Yes, there are people who have benefited tremendously from the ACA. Anecdotally, my sister is self-employed and was diagnosed with a rare cancer a few years ago. Her ACA insurance has covered her life-saving treatments. Prior to the ACA, she had minimal insurance that would have been questionable under these circumstances.

I have R epub friends who adamantly opposed ACA previously, a couple in their 60s, but the husband (sole provider) was laid off last year. He's over 65 and on Medicare. His wife is 62, and a policy through the ACA is significantly cheaper than COBRA insurance, and will see her through until she, too, can get on Medicare.

I work by contract for 3 companies, and I have insurance through the ACA. I've been happy with my plan. There are nearly 20 million people benefiting from ACA. My guess is that if they weren't satisfied, they'd find other options. Right? Or perhaps they have no other options, and in that case, the ACA could be saving how many lives?

The number of uninsured visits to ERs across the country has reduced since the inception of ACA.

How many young adults who've struggled finding employment have been able to stay on their parents' health insurance until 26? I know several.

How many of those with pre-existing conditions who were uninsurable before, can now be insured?

I do know one person who didn't benefit from the ACA--my dad, who died in 2019. He didn't need the ACA because by then, he was on Medicare. However, he suffered a debilitating illness that surfaced in his early 30s, when I was very young. He was fired from his job, lost his health insurance and spent what little he had saved at that point just getting back on his feet.

He eventually started working on our family farm. His "healthcare" policy was living frugally so he could afford expensive medications, and saving everything he could for the next inevitable hospital stay. He paid for his healthcare entirely out of pocket for more than 30 years. That man lived in a tiny home, only owned 2 vehicles in those 30 years, never bought himself anything, didn't travel, etc., but, as I later learned, always kept a large amount in savings because he knew he would need it for the next hospital stay, which would wipe that out, and he'd start saving all over again. He worked harder than anyone I know in a physically demanding job, suffered tremendously with his health, put his kids (me included) through college, and lived in continual fear of the next medical bill.

Imagine the life he could have led if he could have gotten insurance from the ACA? It truly makes me cry when I think about this.

I never heard him complain or pass judgement on anyone. He would want me to hold loving kindness for a certain person on this board who bashes anything related to the ACA. He was not religious, but demonstrated more compassion and goodwill toward others, despite his condition, than the hypocrite here who claims to be religious.

There are people who talk the talk, and there are people who walk the talk. My dad was the latter.

I know this will be pulled, but I had to write this in his honor. And thank you to all those who made the ACA possible for millions of Americans.