in

Free Opinion: ObamaCare

For most of us, we don’t give scheduling an annual check-up or a dentist appointment a second thought, but for around 20 percent of the American population, these things we take for granted are nearly impossible. A plan to reform health care and make it more accessible to the uninsured and better for the insured is ObamaCare, which is a nickname for the Affordable Care Act.

ObamaCare has been approved by the Senate, but the House of Representatives has not made a decision yet. If the House approves this bill, the new healthcare program will be fully funded. However, since the Senate and House of Representatives failed to reach an agreement on ObamaCare by midnight on Tuesday, the government and economy has shut down.

This bill has been the center to much debate between Republicans and Democrats, with liberals behind it and conservatives wanting to destroy it. With all of the political debates and media attention, many people are confused to what ObamaCare actually is.

ObamaCare doesn’t really affect those who are already insured, it only affects the fifteen percent of the population that’s not, whom I believe deserve health insurance. For that minority, this reform can have a huge impact in their lives. The people who are insured have insurance through their employer, or a government program, such as Medicare and Medicaid. ObamaCare doesn’t get rid of these government programs, but adds options that could provide insurance at a lower or no cost. Credit Suisse released a report stating that the 6.5 million currently uninsured Americans will have access to a free health care plan. If ObamaCare passes, the new Health Insurance Marketplace will be available Oct. 1 on healthcare.gov.

For those who already have insurance, the effects of ObamaCare are mostly good. It makes charging women different rates than man illegal, and companies can’t deny people with “pre-existing conditions”, or make their rates higher than others. Also, it will lower the average insurance rate of seniors, and give them access to cheaper drugs. The part that will directly affect teenagers and young adults is if passed, they can be under our parents insurance until they’re 26, even if they’re married. This is significant because for the many recent graduates who can’t find jobs and on top of that, have college loans, it’s one less financial matter to worry about.

On the downside, there is a possibility that the average person’s insurance rate will go up, but this won’t be confirmed until and if ObamaCare gets passed. Overall, even though the insurance rate might go up, ObamaCare will protect people from insurance companies, provide insurance to more people, make the charges fairer, and assist both the young and old.

However, ObamaCare basically forces everyone to have insurance. The amount of income tax wouldn’t change for 98% of Americans, but the people who don’t have insurance will have to pay a penalty. This has led to outcries of socialism and communism. I think it’s important to note that in many nations, such as Canada and European countries, health care is mandatory, as one must pay taxes for it, but they are nowhere close to being socialist countries. ObamaCare is a good alternative, to the Canadian/European way, which seems impossible in America. Many Republicans may oppose ObamaCare, but they don’t have an alternative plan and are too afraid to have drastic change, which is actually what we need.

I believe that the positives of ObamaCare outweigh the negatives. America is in need of health care reform, and this is a good plan that will fix some major problems. It’s not perfect, but it will change countless lives for the better and impact many.

Whether one approves of ObamaCare or not, this remains a very complicated issue in a messy and confusing political world. Much of the debate in Capitol Hill on this is between Democrats and Republicans, and the lack of agreement has led to the shutdown of the government, and ObamaCare continues to be hotly debated.

Written by Michelle Lin

Michelle Lin is currently a senior at Mt. Carmel High School. She is a staff writer and the Business Manager for the MC SUN. Michelle enjoys eating, napping and shopping at Trader Joes.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *