In a State of the Union address that largely eschewed specific policy proposals in favor of broad appeals to Americans' compassion, tolerance and optimism, President Obama only briefly remarked on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, his signature domestic policy.
The president nevertheless projected confidence in his reference to PPACA, framing it as a necessary reform to accommodate an increasingly mobile workforce.
Employees should not have to depend on their employer for health care and retirement, he argued.
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"That's why Social Security and Medicare are more important than ever; we shouldn't weaken them, we should strengthen them," he said. "And for Americans short of retirement, basic benefits should be just as mobile as everything else is today. That's what the Affordable Care Act is all about. It's about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we'll still have coverage."
Similarly, Obama urged for a social insurance system that retrains jobless workers and allows them to continue saving for retirement.
"Say a hardworking American loses his job—we shouldn't just make sure he can get unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that's ready to hire him," he said. "If that new job doesn't pay as much, there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills. And even if he's going from job to job, he should still be able to save for retirement and take his savings with him. That's the way we make the new economy work better for everyone."
And in just a few short sentences, Obama argued that the law has largely accomplished its goals of expanding coverage and reducing costs.
"Nearly eighteen million have gained coverage so far," he said. "Health care inflation has slowed. And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law."
What he didn't mention was Congress' vote last month to suspend implementation of the "Cadillac Tax," a provision of the PPACA that was designed to rein in health care inflation with an steep excise tax on the most costly health benefits ($10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for family plans).
In the Republican response to the president's address, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said quite the opposite about the PPACA, saying the law "has made insurance less affordable and doctors less available."
"We would end a disastrous health care program, and replace it with reforms that lowered costs and actually let you keep your doctor," she pledged later.
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