Anda di halaman 1dari 6

ObamaCare Ashley Ignacio HSCI 455 Mr.

Alex Taylor 19 October 2012 ObamaCare

Over the past few years, there has been a debate over the new health reform bill, ObamaCare, which can also be known by a couple of other names such as The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) and the Health Care for America Act. President Barack Obama signed this health reform bill in March 23, 2010. Even though it can get a bit confusing hearing different names, they all have the same purpose, which is to provide better quality health care for all. About two years have passed and there have been major changes in the current system now, but there are several more that need to be either changed or improved. This bill states that every US citizen will have fair and affordable health care whether they have a high, middle, or low socioeconomic status. Of course, there have been arguments stirred between the Democrats, who are seen as the party that want change, and the Republicans, who are seen as the party that wants to have little to no change. Now, I could be wrong about my definition for each party, but after watching the first presidential debate that was aired October 3rd, I felt that there was an issue with wanting change and wanting no change in health care. My question is, who would not want affordable health care for all? Right now there are huge problems with the health care system. ObamaCares goal is to shut down those problems to make the system better and easier for all

ObamaCare

Americans. The main problems of the current health care system are price, a burden on the federal budget, and many people who are not covered. For the problem concerning price, health insurance policies are extremely expensive for most Americans, which makes it unaffordable for the majority. The costs continue to rise and cause a strain on the federal budget, which is the second problem. Lastly, many people now are not even covered. For instance, those who have pre-existing health conditions such as asthma or even cancer can get rejected when applying for their own health insurance. Small businesses will have to pay more if their employees become ill, which as we all know, is not something small businesses are willing to do. This makes health insurance unaffordable ill workers. Also, the health care system has some health plans that restrict lifetime benefits, which means those who need the health insurance most will not be protected ("The health care,"). There are plenty of Americans who cannot afford health care and those you can, can barely afford it. This is where ObamaCare provides a solution to fix most of these problems, if not all. However, fixing these problems will not happen over night either. It will take a couple of years for the adjustments to settle in, but the changes will be made for the better. The Healthcare Reform Law (ObamaCare) is planning to make drastic changes and put those changes into play. Although this law has been going on since 2010, there are improvements that are still trying to be fixed in order to help change the current health system. These are actually the pros to benefit all Americans in receiving quality health care until 2014. To fix the high prices, insurance companies are restricted on their profits and are told to give their customers money back through reimbursements. People on Medicare will receive more money for their drug expenses. Until young

ObamaCare people reach the age 26, they are allowed to stay on their parents health insurance

plan, which will also save money for the health insurance companies if everyone on the plan can stay healthy. People can stay with their existing plan too. For people who have to buy their own insurance, ObamaCare allows costs to be lowered. It also offers funding for those who cannot afford to buy or pay for a private health insurance. There will be a few small businesses that will be able to spend on health insurance for their employees without losing money. With this law, there are no restrictions on lifetime benefits and it will be illegal to reject children who have a pre-existing condition such as asthma. By 2014, it will state that it will be illegal to reject any US citizen with a preexisting condition ("The health care,"). The states will also make profit when they add families with low income to Medicaid. Meaning, everyone can save money, make money aka the states, and receive quality health care. In 2013, people are hoping to see change in the health care law. Some changes would be in preventive care such as providing a large group of US citizens different health services such as vaccines and screenings for a small price or even for free. One change is that Medicaid will be offered for every low-income person throughout all 50 states. However, there may be some concern about doctors providing the care for all the Medicaid patients. The federal government will be able to pay primary care doctors for their services in Medicaid programs. So doctors will not be losing money. One other major improvement is providing states more funds to the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for another two years, which will help so many children that are not eligible for Medicaid programs ("The health care,"). Although there are only a few

ObamaCare improvements being made in 2013, it will still help provide care for many more Americans. In 2014, even more changes should occur for an affordable and better health care system. Starting January 1, 2014, people will able to buy insurance through Exchanges, which are marketplaces for insurance companies to compete for you, the buyer. The Exchange will provide a guide of insurance companies that will explain the benefits of each company and what they can offer the customer (Souter & Gurevitz, 2012). This will allow the buyer to actually learn and make a careful decision on which insurance company to choose. However, if the states do not comply or come up with

their own exchange by a certain time, then the federal government will get involved and create and control the exchange in those states (Goodnough, 2012). Next, the unemployed and the employed that do not have a good health care plan from their employer, will get some money back from a tax credit depending on the salary of the current or ex-employee. Employees should no have to worry if they do not receive insurance because if employers do not provide their employees an insurance plan, they will be fined. Another important benefit from ObamaCare is that it will be illegal for health insurers to reject or increase chargers for those who are ill. With this benefit, however, rules will be applied so that every US citizen can be provided with health care. Americans will need to purchase health insurance by law or pay a certain tax to help support those who are uninsured. In 2015, doctors will be paid based on how they treat their patients. Meaning, the better care they provide, the more money they will get ("The health care,").

ObamaCare Now, there are plenty of cons to ObamaCare because with every positive, there is a negative. For one, if President Obama gets reelected for the upcoming term, it will also be his last since he cannot run for a third term. This could be a struggle for future Americans depending on what the next president decides for the future health care system. For all we know, ObamaCare could be repealed. As of now, many physicians

will not see Medicaid patients because they will get paid at a lower cost (Troy, 2012). So even though ObamaCare is in action, many people are still uninsured. However, the people are not the only ones affected, but the states themselves. This law allows the federal government to pay less for Medicaid while the costs increase for the states, which can be a problem for many of the states that already pay a huge amount for Medicaid programs (Troy, 2012). Another con is that there will be a large amount of Americans who will be extremely unhappy because they have to pay for those who are uninsured. That large amount consists of those who are in a high socioeconomic class, which are the wealthy, small businesses that have less than 50 or 100 employees (depending on the state), health insurers that have to compete for the patient, and individuals who are not willing to spend money on health plans (Dalen, 2011). In my opinion, all of these negatives about ObamaCare lead to money controlling everything and making people greedy, especially in the United States. By providing a fair and affordable system, everyone could save money because those who are uninsured or can barely afford insurance could receive proper care for their illnesses or pre-existing conditions before they get worse. The goals of public health laws are to keep the public healthy and ObamaCare will do that because the public is not only consisted of insured citizens, but uninsured ones as well.

ObamaCare Bibliography

Dalen, J. E. (2011). Should the affordable care act of 2010 be repealed?. The American Journal of Medicine, 124(7), 575-577. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.lib.csusb.edu/science/article/pii/S0002934 311002683 Goodnough, A. (2012, September 23). Liking it or not, states prepare for health law. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/us/like-it-or-not-statesprepare-for-health-law.html Souter, P., & Gurevitz, J. (2012). Health and taxes: What obamacare now means for employers. Financial Executive, 28(7), 54-57. The health care law & you. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.healthcare.gov/law/index.html Troy, T. (2012). The ObamaCare Debacle Deepens. Commentary, 134(2), 30-34.

Anda mungkin juga menyukai