...The rising cost of healthcare in today’s economy is in desperate need of reform. The cost of healthcare has affected the number of people able to receive medical care. Individuals are suffering more than ever because of the inability to receive medical attention when it’s needed. First, the rising cost of healthcare is going to continue to rise year after year. This is making it harder and harder on working class to receive medical care. It is even harder on the unemployed. As President Obama is urging congress for a stimulus this year, many feel that medicine is the best stimulus. America needs a healthy economy. After all, healthcare isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Today the healthcare deduction is getting bigger and bigger. Despite a huge amount of complaints about “over insurance”, the amount people pay for healthcare out of pocket has risen tremendously. The Commonwealth Fund recently completed two massive surveys showing that the proportion of adults younger than 65 with health insurance who spent more than 10 percent of their income on health care out of pocket (5 percent for low-income adults) skyrocketed fro 13.8 million in 2003 to 21.8 million in 2007. (Jacob S. Hacker, Co-Director of the Center for Health, Economic and Family Security at UC Berkeley). This is in response to the hike in deductibles and co-payments in health plans. There are 40 percent of the working-age populations in an immediate economic bind because of medical costs. Second, because of the rising...
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...Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 The History of Healthcare Reform……………………………………………………………………………..…4 The Problem with the ACA……………………………………………………………………………………………6 The Current Policy………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Policy Alternatives………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Evaluation Criteria………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Policy Recommendation……………………………………………………………………………………………..12 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13 References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14 Introduction Recent health care reform legislation, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Education Reconciliation Act, which is now being referred to simply as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. Since the 20th century, several United States presidents have faced challenges in passing national health reform into law. Before the ACA was enacted, national health reform proposals under different governments in the United States faced strong opposition from various stakeholders and multiple interest groups. Therefore, the enactment of the ACA is revolutionary healthcare reform in the history of the United States. Healthcare insurance is a program that assists in paying medical expenses through privately purchased insurance or social welfare programs. In other words, health insurance is a system that provides protection against health costs. This newly legislated healthcare reform offers health insurance for all...
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...Running head: HEALTHCARE REFORM 1 Obamacare or Socialism? Daun Taylor POL201 American National Government Professor Martin Connor August 27, 2012 HEALTHCARE REFORM 2 Obamacare or Socialism? There has been much of a debate since the signing of President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Bill. People started throwing around words like government control and socialism, stating that it was a description of a new legislation. The people are afraid that the system will destroy the free market economy and will take away the people’s right to choose. “The massive law pushing the United States toward universal health coverage won Supreme Court validation on June 28 in a decision that advances the most ambitious reshaping of American social policy in generations (Woodward, C. 2012).” They have repeatedly said that this bill is constitutionally questionable and the government does not have the right to obligate the whole nation to purchase healthcare insurance. According to the opposition, President Obama is lobbying for disguised tax on employment and consequently the number of uninsured Americans will increase. “The overhaul is unfolding in stages and is to peak in 2014 when all Americans will be required to have health insurance, with a few narrow exceptions (Woodward, C. 2010).” In...
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...The Need for Health Care Reform HCA 410 Professor Henry O’Lawrence December 8, 2011 The Need For Health Care Reform Health care system is now faced with many problems such as high cost of insurance, high cost of medical services, significant numbers of people lack any form of healthcare insurance, and many more people are underinsured. Heath care is not affordable and easy to obtain anymore. With the rising of health care cost, reforms are needed to be more affordable with high quality and efficiency. There are over “46 million people lacking health insurance, but also for those who have insurance the economic downturn is a chilling reminder that under current system, virtually anyone facing a run of bad luck could be quickly wiped out by medical bill collectors”. State Healy, Bernadine M.D. (2009). Providing health insurance for people uninsured and low-cost insurance are major problems need to consider and take it seriously. The number of people uninsured is too high. There are many factors leading to be uninsured including poverty, the economic downturn leading to high rated of unemployment and some working families who cannot afford coverage because too expensive, besides, earn too much to be eligible for many programs which the state's healthcare provider. Offering the healthcare options with advantages for the uninsured with affordable price is needed to take to consideration. Many low income people cannot afford health insurance usually don’t go seek for medical...
