insurance. why are they so mad about the idea of folks having health insurance? many of the tall tales that have been told about this law have been debunked. there are still no death panels, armageddon has not arrived. instead, this law is helping millions of americans. and in the coming years, it will help millions more. i ve said before. i will always work with anyone who is willing to make this law work even better. but the debate over repealing this law is over. the affordable care act is here to stay. [ applause ]
into bankruptcy by a serious illness because the affordable care act prevents your insurer by playing limits on the coverage you proicht these are all benefits that have been taking place for a whole lot of families out there, many who don t realize that they ve received this benefits. but the bottom line is this. under this law, the share of americans with insurance is up, and growth of health care costs is down, that s good for our middle class and that s good for our fiscal future. now, that doesn t mean that all of the problems in health care have been solved forever. premium is rises for families that have insurance. whether you get it from your
six months ago today, a big part of the affordable care act kicked in as health care.gov and state and insurance companies went public and millions of americans finally have the same chance to buy quality affordable health care and the peace of mind that comes with it as everybody else. last night, the first open enrollment period under this law came to an end and despite several lost weeks because of problems with the website. 7.1 million americans have now signed up for private insurance plans through these marketplaces. 7.1.
healthcare.gov and enroll when circumstances have changed. no, it has not fixed our broken health care system but this law made our health care system a lot better. a lot better. all told, because of this law. millions of our fellow citizens know the economic security of health insurance who didn t just a few years ago. that s something to be proud of. regardless of your politics or your feelings about me, or your feelings about this law, that s something that s good for our economy. that s good for our country. there s no good reason to go back. let me give you a sense of what the change has met for millionses of our fellow americans. let s give you a few examples.
hungry people. this actually slices not only food stamps but every program that the poor depend on in this country. also cuts subsidies to pbs. the budget he proposed was an albatross. this is not an april fools joke. it s cruel and unusual and ought to be barred by the constitution. we are standing by awaiting live remarks from president obama set to speak in the rose garden in just a few minutes to discuss the highly anticipated enrollment numbers for the affordable care act. but first, someone who wok would like to repeal the health care law in its entirety, paul ryan. a man lately, secretly visiting poor neighborhoods to talk about his deep concerns regarding americans neediest. if you can go into various neighborhoods and see the good things that are happening, it