*Administration of Barack Obama, 2016 *

**The President's Weekly Address **

*January 23, 2016 *

Hi, everybody. When I took office 7 years ago this week, more than 15 percent of Americans went without health insurance. For folks who did have coverage, insurance companies could deny you coverage or charge you more just because you'd been sick. And too many Americans gave up their dream of changing jobs or going back to school because they couldn't risk giving up their employer-based insurance plan.

We've changed that. As the Affordable Care Act has taken effect, nearly 18 million Americans have gained coverage. In fact, for the first time ever, more than 90 percent of Americans are covered. Up to 129 million Americans with preexisting conditions no longer face the risk of being denied coverage or being charged more just because they've been sick. A hundred and thirty-seven million Americans with private insurance are now guaranteed preventive care coverage. We've done all this while cutting our deficits and keeping health care inflation to its lowest levels in 50 years. And we've begun filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we change jobs, lose a job, go back to school, or start that new business, we can still get coverage.

If you want to know how important that is, just ask an American like Heather Bragg. Heather's a small business owner in Bluffton, South Carolina. Last year, she wrote me a letter and told me how, for years, her family had depended on her husband's job for their insurance. But thanks to the Affordable Care Act, her husband Mike had the freedom to switch jobs and join Heather at the small business she'd launched a few years ago.

Through the health insurance marketplace, they found better coverage that actually saved them hundreds of dollars a month. Today, Heather only pays about $10 for the asthma inhaler she needs. "For the first time," Heather wrote, "we're not living paycheck to paycheck; we're able to pay our bills and put some money back into savings." And because Mike doesn't have to work nights or weekends anymore, he can coach their son's soccer team and tuck the kids in at night. And you can't put a price on something like that.

If you haven't looked at your new coverage options, you've still got time to get covered on the health insurance marketplace for 2016. In fact, you have until January 31, next Sunday, to enroll. Just go to healthcare.gov or cuidadodesalud.gov or call 1–800–318–2596. Most folks buying a plan on the marketplace can find an option that costs less than $75 a month. Even if you already have insurance, take a few minutes to shop around. In fact, consumers who switched to a new plan for 2016 ended up saving an average of more than $500.

That's what the Affordable Care Act did. This is health care in America today: affordable, portable security for you and your loved ones. It's making a difference for millions of Americans every day. And it's only going to get better. Thanks, and have a great weekend.

NOTE: The address was recorded at approximately 4:05 p.m. on January 22 in the Map Room at the White House for broadcast on January 23. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on January 22, but was embargoed for release until 6 a.m. on January 23.

*Categories:* Addresses and Remarks : Weekly addresses*.* *Locations: *Washington, DC.

*Names:* Bragg, Heather; Bragg, Mike*.*

*Subjects:* Budget, Federal : Deficit and national debt; Health and medical care : Health insurance exchanges; Health and medical care : Health insurance reforms" Affordable Care Act; Health and medical care : Insurance coverage and access to providers.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201600032.