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| Mr Barack Obama |
This week in the glorious, amazing nation of the United States of America, one of Barack Obama's biggest policies is set to be replaced, just two months after his departure from office. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) , also known as "Obamacare" is to be repealed by Republican lawmakers. In it's place, a new act is to be introduced. Let's have a look!
Why was Obamacare Introduced?
In the USA, The PPACA enacted in March 2010 was introduced for several reasons:
However, some will say Obamacare has failed:
- Firstly, there was the undeniable evidence that health insurance prices had doubled in the decade preceding, while healthcare profits had soared. Furthermore, it was never particularly cheap in the first place! Healthcare insurance from an employer in 1999 would have cost around $5780 per year, but by 2009 that had skyrocketed to $13'375 per year. That's an increase of 131%! On average across insurance premiums, price increases were 63% from 2001 to 2006 and 31% from 2006 to 2011. Moreover, small businesses were paying 18% more for health insurance covering their employees than bigger businesses.In essence, big greedy capitalists were making money off peoples uncontrollable afflictions.
- Secondly, if you had a pre-existing medical condition, insurance companies were able to turn you away. This may have affected up to 129 million Americans! To me, it is shockingly disgraceful that companies that provide insurance to help if you're ill, won't help if you are already vulnerable or suffering. It was basically saying, "you're not going to make our company any money by paying for our services and not getting ill, so could you go and die quietly in the corner?". Being able to reject people because of a pre-existing condition when your key initiative is to provide ill people aid is an oxymoron of purpose. Moreover, companies could place a cap on the money they would pay out over your lifetime, so if you had a fall and damaged your back for example that would cost a fair amount, but later on in life you developed a serious illness such as cancer, you may not have enough money left under that cap to be covered. Morality encapsulated.......
- Thirdly, tens of millions of Americans were under insured on their current insurance plans. Additionally, 50 million Americans had no health insurance at all! That equates to just under one sixth of the total population, which is astonishing, given how amazing and free good ol' America was.
- Fourthly, Healthcare companies, spent as much as 40% of every dollar received off insurance plans on overheads, marketing and CEO salaries etc. That doesn't really seem like an industry that bothered about their customers health!
- Fifthly, most young people lost their health insurance that was bought to cover their family by their parents when they graduated from school or college. So you know, when they left college completely riddled with debt, and then had no health insurance, then had other bills on top of that, it really wasn't too great for the youth (when is it ever?)
What Obamacare has set out to Achieve
Consequently, Obamacare sought to change a few of these issues with the healthcare system. The PPACA:
- Stops insurance companies from rejecting those with pre-existing conditions. (So you don't like have to pay well over the odds to avoid dying of your normally faultless condition)
- Removes the cap on illness payouts. (So you also don't die of something unfortunate that happens after a previous incident)
- Stops companies cancelling insurance plans if a mistake is found in the insuree's paperwork.
- Seeks to make health insurance more affordable for everyone and many preventative services are given for free such as cancer screenings and vaccinations. (Imagine having to actually pay to be given a life saving test by a medical professional?!)
- Obliges Companies to pay no more than 20% of every dollar on overheads, marketing and CEO salaries etc. If they are found to be complicit against this law, they have to refund the insuree. (Because sometimes there are more important things than the CEOs yacht).
- Forces Companies to publicly justify any rate increases of 10% or more. (If only energy companies in the UK had to do this !)
- Enables small businesses to get tax credits to help with employee health care insurance.
- Invests in new doctors and healthcare professionals. (What a revolutionary idea.....)
- Allows those under the age of 26 to remain on their parents healthcare plans. (Something that benefits the young?!?! Amazing!)
- Expands Medicare, a federal program offered to citizens when they reach age 65, certain people with disabilities, and those with ESRD. This offers free preventative services, a 50% discount on covered brand prescription medicines (average saving per person $650 a year!) and a crackdown on Medicare fraud. (The weakest getting more medical care cheaper? Wow, another revolutionary idea!)
- Attempts to lower healthcare costs.
Has Obamacare been a Success?
It depends what way you look at it. If you're a person that has some sort of moral conscience and puts life before money, then there are several ways it has been successful. For Example:- According to an analysis by The New York Times, the first full year of Obamacare “brought historic increases in coverage for low-wage workers.”.Up to a third of those who secured new health insurance were Hispanic and other Ethnic minorities. This illustrated a few points, such as that ethnic minorities were severely under insured before Obamacare and that they possibly were the worst paid too! (Shocking isn't it, in the LAND OF THE FREE!!!!) Additionally the number of black people taking up insurance would likely be higher but States were able to veto the Medicaid expansion and many lived states that have rejected it so couldn't sign up.
