Celebrating the 12th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act

12 years ago today, I signed the Affordable Care Act into law. At the time, presidents had been trying to pass health care reform for a century — so we knew getting something passed wouldn’t be easy. But I’ve always believed that health care shouldn’t be a privilege for just a fortunate few, but a right for every American. And thanks to the hard work of so many people, we got it done.

Today, more than 30 million Americans have affordable health coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act. And during the pandemic, we’ve seen just how important health care coverage can be. The Affordable Care Act gave Americans access to free vaccines and COVID tests, covered emergency hospitalizations, and prevented insurance companies from denying anyone coverage because of a pre-existing condition — including having contracted COVID.

Over the last 12 years, the Affordable Care Act has also gotten better. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan lowered costs and encouraged a record 14.5 million people to sign up for coverage in 2022. And I know he’ll keep making it stronger.

I’ve always thought of the Affordable Care Act as a “starter” home for America to build and improve on until every American has access to quality, affordable health coverage. I’m proud of what we’ve built together — and what we’ll keep doing in the years ahead.