APPLETON, Wis.- President Barack Obama in Milwaukee Thursday congratulating the city for winning a National Health Insurance Enrollment competition. The President told the crowd the Affordable Care Act is a success and slammed critics who say otherwise.
In Northeast Wisconsin sign-up for Obamacare continues to rise.
Jef Filen of Appleton knows first hand how valuable the Affordable Care Act can be.
"It's just nice for the people to have a chance for medical expenses," said Filen.
Filen is now seeing a regular doctor now that he's signed up for health care coverage, but stories like his are pretty common in the Fox Valley according to Julia Garvey of Partnership Community Health Center in Appleton.
"It's been transformative for many of the people that I've worked with," said Garvey.
Up to 2,000 people enrolled in the past year.
"People are shocked when they hear that number because they really didn't think that this was significant," said Partnership Community Health Center spokesperson, Trish Sarvela.
The partnership covers Outagamie, Winnebago and parts of Calumet Counties which is making the Fox Valley second in the state for the most sign-ups behind Milwaukee.
"We're really finding that people are with the marketplace insurance using their preventative benefits," said Sarvela.
However critics of Obamacare say although they're glad more people are signing up, they think it comes at a cost too high to bare.
"I think it's probably hurting more people than it's helping because it's adding increased cost to both the employers and the healthcare providers," said Republican representative Mike Rohrcaste of Neenah.
The healthcare reform, now years later, still creating a divide among people across Wisconsin.
