By CAP Action War Room

Evidence Abounds, Yet GOP Lawmakers Refuse To Admit The Affordable Care Act Is Working

We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. The Affordable Care Act is working. Today, a new study released by the RAND Corporation found that nearly 17 million people gained health insurance during the first 18 months after the opening of the healthcare marketplaces created under the ACA. Here are a few of the study’s most interesting findings:

• 11.2 million people are enrolled through state and federal marketplaces. And more than 4 million of those enrolled in the marketplaces are newly insured.

• 6.5 million people who were previously uninsured are now covered under Medicaid. More than half of the 12.6 million new Medicaid enrollees were previously uninsured.

• 9.6 million people are newly enrolled in employer sponsored plans. Employer sponsored plans added 8 million people to their rolls due to overall job growth.

RAND’s report is just the latest in a string of studies showing the law’s success. In March, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a report also showing that over 16 million people gained insurance under the law. In April, a Gallup poll found that nearly nine in ten Americans are now insured. Then there’s this study showing people are satisfied with their coverage. This one showing that hardly any plans were canceled this year. And this one, from the New York Times, showing all the ways the law has been successful.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that the law is working, GOP lawmakers at the state and federal level continue to try to dismantle the law for their own political gain. Earlier this week, Republican Senators adopted a budget that would repeal the law altogether. Meanwhile, Florida, Texas, and Kansas have refused to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid on the one hand, and on the other hand are now filing a lawsuit against the federal government for not renewing its funding for a different health program (that the states knew would expire). The law is also in the middle of yet another test in front of the Supreme Court in the ideologically charged case King v. Burwell. And Arizona just became the ninth state to pass a law banning the creation of a state exchange yet another attempt by states to cripple the law and eliminate the possibility of a state solution if the Supreme Court rules against the law.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s time for GOP lawmakers to face the facts. Another new study has found that 17 million Americans have gained health coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act is working, and the irresponsible attempts to dismantle the law threaten the health and security of millions of Americans and must stop.