The Affordable Care Act

AKA Obamacare

20 November, 2013: “Is the Affordable Care Act in serious jeopardy?”

That is the headline on a CBS News article today that captures which way the wind is blowing inside Washington after 39 House Democrats broke ranks on Friday by voting for a Republican bill that the Obama administration said weakens a “central premise” of the law.

Like most progressives, I have a complicated opinion of Obamacare. I wanted so much more for America than the final law that was passed in 2010. What's not complicated is the question of whether or not I want to go back to the insurance system we had before.

It's simple. No. Absolutely Not.




It's time our voices are heard... again.

Don't. Go. Back.

The CBS News article cited above asked a question that perfectly reflects the new narrative now dominating Washington:

“Will (Democrats) have the political fortitude to stick to their guns and fend off changes to the law, or will a vulnerable caucus begin to accept alterations to a bill they've steadfastly safeguarded for years?”

Let’s be crystal clear. The Affordable Care Act will help millions of Americans who've been locked out of the insurance market. We can’t go back on a law that stops insurance companies from denying people with pre-existing conditions, that prevents the bankruptcy of cancer survivors by ending lifetime caps on coverage, and that no longer forces women to pay double for the same care men get.

No one is saying our work is done. Far from it. Medicare for All or a Public Option is a must if we want fundamental change, but if Republicans and for-profit insurance companies succeed at destroying the gains we've made, it'll be a huge step backwards that could kill chances to move reform forward for decades.

A few days ago, a progressive activist wrote "Don't Go Back" on a sign and posted a picture of it on Twitter with the hashtag #savehealthcare. It's time for progressives across America to amplify that message inside the beltway.

Tell Democrats in Washington: Don't. Go. Back.

Thank you for everything you do.
Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director
Democracy for America
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But Are Too Afraid To Ask

By Annie-Rose Strasser and Tara Culp-Ressler

If you’re confused about Obamacare, you’re not alone.

Over the past several years, every survey on the subject has revealed that Americans consistently fail to correctly identify the provisions that are actually in the Affordable Care Act.

In April, a poll found that 40 percent of Americans weren’t sure about whether Obamacare was still law at all.....(click here for more...)