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...will equal 20% of the US gross domestic product (Pickert). These alarming issues have made health care reform the primary goal of the president. On March 23, 2010, Barack Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act, also referred to as Obamacare, which plans to bring coverage to 32 million uninsured people by taxing those in higher income brackets (Clemmitt). This is not the first time universal health care has been implemented in the United States although it is the largest such attempt. In 2006 Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney signed the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act into law. The law has proven wholly successful as Kenneth Rapoza of Forbes explains, "Every resident is required by law to have insurance, or pay a fine. To date, 99% of the state's residents have health insurance, up from around 90% before healthcare reform. That number changes drastically depending on which segment of society you look at. At least 24% of low income residents did not have health insurance prior to the 2006 law, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington DC non-partisan think tank. Today, just 8% of low income adults do not have healthcare coverage." The Affordable Care Act was modeled after this system and hopes to achieve similar results but on the national level (Rapoza). Although the bill was not passed without scrutiny, not one Republican member of congress voted for the bill to pass (Clemmitt). Conservatives often cite the cost of the health care plan and the constitutionality...
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...com/essay-on/Healthcare-Reform/115333 Kyle LaBelle Participation in Government Healthcare Reform Research Paper My question is, how long is it going to take for the world’s most powerful country to create a sustainable healthcare system? We have spent too many years with small reforms, ; we need big changes, and we need them soon. Healthcare has a long and detailed history in the United States. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it has been a major source of political debate. Both federal and state governments have made efforts in trying to take steps toward a universal health care system. Early reform poured the foundation for today’s government healthcare programs. The United States witnessed social movements that demanded access to the American dream. People who were viewed as second-class citizens banded together and demanded reform on their behalves. The largest of these movements was a demand for universal healthcare. American’s greatest issue was sickness and missing work. When working individuals missed work due to “sickness” they lost their wages. The loss of income made sickness the leading cause of poverty. Reformists saw a need for national healthcare and the campaign began. Health insurance that would protect the worker against wage loss and expenses incurred from medical treatment. In 1906, the American Association of Labor Legislation (AALL) became active in the push for national health care. They created a committee that concentrated on healthcare insurance...
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...food, and sleep. Thus, Many citizens much rather worry about providing food for their families, and paying their essential utility bills just to try and stay afloat without any costly medical bills. Often they may have physical ailments that they must overlook and assimilate too, largely due to the extremely high cost of seeing a physician, and the lofty health care insurance premiums rendering most Americas unable to seek notable medical attention. The government sought to fix this problem and made an attempt by proposing a health care reform bill. After all the votes were tallied and The 111th United States Congress gave the green light, President Barack Obama enacted into law on Tuesday march 23, 2010 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also known as Obama care. This piece of legislature was created with the propos of providing all citizens with the ability to access medical care regardless of age, pre-existing medical conditions, and health insurance coverage. The bill would take a total of 10 years to be fully executed into effect; subsequently with each year drawing closer to 2019. Immediately after the passage of the health care bill, it has faced a great deal of opposition and became one of the most disputed topics around the nation it went under fire questioning the Constitutionality, the quality of care under the bill, and the retention of pre- existing health care...
