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Potter: Affordable Care Act created more success than it did mistakes

Kathleen Sebelius’s resignation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has reopened the debate about the Affordable Care Act and its downfalls. Despite the mistakes Sebelius made during the rollout, the Affordable Care Act was ultimately a success.

Sebelius held the position at arguably the most difficult time for the department. She was highly criticized for the initial failure of HealthCare.gov and its part in delaying the successful rollout of the ACA. Despite the controversial mistakes, ultimately, the policy provided healthcare those who previously did not have access to insurance.

It is undeniable that the mistakes cost the policy’s reputation, number of enrollees and overall success. It is unfortunate that those mistakes occurred, but they do not negate the good that the ACA has done.

The focus of the GOP’s attacks on the policy has changed throughout the initial stages of the rollout. They were overly critical of the website and claimed that enrollment would never reach the intended goal of the policy. Their fears never truly came to fruition.

Incorrect right wing propaganda was also spread throughout the media to taint the reputation of the policy. For example, the rumor that Congress members and their staff would be exempt from the requirements of the Affordable Care Act was rampantly spread throughout the country. Fox News contributed to this by reporting that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) exempted his staff from the ACA in a Dec. 4 article.



One valid criticism of the ACA is its potential financial burden on small businesses. The healthcare law has partially addressed this issue by exempting businesses with 50 or fewer employees from the employer mandate. This issue needs to be more fully addressed so that small businesses are able to retain their employees.

Overall, the GOP’s evolving criticisms boil down to a genuine disagreement with the value of providing a right to healthcare in America.

Sebelius’s resignation has garnered attacks from the Republican Party that fail to consider the good that the policy has done. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley commented that “anybody put in charge of Obamacare would be set up to fail” according to an April 11 Washington Post article.

Grassley shares a common opinion among many Republicans. However, the ACA in some senses has been a complete success. Enrollment has surpassed 7.5 million and it has most certainly insured individuals and families that were not previously insured. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the rate of uninsured Americans has dropped from 57–31 percent.

The success of the ACA defines Sebelius’s strengths as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Her leadership certainly was not mistake-free, but she should be praised for ultimately accomplishing the intended goal.

According to March 11 statistics from the Kaiser Family Foundation, only 18 percent of people want to repeal the law without any replacements. It appears the consensus is in; it is important to Americans that health insurance is, and continues to be, more accessible.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) thanked Sebelius for her service and dedication “to a single purpose: to make healthcare a right, not a privilege, for all Americans,” according to an April 10 CNN article.

Pelosi’s comment sheds light on the fundamental difference between the perspectives of Republicans and Democrats: whether or not healthcare is indeed a right.

Sebelius’s resignation may open the floodgates for more criticism of the ACA and more acute accusations of minor failures that are blown out of proportion through propaganda. Ideally, it would engage both parties in a discussion about how the legislation can be improved and how to increase healthcare access.

It appears Sebelius went out on a high note — under her supervision the ACA initially seemed it would be wildly unsuccessful, however, the numbers are in. Obamacare ultimately achieved its stated goal — to make health insurance more available than it ever has been before.

Rachel Potter is a junior political science and sociology major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at repotter@syr.edu





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