Thus far, President Obama’s signature policy triumph is the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which the Supreme Court has upheld. Derided as socialist medicine by detractors, its core component is getting health insurance to more Americans. As America’s Baby Boomer population ages, providing adequate and affordable health care to the masses will only become more important.
And, my, are Americans aging.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that U.S. deaths passed the 2.5 million mark for the first time ever last year. That’s nearly 50,000 more deaths than the year before. Likewise, it’s a number that’s expected to rise even more in coming years.
In other words, America’s future — an aging older generations and Boomers with a growing list of health-care problems — is no longer a demographic projection. It’s already happening.
Republicans can talk about repealing Obama’s health-care plan all they want. But this fact remains: Americans’ need for affordable, accessible care is only increasing, day by day.