- Furthermore, The Times highlighted a clinic in Los Angeles that had signed up 18,000 people since the law took effect and reported “a 44 percent increase in cervical cancer screenings, a 25 percent increase in tobacco cessation therapy, and a 22 percent increase in the share of patients with controlled hypertension.” (When the use of such important services increases because you don't have to pay money anymore,it shows the disturbing reality of choosing what to spend your money on. Essentials like food, rent, transport or an essential service that could save your life).
- A report by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that Obamacare has cut down substantially on medical debt for those covered by Medicaid expansion. It has dropped significantly , averaging between $600 and $1000 per person. Moreover, a study looking at Medicaid expansion in Oregon discovered that for those who had new access to care, medical expenses almost disappeared, and were 30% less likely to suffer from depression than those who were not covered. (I guess worrying about your medical bills just made things a lot worse!)
- The uninsured rate of Americans has dropped to the lowest rate ever recorded by Gallup. Since 2014 when Obamacare required Americans to enroll in health insurance, the number of Americans uninsured has dropped 6.1 points from 17.1% to 11%. (Impressive statistics given the vocal opposition to Obamacare from the Republican stronghold of Minas Morgul)
However, some will say Obamacare has failed:
- Several large insurers such as Aetna and United Healthcare are leaving most Obamacare exchanges because apparently a sustainable long-term business model for selling health care has still not been achieved. Furthermore some of the USA's largest insurers say they are losing big money on the policies they sell through the program’s exchanges.Consequently they have increased rates and others are dropping out of the markets altogether. Consumers who relied on these plans may have to pay more or switch plans next year, and they may not have many alternatives. (Wow, healthcare companies actually having the gall to say, "THIS AIN'T MAKING US MONEY ANYMORE, WE PREFERRED TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EVERYONE AND ENJOYING OUR SKYROCKETING PROFITS!")
- As explained earlier, states can reject the imposition of the Medicaid expansion because of a court decision. 19 states refused to implement the Medicaid expansion, and with nothing forcing them to comply, those that need the cover in these areas are effectively separated from the benefits of Obamacare. (Little guess who some of these states were ran by? Republicans... Alabama has a dermatologist as their governor yet has rejected Medicaid. Can't make this stuff up. Florida's governor has a history in the healthcare business. No surprises he was not happy!)
- In some opinions, the penalties for going uncovered are too low when compared against the rising premium costs. The penalty in 2017 for staying uninsured and needing treatment is $695 per adult, or 2.5 percent of a family's taxable household income, depending on which is more, up to specified maximums. Comparably, it's far less than many Americans would pay for complete coverage. (I can understand this as being a problem. Why would you take out insurance to protect yourself if you're a healthy person if it's cheaper just to pay if an accident happens?)
- There has been a disproportionate spreading of the costs of premiums between age groups. Young and healthy consumers pay far more in premiums, most likely to subsidize the unexpectedly large influx of older, sicker customers who require expensive care. Moreover, young people haven't signed up to Obamacare in the numbers that were originally expected, possibly because they can remain in their parents insurance until age 26. (In a country that gives healthcare based on insurance, if you give the elderly and sick more care via the Medicaid expansion, healthcare costs will rise across the board so companies can still turn a profit. Maybe if healthcare wasn't about profit, it would be a different story)
Road to Repeal
Now we come to the present day, where the man of the hour "Donald Trump" has promised to repeal and replace the PPACA. Republican lawmakers have been thinking (they do that?) about how to go about it and what they specifically want to replace. They have a problem with several components, but are not all united in which ones they are.
Firstly The mandate requiring all Americans to have healthcare insurance has also been a big issue with conservatives, who believe that decision should be up to the individual. So you should be able to have insurance if you want it, not to be forced. (Right.... so all those people that Obamacare has given the ability to claim for health insurance, didn't want it before Obamacare came along? It has nothing to do with that for these people, it was simply because of how expensive it is! This draconian thought line is one of an out of touch elite, espousing the tagline "Why can't you just not be poor?")
Then there was the Republican Jason Chaffetz, who came out with this brilliant quote on live news on CNN
"Americans have choices, and they’ve got to make a choice,” Chaffetz said Tuesday on CNN. “So rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care. They’ve got to make those decisions themselves."
If this didn't illustrate how the Republicans feel about poor people, I don't know what will. Essentially he said, "You can't have nice things in life because if you are poor with no money. You should buy health insurance with your wages and live a life with no excitement because you we want the healthcare industry to make money off you".With a net worth of at least $320,000 in 2014 and enjoying comprehensive health care benefits afforded to members of Congress, i'm not really certain he's ever known the breadline or any of the things he is about to take away from those most needing it.
