20 good things that happened in 2017
3. The ACA survived
The Affordable Care Act has proven to be a contentious piece of legislation, to say the least. When it debuted in 2010, it was, in fact, the subject of major controversy. Opponents said that it was an example of egregious government oversight. How dare the federal government mandate that citizens purchase a healthcare plan? many wondered. Social issues only complicated the affair. Was it right that the government included birth control?
Proponents, meanwhile, pointed out that the American healthcare system was in need of a serious overhaul. Mandates for health insurance, contraceptives, extended coverage, mental health care and more were necessary for a healthy and happy citizenry.
With the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, many feared the worst for the ACA (also popularly known as “Obamacare”). One of Trump’s most prominent campaign promises was that his administration would do away with the entire ACA. How exactly that would happen remained unclear. Nevertheless, White House officials and many members of Congress supported the plan to extinguish Obamacare.
The problem with repeal
Except, when it came to actually knocking it down, the ACA proved to be far more resilient. Over the course of nearly seven years, many Americans had grown to enjoy the benefits of the ACA. Indeed, recent data indicate that a majority of Americans approve of the sweeping health care law.
Furthermore, sign-ups for Obamacare insurance plans were unexpectedly high this year, given that the Trump administration had devastated budgets for ACA advertising and outreach.
That made politicians reluctant to move forward with a health care overhaul. Republican attempts to rewrite or modify the ACA failed three separate times. That was thanks in part to some surprising defectors, including Republican Senators like Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), as well as insurance companies. The only part that has, so far, been repealed is the individual mandate.
Ultimately, some of the greatest praise should land at the feet of citizens who called their representatives to express their opposition to health care repeal.