Obamacare

Obamacare (ACA) should be repealed.

Abstract

As with any new plan, Obamacare has its up and downs, but if we were to take Obamacare out of the mix, many individuals who are now able to obtain insurance due to either affordability or being accepted due to pre-existing condition, these individuals will be back to where they began. Uninsured and unable to obtain coverage needed because of their pre-existing plan, causing many to neglect needs that really needed to be monitored and treated. Insurance companies will begin to deny again, premiums will increase, and many individuals will neglect purchasing coverage causing an nationwide increase in the amount of uninsured Americans again.

Obamacare (ACA) should be repealed.

        March 2010 marked a day in the history of America that would change the way the American’s viewed healthcare insurance. Former President Barak Obama saw fit to pass a Healthcare Plan that would allow Americans nationwide to be able to purchase affordable quality insurance (Simas. D, 2013). This plan was known as Affordable Care Act, or as most know it as Obamacare. Obamacare was supposed to make it easier for Americans who faced a challenge in purchasing healthcare coverage before to finally purchase plans that was affordable for their families as well as met their family’s medical needs. Before the passing of Obamacare, as many as 50 million Americans nationwide were considered uninsured, mostly due to the high prices of insurance premiums or the most part that many Americans had a pre-existing condition making it more challenging to be accepted by insurance companies since they were considered a high risk (Health Network, 2017). This challenge caused many Americans to face the difficulty of figuring out how to obtain the medical services needed to monitor and treat their conditions, therefore causing many to go untreated, leaving their conditions to become worse or eventually causing the individual to pass from complications. Many communities saw epidemic outbreaks and overcrowding of Emergency Room Departments due to lack of insurance coverage in their areas. This caused major financial complications for these community facilities seeing as lack of non-payment caused many facilities to either close or raise cost of services to meet a financial balance. Obamacare was exactly the plan Americans in these low-cost communities needed. Though at the beginning things were rough and individuals faced many issues with trying to purchase a plan through the Marketplace, but as the issues were resolved and the kinks were worked out, Obamacare has become a major benefit to millions of Americans who now rely on its services and programs. Americans now have the options of affordable coverage at rates they can afford not only for themselves, but their families. More access to low income assistant programs such as Medicaid, CHIP and Medicaid where many individuals who are eligible have little to no cost out of pocket. Americans even have access to free preventive and wellness services free of cost to catch and control illness and conditions. The best part of all is through Obamacare, Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage nor raise prices of policies for those who suffer from a pre-existing condition, giving more Americans the ability to finally obtain coverage needed (Ehealth, 2016). This resulted in an 11% decrease in how many Americans were now uninsured (Health Network, 2017). What would Americans be faced with if Obamacare were to get repealed?

        First, Americans would face if Obamacare were to be repealed is the insurance companies denying Pre-existing conditions again making it hard for many Americans with pre-existing conditions to obtain the coverage needed to monitor and treat their conditions. According to recent studies, approximately 19 to 50 percent of all Americans suffer from some type of pre-existing medical condition. Before January 1, 2014, all individuals with a pre-existing medical condition such as, but not limited to: cancer, asthma, aids, and even diabetes, found it difficult to obtain medical coverage. Insurance companies found that they were not profiting enough off individuals who had these pre-existing medical conditions, therefore causing many insurance companies, even Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP, to either deny coverage, raise the cost of premiums for those individuals with a pre-existing condition or limiting the services that they can receive. In January 2014, According to The Department of Health and Human Services, insurance companies could no longer deny, raise prices, or limit individuals with a pre-existing condition regardless of the condition the individual may have. This plan stated that any American between the ages of 19 and 64 that applies for coverage with be eligible for coverage no matter their health records or conditions (Ehealth, 2016). There is one exception towards the pre-existing rule. Any individual who is on a Grandfathered Plan, the pre-existing condition rule will not apply to the individual. There are options for these individuals to be able to obtain coverage that covers pre-existing conditions which are: The individual can either enroll through the Marketplace during the open enrollment period and purchase a plan that coverages the conditions or the individual can wait until their Grandfather Plan year ends and purchase a plan outside the Marketplace open enrollment through the Special Enrollment Period (Healthcare, 2017).  When Obamacare made it where insurance companies could no longer deny, raise prices or limit coverage to high risk individuals, Obamacare had to comprise with the insurance companies due to lack of profits and possible business closure and put into place a plan that now requires all Americans regardless of whether that individual is well, sick, has a pre-existing condition, ect. All Americans are required to carry insurance coverage or will be penalized and must pay a fee at the end of the year. Since this plan was put into place, insurance companies have seen a major increase of the number of individuals who have now purchased coverage while medical facilities have seen a decline in the amount of debt it faced due to Americans being uncovered. Since Obamacare, more Americans have found it easier to be qualified through Medicaid, Medicare and CHIP, making more affordable for those with pre-existing conditions to seek services needed and continue treatments needed to keep conditions under control. Through the Medicaid Expansion bill, Obamacare has made it possible for More Americans from children to adults to become eligible for coverage under Medicaid, Medicare or CHIPs with little to no cost out of pocket for services rendered.