"With a health insurance plan you'll have the peace of mind of knowing you're covered in case the unexpected happens."
All former President Barack Obama wants for Christmas is for you to have health care coverage.
However, a ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals puts the future of Obamacare at stake. The court decided the individual mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional and sent the case back to the lower court to decide about other parts of the law.
President Donald Trump praised that decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, calling it a win for Americans. He also promises a new plan should he be reelected.
Regardless of what the courts say, in the long run Obamacare is destined for changes. The extent of those changes , however, comes down to who is sitting in the Oval Office.
Most Americans chose health care as the top political issue facing the country in a new Newsy/Ipsos poll. So where do the democratic candidates stand on the future of Obamacare?
The top three vary in their proposed Obamacare makeovers, all united on preserving coverage for people with preexisting conditions.
“I am against any democrat who opposes, takes down Obamacare and any republican who wants to get rid of Obamacare.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden has a personal stake in the future of the law. He wants to improve the existing system in various ways.
One, by offering premium-free access to low income individuals residing in states that opted out of the Medicaid expansion.
“As President, I will reverse Donald Trump’s efforts to sabotage Obamacare.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren says it’s time for the next step, that includes opening Obamacare up to DACA recipients. By her third year in office, she’ll enact a full Medicare for all plan getting rid of most private insurers.
“No more premiums, no more co-payments, no more deductibles. You go to any doctor you want.”
Senator Bernie Sanders voted for the ACA but says it was a small step and it’s time for a new system entirely. He says the only way to do that is through government run Medicare for all.
But the candidates aren't the only ones split on Obamacare, so are voters.
“Public opinion is really divided. So, we’ve never gotten a little over half saying they have a favorable opinion of the law, we’ve never had more than that amount saying they have an unfavorable opinion of the law.”
And while the country may be divided, there are certain provisions popular on both sides of the aisle.
“Protections for people with pre-existing conditions, which is something that has been in the news a lot lately, that’s something that is popular across parties and something that people say is very important to keep in place should the courts overturn the law.”
Now, even the popular parts, are in the hands of the court.
