Health insurance gains due to Obama's law, not economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — There's growing evidence that most of the dramatic gain in the number of Americans with health care coverage is due to President Barack Obama's law, and not the gradual recovery of the nation's economy.

While the health care law remains highly unpopular in the party, the prospect of taking away health care coverage from millions of people could trigger a backlash if the eventual GOP nominee's plan to replace it is seen as coming up short.

Obama's law provides subsidized private insurance for those who don't have access at work, along with a Medicaid expansion geared to low-income adults in states that agreed to do so.

The health care law has been difficult to navigate for consumers, and its skinny policies can expose patients to high medical bills.

"Repealing the law without a plausible plan for replacing it would be a mistake," said a policy paper from 10 leading GOP health policy experts, published by the business-oriented American Enterprise Institute.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has already previewed how Democrats might use the issue this fall, frequently reminding voters they risk losing some popular benefits if the health care law is eliminated.