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...Healthcare Reform Melissa Benavides GE175 – American Government June 29, 2011 Mr. M. Sedam Healthcare Reform Healthcare reform has been an issue in the United States for quite some time. A number of citizens believe the government should pay for our healthcare. Others believe the government should not have any say in our healthcare and it should be paid for by private insurance companies or out of the individual’s pocket. While others still argue that medical costs are on the rise and it is becoming impossible to afford while the economy is folding in on itself. As an unmarried individual, healthcare can get quite costly for me. For those who are unemployed healthcare is most likely a pipe dream and they suffer through sickness or aches and pains. On March 23, 2010 the Affordable Health Care Act became a law. This meant that insurance companies would no longer stand between consumers and their healthcare providers. They could no longer dictate what services would be limited, and the need for seeking approval before receiving emergency care at a facility outside the plan’s network. This new law also enabled people under the age of 26 to stay on their parent’s health plan where as before, the cap age was 21. New regulations require insurance companies to cover children with pre-existing medical conditions. Lifetime limits have been abolished and companies have been made to use 80-85% of the consumer’s money they pay into the insurance for their healthcare...
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...B Bailey Health Reform Plan The Clinton Healthcare Plan of 1993 also known as the Health Security Act was a package presented under the direction of President Bill Clinton. His presidency started on January 20, 1993 and lasted until January 20, 2001. During his 1992 presidential election, Clinton pushed for this bill to be passed by Congress. “After nine months of brainstorming and politicking, President Clinton delivered to Congress today a 240,000-word proposal for universal health insurance” (Pear, 1993). This manifesto was the most multiplex, comprehensive plan conveyed by any President. Under the Clinton plan, most Americans would get health insurance coverage only in regional alliances. “ A company with more than 5,000 full-time employees could operate its own health insurance program outside the alliances. People working at company headquarters would be in the corporate health plan” (Pear, 1993). If there were employees of a large company that worked in another state with 100 or less than they were able to join the local alliance there. The Clinton Healthcare Plan of 1993 would supply additional treatment of helping. “Mr. Clinton said his proposal would provide much more coverage of preventive services than is usually found in private health insurance plans” (Pear, 1993). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 also known as Obamacare is a United States federal law signed in by President Obama on March 23, 2010. This law, jointly with the...
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...Health Care Reform and the Resulting Effects Kristen Opp Benedictine University Health Care Reform and the Resulting Effects Health Care reform, the expansion of healthcare coverage to the uninsured and unemployed, is under speculation regarding its long term economic impact. Although it will get more individuals covered with insurance it will come at a cost to small businesses and tax payers. These changes may be what most consider improvements but we must look at the long term affects on our healthcare system, for example it will also result in “$500 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade” (Jackson & Nolen, March 21, 2010). Speculation is that healthcare reform is a band aid fixing existing problems and lowering the deficit but could be setting future Medicare plan participants up for hardship. The short term positive effects include free preventative care under Medicare, help for early retirees, end of rescissions and discrimination for pre existing conditions, and bans life time limits on coverage to name a few according to David Hancock in a recent CBSNEWS article (2010). Another simple speculation is that hospitals will benefit due to increased insurance coverage which will mean more patients through the door and less abandoned bad dead accumulated by uninsured patients unable to pay. Research on long term affects has not been quite as positive or conclusive. Most likely as a result of the new tax on unearned income (investments) there will be a negative...
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...Health Care Reform Healthcare has a long and detailed history in the United States. Since the beginning 20th century it has been a major source of political debate. Both federal and state governments have made efforts in trying to take steps toward a universal health care system. Early reform poured the foundation for today’s government healthcare programs. The United States witnessed social movements that demanded access to the American dream. People who were viewed as second class citizens banded together and demanded reform on their behalves. The largest of these movements was a demand for universal healthcare. American’s greatest issue was sickness and missing work. When working individuals missed work due to “sickness” they lost their wages. The loss of income made sickness the leading cause of poverty. Reformist saw a need for national healthcare and the campaign began. Health insurance that would protect the worker against wage loss and expenses incurred from medical treatment. In 1906, the American Associaltion of Labor Legislation (AALL) became active in the push for national health care. They created a committee that concentrated on healthcare insurance, and in 1915 drafted a bill that gave limited coverage to the working class and to anyone that earned less than $1200 a year. This draft included sick pay, death, and maternatiy benefits. The proposal was meet by opposition (Palmer, 2010). Although the American Medical Association offered its support...
