Don’t you dare!

Among the many policies and programs Trump has already dismantled, Obamacare must stay. It is crucial to the wellbeing of millions of Americans. The name Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), stems from the healthcare program put in place by the Obama administration on March 23, 2010. Since its enactment, the law has been highly controversial, including many threats of repeal. Yet, the most menacing threat of all is the recent inauguration of the 45th chief executive, Donald Trump. The Trump-Pence directorate has made it their top priority to kill Obamacare. Current Vice President Mike Pence insists that the act must be repealed. Tensions are high as working class citizens across the nation beg the question: Will the Affordable Care Act still be in place? Democrats have even taken to Twitter to argue that eliminating the law will #MakeAmericaSickAgain, expressing their concern with a clever hashtag playing on Trump’s campaign slogan.

In more ways than one, the hashtag is quite accurate. Because of Obamacare, not only do more Americans have health insurance, but health insurance is significantly more affordable. According to healthline.com, more than 16 million people gained access to health insurance coverage within the first 5 years of the ACA, making the uninsured rate 9.2%, the lowest in 50 years. Now, insurance companies must spend 80% of insurance premiums on medical care and improvements as the ACA aims to prevent insurers from making unreasonable rate increases. Some, including supporters of the Trump administration, argue that Obamacare must go because it dictates that everyone must have health insurance.

This requirement has been a nuisance to those without immediate health detriments. Instead, these people would rather pay for health care when they must. The logic is this: one will rather wait until they get hit by a car or diagnosed with a terminal illness to pursue obtaining health insurance. This is a privilege that that millions of American do not have. This reasoning is selfish. While someone who regularly pays for health insurance but has very few visits to the hospital, another person, thanks to Obamacare, can use that pool of funds to reduce the cost of their frequent visits to the hospital doctor.

Everyone deserves security in their health insurance, so if that means everyone must have some kind of health insurance, whether they desperately need it or not, so be it. Keeping Obamacare means keeping America affordably healthy, and that is worth a slight increase in taxes and the burden of paying for health insurance, even if it’s not in need of immediate use.

The protection that the ACA provides for millions of Americans is an advancement we literally cannot afford to lose.