There is a serious lack of understanding and knowledge Americans have about the Affordable Care Act. People seem to be getting their information from Facebook or the paranoid neighbor down the road.
A sample of interviews conducted by ABC News shed light on people’s unawareness when asked whether they preferred the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare. Many people passionately blundered their way through an explanation of their preference.
Of course, Obamacare is just another name for the ACA, and it is a big improvement over our old system.
Right-winged republicans are quite vocal about putting an end to the ACA, which they are quick to call socialism.
The ACA is not socialism. If it were socialism then there would be government controlled health services and no need for private insurance companies.
Most people are in agreement with certain aspects of the ACA, but they are not aware they are parts of the act. As shown in a health policy analysis group, the Kaiser Family Foundation, more people are in favor of many parts of the ACA, but not the ACA as a whole.
Under the new guidelines, health insurers cannot deny people with pre-existing conditions, and they must allow young adults to remain under their parents’ health insurance until they are 26 years old.
They can’t kick people off their plan if they get sick, pregnant, or any other reason like they have done in the past. They must cover essential medical services such as preventative care, maternal care, mental health, emergency care and prescriptions.
Medicaid will be expanded to reach more low-income people and will increase reimbursement rates for doctors who take on Medicaid patients to a reasonable level.
Where is the money for these benefits going to come from? It is not from the health insurance fairies. It has to come from us.
Susan Nunan, a 59-year-old nurse who has been in the health field since she was 16, said, “Obamacare is a step in the right direction.” She told me of a 37-year-old man who did not go to the hospital for emergency treatment because he was not covered. A couple weeks later he died, leaving behind a 36-year-old widow. This should not happen in this country, but sadly it does.
Funny thing is, the individual health insurance mandate was originally a conservative concept. It was first introduced in 1989 at the conservative Heritage Foundation, according to unbiased research organization ProCon.org.
The individual health insurance mandate appeared again in a bill in 1993, which was advocated by republicans. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Charles Grassley, R-Iowa; Robert Bennett R-Utah; and Christopher Bond, R-Missouri are included in those who switched to avidly opposing it today.
Let your monthly health insurance rates go up if they must. I truly believe it is worth the sacrifice to help fellow Americans in need. This is a step towards ending people’s suffering due to outrageous medical bills. This will help people get the care they undeniably deserve.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.