Conservatives are Working to Eliminate the Affordable Care Act.

Note: This is an update to a blog from 2024. With the Affordable Care Act under greater threat from Trump and conservatives, protecting the ACA is more important than ever.

On March 23rd, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into Law. The Affordable Care Act is the largest expansion of the Medicaid and Medicare programs since they were enacted in 1965 and improved the health of all Americans, including women and families, kids, older adults, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, and communities of color. To this day, the ACA remains one of the most monumental accomplishments in making health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.

The Impact of the Affordable Care Act

When the ACA first passed, one in six Americans lacked health insurance. Now, thanks to our progressive leaders who shepherded the ACA into law, as of 2022, over ninety percent of Americans have health insurance.

ACA coverage saves lives. One study found Medicaid expansion under the ACA saved over 19,000 lives in just three years.

In 2024, coverage under the Affordable Care Act hit record levels, with 21.3 million people signing up for marketplace coverage, and that doesn’t even include those who get coverage through Medicaid and Medicare. This is an increase of almost 5 million people from last year.

The Affordable Care Act in Minnesota

Minnesota was one of the original adopters of the Medicaid expansion program, implementing it on January 1st, 2014, as soon as it became available. In just the first year in Minnesota, half of the previously uninsured, almost 200,000 people, received coverage.

In 2023, Minnesota also hit record enrollment in our state marketplace with over 100,000 people signing up for insurance, which is an 11% increase from the year before.

Ties to Minnesota’s Progressive History

One critical aspect of the ACA is that it builds on the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). The act was partly named after our beloved Minnesota Senator, Paul Wellstone, to honor his legacy.

Senator Wellstone fiercely advocated for mental health coverage throughout his career and helped pass the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996. The MHPAEA ensured that mental health and addiction treatments matched coverage for other medical needs.

The ACA carried forward our progressive legacy by requiring insurance plans to cover mental health and addiction treatments as essential health benefits.

Minnesotans are Paying the Price of the Right

Trump and conservatives passed a 2025 budget bill that led to the largest insurance hikes in over a decade. They slashed Medicaid funding and eliminated subsidies that many Minnesotans relied on for health care. Individual market insurance rates in Minnesota rose by an average of 21.5% from 2025 to 2026.

Minnesotans now face tough decisions about whether to pay for health insurance or other necessities like housing and groceries. Already, people have had to forgo health insurance because they can’t afford their premiums.

If we don’t stand up, things could get even worse. A new Trump proposal could raise deductibles to $31,000 a year for US families. Trump’s 2025 budget bill is predicted to take health insurance from 10 million Americans by 2034. Minnesota conservatives are letting it happen.

If conservatives succeed in weakening the ACA, we lose protections for pre-existing conditions, mental health care, free preventative care, birth control, and Medicaid, among others. The Affordable Care Act saves lives. We must protect and strengthen it so that health care is affordable.

Real Impacts

That’s why on this 16th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, we are highlighting the stories from Minnesotans impacted by these harmful funding cuts. We hosted a press conference at the Capitol to hold Trump and conservatives accountable. Check out clips from the event and videos from our storytellers on our social media – @ABetterMN on all platforms. Help us spread the word by sharing these messages far and wide.

And sign up to join us in the fight to hold conservatives accountable.