CLEVELAND — A record 21.3 million Americans signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year. And some of the largest enrollment increases were in the red-leaning states, including Ohio.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in 2010. 

Professor of Health Policy at Ohio University, Daniel Skinner, said it was initially extremely controversial. 

“The Republicans, when Donald Trump was elected, tried to repeal it many times and failed. And we are now 14 years into the journey of the ACA and we’re starting to realize that it’s popularity is setting in and that’s shaping the way our political life is being navigated,” Skinner said.

Among becoming more popular with 21.3 million Americans signing up the past year, it’s becoming significantly more popular in more red-leaning states like Ohio. According to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Ohio was up 62.2% with the amount of year-over-year increase in sign-ups. 

“With the Affordable Care Act, we’re seeing that people really want affordable health care, and that there’s a need for this, so the numbers kind of change the politics,” Skinner said.

Skinner said that the high enrollment also comes from the millions of people who recently lost their Medicaid coverage. 

“When you have something like the increased enrollment during the pandemic when people were really suffering going away, the Affordable Care Act is a policy tool that’s right there to meet those people’s needs,” Skinner said.

Along with the unwinding of Medicaid, Skinner said the bigger picture is people wanting and needing affordable health care.

“But 21 million Americans is a lot of people, and a lot of people as we head into a really contentious political year where former President Trump is promising once again to repeal the Affordable Care Act so we’re going to have to see how that goes,” Skinner said.