governors who fought healthcare expansion. On average, coverage dropped to $62 a month for plans from an average of $104 a month, according to estimates by Bloomberg. The American Rescue Plan increased the number of people eligible for ACA coverage, with a premium assistance plan that Congress is looking to renew after it expires next year. Despite the best efforts of the Trump administration to destroy and repeal the Affordable Care Act, it’s now stronger than ever, and about to get more popular than ever – with enrollment open at HealthCare.gov through Aug 15.
This is one of many reasons why even slight pushes in the right direction can benefit everyone immensely down the road – and why we need to support Democrats down the ballot in 2022 and 2024.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making