For years, opponents claimed nobody would sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act. They said people would not pay their premiums. They said there would be death panels, and that the law would kill jobs and be a disaster for our country. They were wrong. 
Five years later, the sky hasn’t fallen but the uninsured rate has – to record lows.
Today, 16.4 million Americans have new coverage and we have seen the largest reduction in the uninsured in four decades. Millions of people no longer have to worry about being refused coverage or getting charged more for a pre-existing condition.
By every measurable standard the ACA is working and providing real and powerful change in people’s lives!
Just look beneath the numbers and you’ll find success stories of patients whose lives have been saved by their new coverage. People like Lisa Gray who finally has access to the care she needs. Lisa, featured in the Los Angeles Times, was diagnosed with Leukemia and credits the ACA with saving her life. If not for the ACA, she would have been unable to receive chemotherapy.
Thanks to your advocacy, Lisa – and the millions like her – are alive today with access to lifesaving care. You stood up, spoke out, organized in your communities, lobbied Congress, rallied in the rain and used your voice as a trusted physician to speak for patients in need.
Together, we changed our Nation’s healthcare system and got it working better for patients. We know there is still much work to be done to increase access and improve care but we are making real progress as a movement toward a better, healthier America.
Mona Mangat is the Board Chair of Doctors for America and an Allergist-Immunologist based in St. Petersburg, Florida.