Weekly Address: President Obama – It’s Time to Get Covered on the Health Insurance Marketplace

December 10, 2016 JanF Editors' Choice, From the White House 5

The President’s Weekly Address post is also an Open News Thread. Feel free to share other news stories in the comments.

From the White House – Weekly Address

In this week’s address, President Obama discussed Open Enrollment on the Health Insurance Marketplace, which began November 1. The deadline to sign up for coverage beginning on January 1 is this Thursday, December 15, and the final deadline to sign up for 2017 coverage is January 31. Today, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, every American with insurance is covered by the strongest set of consumer protections in history. For every person with insurance, preventive care is available with no cost sharing; there are no more annual or lifetime limits on essential health care; you can’t get charged more just for being a woman; young people can stay on a parent’s plan until they turn 26; seniors get discounts on their prescriptions; and no one can be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Although Republicans in Congress want to repeal this law, the President emphasized that we should build on the progress we’ve already made. To sign up for health care coverage, visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596.

Transcript: Weekly Address: It’s Time to Get Covered on the Health Insurance Marketplace

Remarks of President Barack Obama as Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address, The White House, December 10, 2016

Hi, everybody. It’s the most wonderful time of the year — and not just because it’s the holiday season, but because it’s also open enrollment season over at HealthCare.gov.

That was a dad joke, I know. But this weekend, I hope you’ll take a moment to do something really important for yourself and your family: make sure you’ll have health insurance for 2017.

If you’re not covered yet, now is the time to sign up. Go to HealthCare.gov and shop for the plan that’s right for you. Like most Americans who get coverage through HealthCare.gov, there’s a good chance you’ll find a plan that costs less than $75 a month. And while the enrollment period lasts until the end of January, as long as you sign up by this Thursday, December 15, you’ll be covered starting January 1.

Now, this doesn’t apply to the roughly 250 million Americans who already get insurance through the workplace, or thanks to Medicare or Medicaid. But here’s what does. Every American with insurance is covered by the strongest set of consumer protections in history – a true Patients’ Bill of Rights. You now have free preventive care, like mammograms and contraception. There are no more annual or lifetime limits on the essential care you receive. Women can’t get charged more just for being a woman. Young people can stay on a parent’s plan until they turn 26, and seniors get discounts on their prescriptions. Every American can rest free from the fear that one illness or accident will derail your dreams — because discrimination against preexisting conditions is now illegal. And since 2010, we’ve seen the slowest health care price growth in 50 years.

Whether or not you get insurance through the Affordable Care Act, that’s the health care system as we now know it. Because our goal wasn’t just to make sure more people have coverage — it was to make sure more people have better coverage. That’s why we want to build on the progress we’ve made — and I’ve put forth a number of ideas for how to improve the Affordable Care Act. Now Republicans in Congress want to repeal the whole thing and start from scratch — but trying to undo some of it could undo all of it. All those consumer protections — whether you get your health insurance from Obamacare, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or on the job – could go right out the window. So any partisan talk you hear about repealing or replacing it should be judged by whether they keep all those improvements that benefit you and your family right now.

One new study shows that if Congress repeals Obamacare as they’ve proposed, nearly 30 million Americans would lose their coverage. Four in five of them would come from working families. More than nine million Americans who would receive tax credits to keep insurance affordable would no longer receive that help. That is unacceptable.

We can work together to make the system even better — and one of the best ways to do that is make sure that you’re in it. So remember: Sign up on HealthCare.gov by this Thursday, and your health insurance will be there for you when you wake up on January 1. Thanks everybody, and have a good weekend.

Bolding added.

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5 Comments

  1. President Obama:

    Any partisan talk you hear about repealing or replacing [the Affordable Care Act] should be judged by whether they keep all those improvements that benefit you and your family right now.

    One new study shows that if Congress repeals Obamacare as they’ve proposed, nearly 30 million Americans would lose their coverage. Four in five of them would come from working families. More than nine million Americans who would receive tax credits to keep insurance affordable would no longer receive that help. That is unacceptable.

    We can work together to make the system even better — and one of the best ways to do that is make sure that you’re in it. So remember: Sign up on HealthCare.gov by this Thursday

  2. In the news: Republicans intent on phasing out Medicare …

    From my Senator, Tammy Baldwin (links removed)

    Republicans plan to “phase out” Medicare in 2017.

    House Republicans have been floating this plan for years, so it’s not exactly shocking. But now that extreme Republicans have complete control in Washington, they could very well succeed.

    If we don’t step up to protect Medicare, we could see it turned into a voucher system as early as next year. Stand with me to protect Medicare.

    I know the value of Medicare. I’ve seen it firsthand.

    I was raised by my grandparents. When I was sick as a child, it was my Nana and Grandpa that took care of me. So years later, when my Nana got sick, I became my Nana’s caregiver. It’s a hard job, but after all Nana did for me I considered it an honor.

    I saw how medical bills can pile up for an elderly person like Nana. I also saw how important Medicare is in defraying those costs.

    I’m not telling you this story because it’s unique. I’m telling you this because it isn’t. I hear similar stories from older people and caregivers all over Wisconsin. Medicare is a lifeline that helps them afford life-saving procedures, prescription drugs, hospital visits, and more.

    Medicare helped my Nana — just like it helps 1,050,020 in Wisconsin and millions more across the county. I will not stand by while Republicans dismantle it.

    Thank you.

    Tammy

  3. In the news: Republicans plan to “save” Social Security by removing the “security” part of the program …

    The House GOP Just Revealed Its Plan To Cut Social Security

    The bill…would reduce costs by changing the benefits formula to reduce payments progressively for high earners. It would also gradually raise the full retirement age from 67 to 69 for people who are today 49 or younger. Lastly, it would change the inflation metric used to calculate benefits to one that shows lower inflation, essentially slowing the growth in benefits, and eliminate cost of living adjustments for high earners.

    This impacts not just future retirees but current retirees. Let’s hope the Third Rail is still electrified.

  4. It disgusts me that Rethugs are so hateful and mean-spirited they want to deny universal health care coverage. And these people pride themselves on being Christians! How can they be against something EVERY OTHER civilized country has? Hail, even “Cuber” has health care for its citizens and Goddess knows that’s a poor little country.

    I despise the people who voted for Thing and refuse to feel sorry for them. I do feel sorry for the innocents who will be affected by their hatefulness.

    • I am struggling with it. Their ignorance impacts the millions of people who voted to keep healthcare. Someone on Twitter pointed out that Political Correctness, something eschewed by Trumpian voters, is keeping we liberals from expressing our true feelings about these people who voted to kill 36,000 people a year – many of them their friends and neighbors, and their own families!! I will settle on foolish and short-sighted.

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