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Valerie Quintana
English 2010
November 4, 2014
Mandatory HealthCare
Healthcare, everyone will need it at some point within their life. There are several pros
and cons to the mandatory healthcare that the government is wanting everyone to have. The
young adults are really the ones that feel that they wont be benefiting from it because many do
not have any dependents, many say they just dont need it, and several cannot afford to pay for it.
Being nineteen and very soon turning twenty, did have that same mind set but because I will
eventually break away from my parents insurance I felt that I need to know how I could get the
insurance that will benefit me and so I would be able to provide information to anyone else who
will soon be in the same boat with me.
Reasons why ObamaCare came about because several families were without insurance.
Many were not able to pay the whole bill at the hospitals and clinics. Others were turned away
because they didnt have a healthcare plan that was not accepted or that could not cover the
doctors fees. The Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare has provided several types of
reforms for people to have the health care services that they deserve. This year, 2014 the Health
market was opened for people to shop for the insurance that they qualified for. There are
specific qualification that you will need to meet to be able to gain the insurance.
As of 2014, you will be required to have health insurance and may choose to have the
help of the Marketplace, where you can apply for the insurance that you qualify for. But if you
dont have one, you will be faced to pay a fee that will make up for it. This is specifically
targeted toward young adults who do not have any dependents, who are basically not married

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and dont have any kids and who just live alone. Theres a debate on, the young adults should not
be forced to have to pay for health insurance and should not have to pay a fine just because they
are not a part of a health care program. Yes, mandatory health insurance is extremely needed.
People who are health do not have urgent need for having health insurance. Just like that some
people may die without receiving as much benefit from health insurance as the paid for their
health insurances. But an important thing is people do not visit doctors until they have emergent
situation without health insurance, which may cost a lot. And that expense is covered by
taxpayers money. Money disappears worthlessly. With all the people having health insurance,
the money from healthy people will be used to treat other. And when they become sick they will
receive benefit from other healthy people. Therefore, money will be circulated for the good
purpose.(Online Debate) Health Care Costs Cause Hardship, But Mandatory Insurance Not
Necessary The federal government shouldn't force its ideals on anyone. When alcohol was
banned during Prohibition, that measure was repealed. The same is true with forcing Americans
to have health insurance or pay a penalty. Not everyone who should have health insurance needs
such financial backing. Healthy Americans may not even want to get health insurance in the first
place. Subsidies for those who don't have health care are expensive enough--American taxpayers
don't need to foot the bill for everyone. Instead of mandatory health care, how about mandatory
jobs?(Online Debate)
The mandatory healthcare today began with the reform in 2010. PBS reports that 44
million American are currently without health insurance. Part of this is due to extraordinary costs
of quality health insurance in the US. HealthCare reform ensures these Americans have accessed
to health care. Millions of people are too poor to afford health insurance, yet make too much to
qualify for Medicaid. The ACA expands Medicaid and CHIP to over 15 million men, women

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and children who fell through the cracks. Many State's chose to opt-out of expanding Medicaid
coverage. Some of America's largest firms don't offer health benefits. The 2015 employer
mandate ensures that full-time workers at large firms have access to health benefits. Small firms
are exempted. (obamacarefacts)
The Health Insurance Marketplace is also sometimes known as the health insurance
exchange. This is what helps uninsured people find health coverage. Its an application that
tells you what you are able to qualify for. You may fall under private health insurance which
cover essential health benefits, preventive care, and pre-existing conditions. You could qualify
for lower cost depending on the size of your household and income. Then theres the Medicaid
and the CHIP. These two programs cover millions of families with their limited income. Not all
states are choosing to expand Medicaid in 2014 to cover more people.
Everyone is able to use the Market place. But if you are not a citizen of the United States
you will have to read up on the immigration status and eligibility. The majority of the people
must have health care coverage as of this year or they will have to pay a penalty. If you dont
have the correct coverage recognized by the government you will find yourself paying a fee of
1% of your income or $95 per adult and $47.50 per child. You will pay this fee on your 2015
income taxes. You could qualify to be exempt from the fee depending on income and several
other factors. You are basically considered covered if you have Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or
any plan you bought yourself. If you have any of these you wont have to make any major
changes. But if you have Medicare you wont be able to use the Marketplace to buy a
supplemental plan or dental plan.
The benefits to having health insurance through the Marketplace, provides preventive
care such as vaccines, screenings, and also check-ups. Having health insurance will protect you