The repeal bill , The American Healthcare Act (AHCA) is what the Republicans have devised to replace Obamacare. Money seems to be the word of the day in regard to the repeal. Rich people and big business (surprise surprise) would gain massive tax cuts under the new law proposed. The AHCA would also scrap protections for more vulnerable Americans by raising premiums for older people and reeling back the expansion of Medicaid. (Basically, destroying everything that actually worked). Unsurprisingly, Planned Parenthood, an organisation responsible for abortions and contraception will be exempted from any medicaid. (Because of Jesus and all that jazz)
However it is planning to keep some elements of Obamacare, such as being able to remain on your family insurance until your 26 and the key provision of forbidding insurers to deny coverage or charge more to people with pre-existing medical problems. This has caused a divide between Republicans with some liking this and some believing the bill doesn't go nearly far enough. House conservatives, prepared an analysis critiquing the plan with “major concerns” that it’s too similar to Obamacare. For example, the RSC objects to the fact that the plan extends Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion for three years. This, it argues,“will contribute to the worsening of the federal and state budgets” and will leave “the federal government picking up the majority of the bill.” (Basically, govt shouldn't have to provide this, private businesses are best in 'Murica)
If people wanted more evidence that the Republican party are pantomime villains, they forced through a vote in the middle of the night.Democrats criticized their Republicans colleagues for moving on the bill in the middle of the night.
“Here were are at almost 2 o’clock in the morning taking a vote when the American people have gone to sleep,” said Richard Neal, a leading Democrat. It seems to me as if they are trying to force this bill through as fast as possible with as little scrutiny as possible. Even some Republicans agree with me, such as Tom Cotton, and have expressed concerns that the process is moving too quickly without enough time for review.
Why do the Republicans care so much about a bill that seems to be working in what it set out to achieve? :
- Alabama Governor Robert Bentley= Doctor who owns a dermatology chain.
- Florida Governor Rick Scott = Healthcare Businessman.
- Georgia Governor Nathan Deal = Taken over $550'000 from Healthcare Lobbyists
- Kansas Governor Sam Brownback = Refuses Medicaid even when state is suffering financially and giving businesses and farmers tax cuts.
- Maine Governor Paul Lepage = Says his pay is so low, he feels like a priest or a nun.
- Mississipi Governor Phil Bryant = "There is no one who doesn’t have health care in America. No one. Now, they may end up going to the emergency room. There are better ways to deal with people that need health care than this massive new program"
You get the idea.....
Firstly The mandate requiring all Americans to have healthcare insurance has also been a big issue with conservatives, who believe that decision should be up to the individual. So you should be able to have insurance if you want it, not to be forced. (Right.... so all those people that Obamacare has given the ability to claim for health insurance, didn't want it before Obamacare came along? It has nothing to do with that for these people, it was simply because of how expensive it is! This draconian thought line is one of an out of touch elite, espousing the tagline "Why can't you just not be poor?")
Then there was the Republican Jason Chaffetz, who came out with this brilliant quote on live news on CNN
"Americans have choices, and they’ve got to make a choice,” Chaffetz said Tuesday on CNN. “So rather than getting that new iPhone that they just love and want to go spend hundreds of dollars on that, maybe they should invest in their own health care. They’ve got to make those decisions themselves."
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| Man of the People Jason Chaffetz |
If this didn't illustrate how the Republicans feel about poor people, I don't know what will. Essentially he said, "You can't have nice things in life because if you are poor with no money. You should buy health insurance with your wages and live a life with no excitement because you we want the healthcare industry to make money off you".With a net worth of at least $320,000 in 2014 and enjoying comprehensive health care benefits afforded to members of Congress, i'm not really certain he's ever known the breadline or any of the things he is about to take away from those most needing it.
The repeal bill , The American Healthcare Act (AHCA) is what the Republicans have devised to replace Obamacare. Money seems to be the word of the day in regard to the repeal. Rich people and big business (surprise surprise) would gain massive tax cuts under the new law proposed. The AHCA would also scrap protections for more vulnerable Americans by raising premiums for older people and reeling back the expansion of Medicaid. (Basically, destroying everything that actually worked). Unsurprisingly, Planned Parenthood, an organisation responsible for abortions and contraception will be exempted from any medicaid. (Because of Jesus and all that jazz)
However it is planning to keep some elements of Obamacare, such as being able to remain on your family insurance until your 26 and the key provision of forbidding insurers to deny coverage or charge more to people with pre-existing medical problems. This has caused a divide between Republicans with some liking this and some believing the bill doesn't go nearly far enough. House conservatives, prepared an analysis critiquing the plan with “major concerns” that it’s too similar to Obamacare. For example, the RSC objects to the fact that the plan extends Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion for three years. This, it argues,“will contribute to the worsening of the federal and state budgets” and will leave “the federal government picking up the majority of the bill.” (Basically, govt shouldn't have to provide this, private businesses are best in 'Murica)
If people wanted more evidence that the Republican party are pantomime villains, they forced through a vote in the middle of the night.Democrats criticized their Republicans colleagues for moving on the bill in the middle of the night.
