Protect Our Care (POC) was founded in December 2016 with a singular mission: to stop Donald Trump and congressional Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Against all odds, we succeeded. Over the past 7+ years, we have led the charge to defeat further attempts by Republicans and right-wing extremists to weaken the ACA and Medicaid in Congress and in the courts.
Our History
Leading the Fight for Better Health Care and Lower Costs For All
We also fought successfully to strengthen Medicare and make prescription drugs more affordable. In 2018, we made protecting people with preexisting conditions a rallying cry across America. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we launched the “Coronavirus War Room” to counter misinformation and hold the Trump administration accountable for its handling of the pandemic. We also advocated for robust and equitable federal solutions to address the pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, we continued to advocate for legislation to make prescription drugs and health insurance more affordable. This led to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a historic law that empowers Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, caps what seniors pay for insulin at $35 per month and total out-of-pocket drug costs at no more than $2,000 per year, and lowers health insurance premiums for millions. In 2023 and 2024, we defended these victories from relentless attacks while expanding our work to advance equity in health care.
Many of our programs are innovative and impactful, such as our annual “Lower Costs/Better Care” bus tour, our designating every April as “Medicaid Awareness Month,” and our active presence in key states. Our unique model blends deep policy expertise, national and state health care communications, and our willingness to fight the political battles that must be won to make health care in America more affordable and more equitable. POC is now the first line of defense and the strongest voice for progress in the policy and political battles over health care in America.
2016
December: Protect Our Care is launched to stop the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. POC was founded by Leslie Dach who served as a Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration during the implementation of the ACA.
2017
- POC mobilizes national, state and local organizations and activists to save the ACA.
- Teams launch in 10 key states: AZ, AK, CO, LA, ME, NV, OH, PA, TN, WV.
- Daily 8:30 AM War Room staff call that continues to this day.
- POC state teams bring ACA constituent storytellers to DC to meet with targeted Senators–including Sens. Manchin, Murkowski, Collins, and McCain–to urge them to vote against ACA repeal.
- On 9:45 conference calls, POC coordinates with hundreds of coalition partners to organize events, rallies, press conferences, demonstrations, vigils, and protests to fight back against ACA repeal efforts.
- POC defeats ACA repeal and Medicaid funding cuts.
2018
- State teams expand to 22 states ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
- POC joins with other progressive organizations to combat Trump administration sabotage of health care.
- POC creates the first ever “Medicaid Awareness Month” to galvanize partners and allies around supporting that critical program and advocating for Medicaid expansion in non expansion states.
- POC teams up with Rural Forward to publish a report entitled “A Tough Row to Hoe,” highlighting how different policies affect rural health care in America.
- POC launches a multi-year media and legal strategy to defeat the “California vs. Texas” case that challenges the constitutionality of the ACA.
- “Care Force One” hits the road for Protect Our Care’s first ever 50-stop nationwide bus tour across 24 states.
- The ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions are a decisive issue in the midterm elections.
2019
- POC leads efforts to push back on the Trump administration’s promotion of “junk” health plans.
- A 5,800-mile, 20-event, 12-state nationwide press event tour, the “Health Care Emergency” Tour, calls for an end to the Republican war on Americans’ health care.
- POC releases a comprehensive health care policy agenda The Health Care Congress: Cost, Coverage, Consumer Protections and kicks off a campaign in states and congressional districts across the country to pass it.
- POC works with congressional leadership to bring the “Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act” to the House floor for a vote.
2020
- New “Coronavirus War Room” launches to counter misinformation and hold Trump accountable for his handling of the pandemic.
- POC’s best-in-class health care communications program makes the health care disparities revealed by the Covid-19 pandemic a vital issue in the 2020 election.
- “Medicaid Awareness Month” again builds support for this vital program.
- A virtual bus tour and dozens of state and local events educate the public about health care issues.
- POC runs paid educational ads on health care issues.
2021
- The Supreme Court rejects the “California vs. Texas” case challenging the constitutionality of the ACA!
- POC releases a health care policy agenda: Health Care 2021: Increasing Coverage, Lowering Costs, Strengthening Protections, Addressing Inequities.
- POC supports passage of the “American Rescue Plan” which makes ACA marketplace health insurance more affordable for millions.
- POC actively supports the “Build Back Better” legislation which includes historic provisions to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable.
- The annual “Lower Costs/Better Care” bus tour and dozens of events in communities across America on issues such as Medicaid, the ACA, and drug prices build momentum for more change.
2022
- The Inflation Reduction Act becomes law! Insulin payments for seniors are capped at $35 per month and Medicare launches a first ever drug price negotiation program.
- In response to the Dobbs decision, POC mobilizes opposition to lawsuits that threaten reproductive health care.
- The Health Care Storyteller Corps expands to 800+ storytellers across the country.
- POC runs paid ads to educate the public about health care issues.
- Medicaid Awareness Month and the annual bus tour solidify support for Medicaid and the Inflation Reduction Act.
2023
- Proposals to impose work requirements in Medicaid are defeated!
- PC leads the charge against the MAGA Republican war on health care.
- Enrollment in ACA plans reaches an all time high of 21.4 million!
- Pharmaceutical industry lawsuits and misinformation are countered with POC’s new “Greed Watch”program and with POC led coordination of amicus briefs and legal response.
- POC’s Medicare-A-Van travels nearly 7,000 miles during a 10-state, 22-stop “Medicare is Better Than Ever” tour to educate seniors across America about how the Inflation Reduction Act will lower their health care costs.
2024
- POC releases an ambitious health care policy agenda: “Lowering Costs, Expanding Coverage, and Advancing Equity in 2024.”
- POC’s “Protect Our Care in the Courts” event builds awareness of legal threats to reproductive and preventative healthcare and the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.
- POC runs paid ads to educate the public about health care issues, support health care champions and hold those who want to take us backwards accountable.
- POC ramps up advocacy on vital issues such as maternal health.
- Our annual bus tour included 50 stops in 17 states over 12,000 miles.