President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, after months of bitter debate nationwide and on Capitol Hill.
Though many provisions of the law have yet to be implemented, both sides are presenting their best cases for and against it. Political observers note that healthcare, and the ACA in particular, will play a major role in the upcoming midterm elections and the presidential campaign in 2012.
To celebrate the six-month anniversary of the ACA, the White House launched a new Web site on Sept. 22 that includes stories from every state on the positive impact of healthcare reform and audio reports from average Americans describing how they have benefited from the new legislation.
"The six-month anniversary marks a major milestone for our healthcare system," a White House statement said.
The Administration touts some of the major achievements from the ACA at its six-month anniversary as including: an increased federal emphasis on fighting Medicare fraud, waste and abuse; new resources and authorities to crack down on unjustified insurance rate hikes; a small business tax credit to help some 4 million businesses bring down their healthcare costs; $250 rebate checks to 1 million seniors to fill gaps in Medicare prescription drug coverage; and the launch of a new Web site to help consumers "take control" of their healthcare.
The White House also established the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program in July under ACA, to help provide coverage for eligible Americans who have been uninsured for six months because of a pre-existing condition.
On August 31, the Administration announced that over 2,000 employers and unions across all fifty states had been approved to receive help to pay for their early retirees' healthcare through the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program. This program will help many older Americans, who are not yet eligible for Medicare, continue to have quality affordable coverage through their employer, according to the Administration.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders continue to campaign against the law. On Sept. 15, Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), co-chairman of the GOP Doctors Caucus, called for a Congressional hearing on healthcare reform, with hopes of repealing the ACA.
Newt Gingrich, former Republican House Speaker and founder of the Center for Health Transformation, also launched a Web site critiquing the healthcare reform legislation. He said his site would show "the real facts" about the Affordable Care Act.
"If you want to know what this means for you, this is the site where you can cut through red tape to get the answers," Gingrich said. "No government jargon. No painful, twisted bureaucratic explanations. Just the facts. Pure and simple."
Polls show that for most Americans, nothing about the ACA is pure or simple. As a result, there is little doubt the law will play an important factor in the upcoming elections.