With Republicans in control of Congress, is Obamacare in peril? [View all]
With Republicans in control of both the U.S. House and Senate, they may be emboldened to try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, Modern Healthcare reports.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who is "poised to become Senate majority leader, has vowed to repeal Obamacare 'root and branch,'" writes Modern Healthcare's Paul Demko.
More than 800 different TV ads aired during the election cycle referenced Obamacare, and almost all attack ads by Republicans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Despite all that, health reform wasn't the dominant issue for many voters. As the New York Times reports, states that benefited most from Obamacare elected Republicans. Arkansas, Kentucky and West Virginia all saw substantial drops in the uninsured and elected Senators who oppose the ACA.
There could be a public outcry if Republicans try to take away people's benefits. About 15 million Americans signed up for coverage through the exchanges or enrolled in Medicaid under the expansion.
"Survey after survey shows that it's working, that Americans like it," said Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat — one of few national Senate Dems who won their races — at a Wednesday news conference.
"In Oregon alone, it's provided health insurance for 350,000 people who didn't have it before. Everyone has gained something from the Affordable Care Act and from all the new health coverage. I don't think it will be easy to do anything to the ACA," he said.
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