Respond to this post in your own words 250 word minimum must include a turnit in report or will refund apaformat
he Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is a health care reform law that was enacted in March 2010. The Affordable Care Act had three primary goals which included making healthcare more affordable and available to individuals, to expand the Medicaid program, and to lower healthcare costs overall (Affordable Care Act, 2023). There was much political controversary over this new reform, however, critics cannot deny that it has had some great benefits to the American people.
Great benefits occurred out of the Affordable Care Act including Medicaid being expanded. The ACA allowed states to increase Medicaid eligibility up to 138% of the federal poverty level and eliminate requirements that previously prohibited low-income individuals and families from being able to join the program (Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, 2023). The law also provided consumers with premium tax credits that lower costs for households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. With many individuals being denied health insurance due to pre-existing conditions, the Affordable Care Act assisted 133 million people with pre-existing conditions from being denied health coverage due to such conditions like cancer, diabetes, and pregnancy (Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, 2023).
Some disadvantages of the Affordable Care Act include rising insurance premiums, job effects due to employer mandates, administrative expenses, and additional spending from states being required due to the Medicaid expansion. Some individuals and families experienced an increase in health premiums due to the need to cover widespread benefits and implementing reforms. With the employer mandate in place, many employers argue that they were financially burdened due to having to insure their employees. This led to businesses putting out more money than anticipated and ultimately a reduction in working hours for employees. When the ACA was implemented, funding was required. This funding came from the government, insurance companies and some healthcare providers, however, these funds added up quickly making maintenance of enrollment systems and other regulations expensive. The ACA pushed states to cover lower income individuals through Medicaid. Over time, states had to spend more money than originally which resulted in increased state spending.
Although there were some major setbacks due to this new reform, one cannot deny the amazing benefits it gave to the American people. Gaining 20 million insured individuals from this plan is astonishing and the way it has helped low-income families allowed them to obtain health insurance to better their health overall. The Affordable Care Act also permitted young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they were twenty-six years old. This personally helped me as didn’t have to worry about health insurance until after I was twenty-six years old. Overall, I support the Affordable Care Act and think it was great for the American people.
