Opinion of Obamacare?

[Beet]

Over 10 years on, what are people's views of Obamacare?

OBAMACARE TAKES OFF — Many Southern states are seeing Affordable Care Act enrollment surge as the number of people covered under such plans hits new highs.

Last year, more than 20 million people signed up for year 2024 plans — a new high. The previous record was 16.3 million sign-ups for the 2023 plan year. Open enrollment ended Tuesday in most states.

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2024/01/17/obamacare-enrollment-is-surging-heres-where-00135882

I would say good, as it gives people without health insurance through their jobs, and whose income level is below a certain threshold, a subsidized option that they would not have otherwise.

[Lambsbread]

Did not go far enough due to the influence of the health insurance industry and the politicians they purchased, but it is objectively better than the previous status quo.

[Goldwater]

A worst of both worlds compromise.

[mileslunn]

Positive as more Americans have coverage.  Sure a public option may be better but going for full single payer like Canada and UK have was never realistic.  With aging population cost would be enormous and I don't think Americans are willing to see taxes go up enough to cover it.  Likewise both Canada and UK have long waiting times which most wouldn't tolerate.  At least in UK you can go private whereas in Canada you have to leave country or find a clinic acting in violation of Canada Health Act if wish to pay (due to enforcement mechanism, there are places you can pay for faster even though not supposed to).  Never mind health insurance industry employs hundreds of thousands of people whereas at time universal health care developed in Canada and UK, it was a relatively small part of economy.  So loss of jobs would be problem.  Americans have a much more libertarian bent than Brits and especially Canadians so big government solutions are generally dead on arrival.

By contrast Obamacare dramatically cut number of uninsured and also by and large maintained a market system.  Dutch and Swiss systems are probably of universal ones furthest US could realistically go.  Even German or French probably a bridge too far while British and Canadian systems would be non-starters. 

[Santander]

Better than nothing for a very small minority of people (self-employed or poorly-employed with pre-existing conditions) at the expense of everyone else.

[Vosem]

Strongly negative; I consider much of my political worldview to be a child of the anti-Obamacare movement, and I think its status is significantly more precarious than is generally realized -- in 2024 it is still the case that every serious Republican presidential candidate advocates for its repeal as do ~90% of Republican members of Congress.

(Like, if current polling is remotely correct -- a big if and there are reasons to think it isn't -- then it is likelier-than-not repealed in 2025.)

[Ferguson97]

One of the best laws of the 21st century. It allowed me to remain on my father's insurance until January of this year.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

One of the best laws of the 21st century. It allowed me to remain on my father's insurance until January of this year.

Yeah, and for me, I'm on my mother's insurance until summer 2025.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Bad law, but still a massive improvement from how things were before.

[Sumner 1868]

Bad law for not establishing Universal health care. There are worse alternatives, but that doesn't excuse it at all.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Healthcare spending is way up and life expectancies are down. Just because the Republicans want something worse doesn't mean that it deserves a passing grade.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

It has flaws, but if it weren't for Obamacare, my late aunt's husband would have been bankrupted by her medical bills. So I voted freedom law.

I'd prefer Medicare for All, but after the pandemic vax mandates and hearing the NHS horror stories that my friend from England (a nurse!) tells me, I'm less sold on single payer healthcare working as well in practice as it does on paper.

[SWE]

Has its pros and cons but the ban on denying health care from those with preexisting conditions is more than enough to make it a net positive

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

One of the best laws of the 21st century. It allowed me to remain on my father's insurance until January of this year.

I also strongly approve and strongly benefited from the law.

[TDAS04]

Good step in the right direction.

[darklordoftech]

Freedom Law, although the individual mandate was a mistake.

[Damocles]

Has its flaws, sure - but worlds better than what was there before.

[7,052,770]

The best and most impactful law of the 21st century, a godsend to millions.

Biden increasing the eligibility for subsidies was another one of those unheralded but extremely important victories that should get a lot more attention.