The Affordable Care Act turned 12 years old on Thursday and some federal and state officials marked the occasion in Wilmington.
Westside Family Health Care hosted a roundtable discussion on the ACA’s impact in Delaware with Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Regional Director Melissa Herd and Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro.
Navarro points to the number of people enrolled as one example.
“The ACA changed our lives here, helping more than 32,000 residents in Delaware have insurance,” Navarro said. “Biggest number ever.”
Navarro also notes the ACA has been adaptable, changing to suit the needs of the moment with special enrollment periods and working in concert with the American Rescue Plan.
And he says the lowering and stabilization of insurance rates contributed to a 27% increase of insurance coverage in Delaware in 2022.
Westside Family Healthcare, the host of this event, is a multifaceted healthcare service team with locations across the state.
And since the Affordable Care Act’s inception 12 years ago, Westside has offered a navigator program that helps Delawareans looking for affordable health coverage options.
Westside’s CEO Lolita Lopez says the navigation team is essential to making sure their patients receive the care they need.
“We make sure that all the needs are met, and one of the most important barriers is insurance and financials,” Lopez explained. “So having the navigators as part of that team, they really help to eliminate that first barrier. So that can really free folks from their worries about going further with addressing their health needs.”
While the numbers Navarro pointed to show the positive impact that the ACA has had on Delaware, Westside officials and lawmakers agree more still needs to be done to promote accessibility to health insurance and healthcare issues. Westside hopes to expand its reach to help address that problem.
