President Obama: "Congratulations, Milwaukee!"

President Obama congratulated Milwaukee for getting people covered.

Today, President Obama is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to celebrate the city’s victory in the Healthy Communities Challenge, a competition among 20 cities to increase the number of Americans with health insurance during the latest Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment period.

People in Milwaukee took 1st place by signing up 38,000 of their neighbors for health coveragethrough the Affordable Care Act. Together with returning enrollees, 89,000 signed up for a 2016 health plan.

Brent, a Republican from Milwaukee, thanked the President for saving his life.

Brent Brown never voted for President Obama. But after recovering from a serious autoimmune disease, he wrote the President to thank him for the quality health care he got through the Affordable Care Act. Watch Brent tell his story:

The President met with more Wisconsinites with stories like Brent's. 

President Barack Obama has lunch with Affordable Care Act letter writers at Engine Company N 3 restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 3, 2016. Attendees are Brent Brown, Karen George, Karen and Sharon Szyszko, and Susan Campbell. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Here's what one of them wrote to the President:

"Fortunately I am a very healthy 63-year old woman. Yet, basic medical expenses, such as an annual physical and mammogram, a benign breast tumor, and a really bad sinus headache that sent me to the ER last year, wiped me out financially … over $30,000 in medical debt! & … Finally, in 2015 under the ACA, my annual premium comes to $4,000, with a $500 deductible, and an incredible medication co-pay of $5, or a total of $10 a month. When I was approved under the ACA, I felt empowered. It was an exciting day. It won’t remedy the past, but it will give me the chance to eventually catch up."

Today, more than 90% of Americans now have health coverage.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, this is what health care in America looks like today:

• 20 million Americans have gained health coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
• For the first time ever, more than 90 percent of Americans how have health coverage.
• About 4 million Hispanic American adults have gained health coverage.
• The uninsured rate among African American adults has dropped by more than 50 percent.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HEALTHY COMMUNITIES CHALLENGE.

In November 2015, the White House launched the Healthy Communities Challenge to engage key communities with particularly high impact for getting people covered. The Challenge focused on 20 communities with large numbers or high percentages of uninsured people, where strong federal, state and community collaboration could have a big impact on reaching people who weren't yet covered.