Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
Sixteen years after the Affordable Care Act expanded access to healthcare for millions of Pennsylvanians, Democratic lawmakers and advocates are pushing back against recent federal cuts that could leave many uninsured and unable to get the care they need.<\/p>\n
More than 98,000 Pennsylvania residents<\/a> have dropped out of ACA marketplace health plans this year after Congress failed to renew a critical financial incentive program and insurance prices doubled, on average. <\/p>\n Another 300,000 are at risk of losing Medicaid<\/a>, the publicly funded health program for low-income individuals and people with disabilities, when new rules and cuts approved as part of a massive Republican-backed spending package take effect next year. <\/p>\n Medicaid expansion and the ACA marketplaces were among the major pieces of President Barack Obama\u2019s landmark health law passed when Democrats controlled Washington. <\/p>\n This month marked the 16th anniversary of the ACA, which aimed to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. The law banned insurers from denying coverage to people with preexisting medical conditions or charging them exorbitant rates, required health plans to cover basic preventive health services, and allowed young adults to remain under their parents\u2019 health insurance until age 26. These provisions remain in effect.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an important reminder of all the great things the Affordable Care Act has done,\u201d said Antoinette Kraus, executive director of Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN), a nonprofit advocacy organization that helps people enroll in health coverage. \u201cIt\u2019s also a great time to remind folks that the Affordable Care Act is still very much under attack.\u201d<\/p>\n The Inquirer spoke with Kraus about how Medicaid and ACA marketplace cuts<\/a> will affect Pennsylvania residents, and how the law changed access to healthcare in an interview lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n How are Pennie customers handling cost increases?<\/p>\n