“President Obama made this telling claim about his signature health-care law: Americans are “Going to the able to sign up for affordable, quality health insurance at a significantly cheaper rate than what they can get right now in the individual market.” (Roy p.1) Since President Obama introduced the legislation bill of the Affordable Care Act, there has been mixed feelings, as a nation, on how it can possibly affect their lives, but more importantly, the economy that is already in chaos. It is interesting to see that even though the nation as a whole is not in favor of the Affordable Care Act, the population will still be in favor of what the Democratic party proposes for health care reform more than the Republican party They show little to no interest in health care reform. Socializing health care in the United States can have its positive and negatives depending on how they are implementing it. The way the Affordable Care Act is written at the moment will not only hurt the patient, by making them wait even longer for care and forcing them to buy health care, but it will also hurt the economy by making the nation dependent on the government and their services. The United States has been going through an economic crisis for a while now and it is evident that health care reform is one of the top issues that this country is currently facing. “The unsustainability of Medicare. The number of uninsured. The rising costs. The uneven quality. Health-care reform is the biggest domestic issue of this year because people are anxious.” (Gratzer p. 28) It is clear that one of the main reasons that so many Americans are uninsured is because of the rising costs of health care, ...
The facts bear out the conclusion that the way healthcare in this country is distributed is flawed. It causes us to lose money, productivity, and unjustly leaves too many people struggling for what Thomas Jefferson realized was fundamental. Among industrialized countries, America holds the unique position of not having any form of universal health care. This should lead Americans to ask why the health of its citizens is “less equal” than the health of a European.
The need for universal health care within the United States has been evident, and needed to be addressed. The old healthcare system was plagued with issues, including expensive premiums that were on the rise, along with an inflated average infant mortality rate and limited average life expectancy, which ultimately led to many people being left uninsured (“Affordable” 2). In the 2012 presidential election, one key issue was how to reform America’s broken health care system, and to instate a successful universal healthcare system that has resolved the previous issues. Being one of the last influential and competitive countries in the world without universal healthcare, the pressure was on for the United States to develop their own system. Since Barack Obama became president, Obamacare, instead of the proposed Romneycare, was born.
The United States of America is a very socially diverse nation with inhabitants ranging from the wealthiest in the world to near third world-like living conditions. In an essay titled, America’s Shameful Poverty Stats, Sasha Abramsky sheds light on some statistics like, “15 percent of people in America live at or below the poverty line” (Abramsky, Sasha 1). In America many citizens are poverty stricken and left uncovered from a healthcare standpoint, which is why a universal healthcare plan like The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) would greatly benefit America. Universal healthcare, for the most part, refers to a healthcare system in which the government provides medical care and financial solutions for all of that particular nation’s citizens. For most people in the upper and middle class universal healthcare is not something they would like to see in America because they already have healthcare, or they don’t want to pay higher taxes because of it. A nation as advanced and developed as America should have installed a universal healthcare plan years ago because it only makes sense to strengthen our nation as a whole. All of America’s citizens should accept The Affordable Care Act to start becoming more socially responsible and help provide healthcare to millions of uninsured Americans in an attempt to help lower the poverty level and provide financial support as well.
Health insurance, too many American citizens, is not an option. However, some citizens find it unnecessary. Working in the health care field, I witness the effects of uninsured patients on medical offices. Too often, I see a “self-pay” patient receive care from their doctor and then fail to pay for it. Altogether, their refusal to pay leaves the office at a loss of money and calls for patients to pay extra in covering for the cost of the care the uninsured patient received. One office visit does not seem like too big of an expense, but multiple patients failing to pay for the care they receive adds up. Imagine the hospital bills that patients fail to pay; health services in a hospital are double, sometimes triple, in price at a hospital. It is unfair that paying patients are responsible for covering these unpaid services. Luckily, the Affordable Care Act was passed on March 23, 2010, otherwise known as Obamacare. Obamacare is necessary in America because it calls for all citizens to be health insured, no worrying about pre-existing conditions, and free benefits for men and women’s health.
In 2010, the United States took the first tangible step toward universal health care coverage, with the legalization of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent report the total population of the United States is nearly 309 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). In 2009, it was estimated 49 % of the population was covered under an employer sponsored insurance plan (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2009). The same 2009 data reported an additional 29 % of the population was covered under some form of government or public program (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2009). Leaving 17 % of the U.S. population vulnerable without any form of health insurance coverage (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2009). It is this minority that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will protect.
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
There are many reasons to question the goodness of Obama’s proposed health care bill. However, by looking at the bill closed-minded, the true potential is never seen. Of course continuing with the current United States health care system is always an option, but without reforming the system, expecting to see higher costs is inevitable. One thing that Americans need to strive for is making health care more affordable, which is the key to making the United States health care system sustainable once again (Mango & Riefberg). Currently, The United States health care system is the world’s largest, but it is also the most expensive.
Health Insurance is one of the nations top problems, the cost is rising for premiums, and many businesses just cannot afford it. As Americans many of us have the luxury of health insurance, but far too many of us have to go without it. This is something that always seems to brought up at congressional debates, but little is done about it. “In 2013 there were 41 million people reported with out health insurance coverage, this is too many considering those people probably were sick at some point through out the year, and they couldn’t afford treatment.” We need to find someway to make sure that every citizen of the United States is able to have affordable healthcare for themselves, and their families.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, over 47 million Americans were uninsured in 2012.2 The exact number of Americans who do not have healthcare coverage is somewhat controversial as some believe this number includes illegal immigrants and those who are able to afford coverage, but simply choose not to purchase a plan. Despite the controversy, the majority of the uninsured come from working families of low with low income levels. Americans living without health coverage has been a major problem in this country as these people do not receive proper treatments and preventative therapies they require. The lack of insurance ultimately leads to a lower quality of life and further increases costs in the l...