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from paying high unexpected costs. It also protects you in two ways, protection form out-ofpocket maximums, which is the amount that you have to personally pay, it also protects you from
no yearly or life time limitations. These are health plans within the Marketplace that cant put
dollar limits on how much they themselves send every year or for your life time to cover the
necessary health benefits. People without health insurance are making themselves victims to
theses detriments. It will lead people to great debt and later eventually bankruptcy. Those are the
reasons to why ObamaCare was formed.
What is ObamaCare?: ObamaCare is the unofficial name for The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act which was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Obamacare's health care
reform does a number of important things including offering Americans a number of new
benefits, rights, and protections in regards to their healthcare and setting up a Health Insurance
Marketplace where Americans can purchase federally regulated and subsidized health
insurance. (obamacarefacts) Even though Obama was the one who had signed the Affordable
Care Act the idea was formed within decades among the health care industry. ObamaCare itself
was in fact modeled after "Romney Care", which is the nickname for the health care reform law
implemented in the State of Massachusetts by then Governor Mitt Romney. (obamacarefacts)
The governments likes to think that the people will embrace the idea of applying for
health insurance through the Marketplace. But as usually the Nation has its rebels. Meaning that
the young adults, the ones that say, Nothing can ever happen to me. Will be the ones that will
have to end up paying the fee out of pocket when filing their taxes.
The good thing about all this is that everyone will be able to go the hospital/ clinic to get
the help that they need and be able to pay for it, instead on leaving the hospital with the bill. We
should look at it like care insurance. Everyone must or at least should have it to be a part of the

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automobile transportation. Think of the body as your own vehicle and the other cars are
diseases, injuries, and disabilities.
Thanks to the reform legislation on healthcare the nation is seeing a great decrease in the
percentage of the young adult population that was 21million in 2010. Which was, accounting
for approximately one third of the total uninsured population. (younginvincibles) Some like to
think that there were so many healthy young people. The statement is said to be totally false,
About 3.1 million young Americans have gained coverage thanks to a provision of the law that
lets young adults stay on their parents plan until age 26. (younginvincibles)
A personal perspective on all this is that the healthcare should not be mandatory. It
should just be open to those who want and need it. If I were to leave my parents house, I could
still be on my fathers healthcare plan that this company provides, only if I dont claim myself as
independent when it comes time for taxes. I really would not have to pay for a fee or for a plan
because I rarely ever go use the medical facilities. But then again if something did happen to me
I would be hurting a great deal to pay off the bill. I can see both sides to being for and against
because I am a young adult and will have to face this issue in a few years when I do decided to
get off my parents plan or when I just reach the age of no qualification.
Looking at ourselves as a nation and then the individual will being different perspectives.
As a nation we really need this mandatory health care, to make sure that the costs are being paid
and that people are receiving medical care. As individuals we may not need it but again at some
point in life we will need it. Is it really better for everyone just to have it? Like how everyone
should have car insurance. Or think they need house insurance and any kind of insurance in
general. We can all say that it does come in handy.

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Work Cited
"Health Care Reform Timeline." Health Care Reform Timeline. N.p., n.d. Tues. 04 Nov. 2014.
<http://obamacarefacts.com/health-care-reform-timeline.php>.
"Should Health Insurance Be Mandatory?" The Premier Online Debate Website. N.p., n.d. Web.
04 Tues. 2014. <http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-health-insurance-bemandatory>.
"Types of Health Insurance Plans." Types of Health Insurance Plans. N.p., n.d. Tues. 04 Nov.
2014. <http://obamacarefacts.com/insurance-exchange/health-insurance-plans.php>.
"What If I Don't Have Health Coverage?" HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d. Tues. 04 Nov. 2014.
<https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-i-dont-have-health-coverage/>.
"Why It Matters." Young Invincibles. N.p., n.d. Tues. 04 Nov. 2014.
<http://younginvincibles.org/issues/health-care/why-it-matters/>.