The Biden Plan to Protect & Build on the Affordable Care

THE BIDEN PLAN TO PROTECT & BUILD ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: EXPANDING COVERAGE, LOWERING COSTS FOR MICHIGANDERS

As Democrats head to Michigan this week for the second Democratic Presidential Primary debate, it is worth remembering the fierce debate occurring a decade ago over health care reform. President Obama and Vice President Biden put up a tough fight that required taking on Republicans, special interests, and the status quo to do what’s right. It was a victory 100 years in the making. But the Obama-Biden Administration got it done. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, with Vice President Biden on one side and Congressman John Dingell on the other, and made history.

Every day since then, Republicans have done everything they can to resuscitate the debate over the Affordable Care Act.Congressional Republicans have voted to repeal, modify or curb the health care law more than 70 times. Since repeal through Congress has not been working, President Trump has been unilaterally doing everything he can to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. Now, the Trump Administration is trying to get the entire law – including protections for people with pre-existing conditions – struck down in court.

But Obamacare has survived and, today, the Affordable Care Act is still a big deal - including for Michiganders.

As president, Biden will protect the Affordable Care Act from these continued attacks. He opposes every effort to get rid of this historic law – including efforts by Republicans, and efforts by Democrats. Instead of starting from scratch and getting rid of private insurance, he has a plan to build on the Affordable Care Act by giving Americans more choice, reducing health care costs, and making our health care system less complex to navigate.

For Biden, this is personal. He believes that every American has a right to the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have access to affordable, quality health care.

HOW THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HELPS MICHIGANDERS

● More than half a million Michiganders gained coverage: The uninsured rate in Michigan fell by half - 13.2 percent to 6.1 percent- from 2013 to 2016. ● Protections for people with pre-existing conditions: Roughly half of Michiganders have a pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or cancer. Because of the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can no longer deny them coverage or increase their premiums just because of their pre-existing condition.

● No annual or lifetime limits on coverage: More than 3.5 million Michiganders who had lifetime limits on their health coverage prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act no longer have to worry about their insurance company saying “no more.” ● Free recommended preventive services: 4.5 million Michiganders had access to free recommended preventive services like mammograms and blood pressure screenings. ● Coverage for young adults: Young adults in Michigan can now stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26, helping them keep coverage as they transition from school or between jobs.

HOW THE BIDEN PLAN WILL CONTINUE TO HELP MICHIGANDERS

● Create a new, affordable option. Joe Biden will give Michiganders a new choice, a public health insurance option like Medicare. There are roughly 490,000 uninsured Michiganders, including more than 80,000 African-American and almost 60,000 Latinx individuals. They and everyone who is already insured but wants a better option will be able to choose this public option. ● Lower premiums. As in Medicare, the Biden public option will reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers. It also will better coordinate among all of a patient’s doctors to improve the efficacy and quality of their care, and cover primary care without any co-payments. And it will bring relief to small businesses struggling to afford coverage for their employees. On top of that, Biden will increase the value of tax credits to lower premiums and extend coverage to more working Americans. No family buying insurance on the individual marketplace, regardless of income, will have to spend more than 8.5% of their income on health insurance premiums. ● Lower deductibles. Because the premium tax credits will now be calculated based on the price of a more generous gold plan, families will be able to purchase a plan with a lower deductible and lower out-of-pocket spending. That means many families will see their overall annual health care spending go down. ● Lower prescription drug prices. The Biden Plan will put a stop to runaway drug prices and the profiteering of the drug industry. He’ll start by repealing the outrageous exception allowing drug corporations avoid negotiating with Medicare over drug prices. He’ll then limit launch prices for drugs that face no competition and are being abusively priced by manufacturers. And, he’ll limit price increases for all brand, biotech, and abusively priced generic drugs to inflation. ● Ensure health care is a right for all, not a privilege for just the few. As president, Biden will be a champion for improving access to health care and the health of all. He’ll expand access to contraception and protect the constitutional right to an abortion. He’ll reduce our unacceptably high maternal mortality rate, which especially impacts people of color. He’ll also double America’s investment in community health centers and defend health care protections for all, regardless of gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. And, he’ll achieve mental health parity and expand access to mental health care.

Read Joe Biden’s full plan to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act at joebiden.com/healthcare.