Despite not being a hot topic in the 2024 presidential election, the ease of access and affordability of healthcare services for Americans continues to have a significant impact on people’s lives. After all, healthcare is a major driver of economic growth in the United States, accounting for over 17% of the country’s gross domestic product.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was proposed by former President Obama in 2010. The main beneficiaries of this legislation are Americans who do not have Medicare or employer-sponsored health insurance. Currently, approximately 45 million people are enrolled in the ACA.
During the Obama administration, individuals without health insurance or employer-sponsored insurance were required to purchase an Obamacare plan or face monthly fines.
According to Goodman, while Obamacare provides lower premiums for some low-income individuals, allowing more people to access medical care, its above-average out-of-pocket costs can disadvantage those who are truly ill.
Data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) show that the most common plan under the Affordable Care Act is the Silver Plan, with an average deductible of $4,890, compared to around $1,700 for those with employer-sponsored health insurance.
Despite President Trump’s attempts to repeal Obamacare in 2017, the efforts ultimately failed.
Subsequently, Trump changed course and introduced new regulations to stabilize ACA enrollment and ensure that insurance companies do not withdraw from the market.
During the CBS presidential debate on September 11, 2024, Trump reflected on his 2017 attempt to repeal Obamacare, noting that due to insufficient support for the proposal, he ultimately did not repeal the law but instead chose to “keep it and make it better.”
Trump added, “I will only change it if we come up with something better and cheaper.” He did not propose specific ACA reform plans during the debate.
“I certainly think the ACA will continue to exist. I believe repealing the ACA would be a foolish act,” epidemiologist and former health policy advisor in the Trump administration Katy Talento told Epoch Times in an interview.
In his first term, Trump aimed to lower healthcare costs by promoting short-term insurance plans that were different from the ACA. These plans typically offer less coverage and lower costs. Trump also reduced the penalty for individuals who remained uninsured under the ACA to zero.
His administration also cut funding for advertising and promotion, leading to a decline in ACA enrollment from a peak of 12.7 million to an average of 11.4 to 11.8 million by the end of his term.