The ACA was a blessing to some, but not all. Could it
have been perfected over time? We will
never really know as it is being replaced. As of now, 70% of Americans do not
approve of the ACA, so let's see if the new one is any better.
The New Health Care Bill
This bill does not require people to buy
insurance. Instead, it offers incentives
to those who do. The new bill tries to encourage insured people to maintain
their coverage by setting regulations with insurance companies. The new act will prevent companies from
charging more or denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. The only
stipulation is, you cannot let your insurance lapse. If insurance does lapse
for more than 63 days, it allows the company to tag on a 30% penalty for the
year. The tax credits will be based on age, but can go up to 4,000 per year.
It's difficult to predict who will win out with the new
bill, and who will lose, it takes some time to determine the results.
Affordable Healthcare Example (Obamacare)
The Positive-
A single mom of three works in a dentist office 4 days
a week. Her children are covered under their dad's insurance; however, the mom
went for years without coverage, due to the cost. She worked 36 hours a week
and made too much for state aid on coverage for herself.
When the Affordable Act was put in place, she shopped
for, and found coverage. For $114 per month she now has insurance for herself.
The Negative-
A 52-year-old woman that suffers from severe Crohn's
disease was forced to switch to the healthcare marketplace when it became the
law. Her current doctor did not accept her new insurance, in fact, no GI
specialist in her town did. She was forced to drive 3 hours one way to obtain a
provider on the list of covered insured.
The New Healthcare Insurance
The positive-
The government will no longer force Americans to buy insurance.
They will encourage and reward, but you won't be fined if you don't have it.
The Negative-
The hardest hit Group under this plan looks to be the
60+ group, which needs all of the income they can get, they may not be happy. There
will most likely be higher insurance costs, and higher deductibles.
State by State
No one seems to be exactly sure how Medicaid will be
effected. The new plan will make some cutbacks in Medicaid funding, and expect
states to cover the slack. Gradually by 2019 the federal money will return to
help cover the costs of Medicaid. The idea is the cuts in certain areas will be
sufficient to bring Medicaid back to a federally funded level. The biggest
change in Medicaid, however, is the type of program it will be. It will no
longer be considered an entitlement program in which the government pays all
healthcare care costs. The new program will change Medicaid to a grant, which
will most likely have a fixed spending amount attached. Many hospitals report
patients using the emergency rooms as a doctor's office, coming in for minor
illnesses, such as colds and stomach virus’. The cost difference from a
doctor's office visit to the emergency room is approximately $190. The hope is
the cap on spending will make for better choices when needing minor medical
help.
The new health care plan eliminates the insurer from
rejecting coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions, or charging
higher rates for anyone with a pre-existing condition.
Now, if you are not thoroughly confused, you may be
trying to determine which is best, the old or the new health care act. It
depends on who you ask. In other words, take a room of 100 people, and you will
average 50 that say the old was better and 50 that say the new is better. Of
course, much of that is based on political affiliation and not the health care
bill itself. The fact is, it will be
about two years before the real answer is known, and then much of it will still
be an opinion. At the very least, our country is starting plans to cover those
without insurance, often working individuals that are not covered through an
employer. The old and new plans are far from perfect; however they are a step
in the right direction.
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