If you’ve followed the headlines since President Trump took office, you would think the Affordable Care Act (often referred to as Obamacare) is not only terrible, but also about to die. Yet numbers don’t back that up. According to a new tally from the Associated Press, about 11.8 million have signed up for coverage this year. That’s 3% less than last year.
Though Trump repeatedly tried to defund the ACA, as well as handicap it, enrollment still appears to be extremely popular among Americans. That’s despite the fact that Trump slashed the program’s advertising budget by 90% and shortened open enrollment for coverage this year from three months to only 45 days.
Next year, things may be different. Republicans are trying to get fewer people to enroll by repealing an IRS fine for the uninsured and offering other insurance alternatives. But for now, we can rejoice that many Americans were able to get the coverage they needed.
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