“Here were are at almost 2 o’clock in the morning taking a vote when the American people have gone to sleep,” said Richard Neal, a leading Democrat. It seems to me as if they are trying to force this bill through as fast as possible with as little scrutiny as possible. Even some Republicans agree with me, such as Tom Cotton, and have expressed concerns that the process is moving too quickly without enough time for review.
Why do the Republicans care so much about a bill that seems to be working in what it set out to achieve? :
- Alabama Governor Robert Bentley= Doctor who owns a dermatology chain.
- Florida Governor Rick Scott = Healthcare Businessman.
- Georgia Governor Nathan Deal = Taken over $550'000 from Healthcare Lobbyists
- Kansas Governor Sam Brownback = Refuses Medicaid even when state is suffering financially and giving businesses and farmers tax cuts.
- Maine Governor Paul Lepage = Says his pay is so low, he feels like a priest or a nun.
- Mississipi Governor Phil Bryant = "There is no one who doesn’t have health care in America. No one. Now, they may end up going to the emergency room. There are better ways to deal with people that need health care than this massive new program"
You get the idea.....
Conclusions
In my honest opinion, I believe that Obamacare has been an enormous success in what it has set out to achieve. More people who need insurance are covered, insurance companies can no longer take advantage and hike their prices unfairly. The Republican party is acting under the guise that they are returning the choice to Americans on what healthcare they should be able to have, but in reality it is a ruse designed to return power to the insurance companies and those with vested interests in it. The very people criticizing Obamacare never gave it a chance in their states because of lobbying, selfishness and living in the 1950s.
My own personal views that healthcare is a government matter rather than a business sector don't apply to the USA's current debate, so I have tried to analyse in regards to their implemented system.
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| Fitness weirdo and Republican Speaker of the House Mr Paul Ryan |
References
http://business.time.com/2009/09/16/health-insurance-premiums-up-131-in-last-ten-years/
http://obamacarefacts.com/obamahealthcare-summary/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obamacare-success-failure_us_57c9c8a0e4b0a22de095f2cd
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jason-chaffetz-iphone-health care_us_58bea6aae4b09ab537d6a395
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-obamacare-fail-health-care-insurance-medicine-0911-jm-20160909-story.html
https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/03/07/donald-trump-takes-an-axe-to-the-obamacare-mandate.aspx
https://thinkprogress.org/heres-how-successful-obamacare-has-been-in-getting-americans-insurance-in-one-chart-3e3b5ba82645#.86s210ixe
https://thinkprogress.org/house-gop-advances-trumpcare-b309581d29f2#.xjm9winef
https://thinkprogress.org/republican-health-care-opposition-7a582fdddad5#.nd8urz9ab
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/04/21/obamacare-unheralded-success/montTA45UvggSgwA0Myd8K/story.html
https://thinkprogress.org/georgias-governor-took-money-from-the-insurance-lobby-while-denying-health-coverage-to-the-poor-dc235b5313ff#.pxsad6mul
http://mississippitoday.org/2017/01/30/governor-wants-to-take-reins-of-health-agencies/
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/18784451/?claim=qh43tmckw2p">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/03/07/donald-trump-takes-an-axe-to-the-obamacare-mandate.aspx
https://thinkprogress.org/heres-how-successful-obamacare-has-been-in-getting-americans-insurance-in-one-chart-3e3b5ba82645#.86s210ixe
https://thinkprogress.org/house-gop-advances-trumpcare-b309581d29f2#.xjm9winef
https://thinkprogress.org/republican-health-care-opposition-7a582fdddad5#.nd8urz9ab
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/04/21/obamacare-unheralded-success/montTA45UvggSgwA0Myd8K/story.html
https://thinkprogress.org/georgias-governor-took-money-from-the-insurance-lobby-while-denying-health-coverage-to-the-poor-dc235b5313ff#.pxsad6mul
http://mississippitoday.org/2017/01/30/governor-wants-to-take-reins-of-health-agencies/
<a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/18784451/?claim=qh43tmckw2p">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
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