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...HEALTHCARE: PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES Healthcare: A Problem Facing Many Individuals in the United States English 215, SEC 035BVA016, Strayer University Abstract The availability and cost of healthcare for the majority of people living in the United States was researched to try and understand as to why so many are left without any affordable options once they have lost their jobs or have reached retirement age. The goal of this paper was to thoroughly examine healthcare reform and the possible options that may become available to the people in the United States while focusing on the problems many will face once the law takes effect and they are unable to make such purchases with their current income only being forced to pay fines. Healthcare reform should provide assistance to those who are unable to purchase insurance on their own and further assist those who currently have insurance. The fear among the people it that it will only further cause low-income families to be faced with a larger problem of having to cover fines because of their lack of funding to make such purchases. Only time will tell which way this reform will lean towards with the inception date of 2014 when all will be required to carry medical insurance or be faced with unwelcomed penalties. Healthcare: A Problem Facing Many Individuals in the United States Healthcare, the cost and availability for the average individual living in the United...
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...depicting the slogan, “So Far, He Sucks.” Of course this garb relates to our current Commander in Chief, Barrack Obama. This is a debatable topic as it has always been for current presidents. However, this paper is directed towards his healthcare policy only. Obama’s health care bill has been a hot topic during his reign as President of the United States and has been met with much praise, as well as much contempt. While I deem myself a neutral party in presidential election and political action, I find myself at a crossroads still when dealing with the healthcare plan. It’s devised to aid Americans in the ever growing need for insurable care and sustained peace of mind that they may or may not be able to visit a physician, and not go bankrupt because of it. The following will educate readers of the new healthcare law enacted recently and provide both pros and cons for Americans, physicians, and insurers alike. The Affordable Healthcare Act was passed by congress and signed into law in March of 2010. The law plans to provide better health security by implementing health insurance reformation. This means insurance companies will be held more accountable in dealing with physician visits, healthcare costs will be lowered, and quality of healthcare will be obtainable by a larger spectrum of Americans (www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform). The main goal of the law is to provide insurance for every American. Those with employer supplied health insurance would keep their existing benefits...
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...Running head: HEALTHCARE REFORM 1 Obamacare Ericka Silva POL201 American National Government Nicole Jones May 27, 2013 HEALTHCARE REFORM 2 Obamacare Since the passing of President Barack Obama’s Healthcare Bill there has been a lot of a dispute. People have made accusations that this is a way for government control and socialism. Many people are frightened that the arrangement will extinguish the free market economy. They also believe that it will take away the people’s right to make a choice. “The massive law pushing the United States toward universal health coverage won Supreme Court validation on June 28 in a decision that advances the most ambitious reshaping of American social policy in generations (Woodward, C. 2012).” There have been many who have said repetitively that this bill is constitutionally uncertain. There are many people who also say the government does not have the right to force the whole nation to buy healthcare insurance. There is a disagreement that President Obama is urging for cloaked tax on employment. This will make the amount of uninsured Americans increase. “The overhaul is unfolding in stages and is to peak in 2014 when all Americans will be required to have health insurance, with a few narrow exceptions (Woodward, C. 2010).” On the other side of all this, Obama said that it will spread the health coverage to an additional 30+ million people. In doing this it will decrease the cost considerably. The legislation...
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...Analysis of Bill: Universal Healthcare Act The purpose of this analysis is to discuss the impact bill HB0942, Illinois Universal Healthcare Act, will have on the healthcare system in Illinois. This bill will allow easy healthcare access to all individuals living within the state. While there are many positives that can result from this new bill, there are also unintended consequences that could arise that must be taken into consideration. Many groups currently oppose the bill, yet others offer full support and hope to see it in action soon. Funding is a major issue since all citizens of Illinois will be covered by the plan. There are specific provisions included within HB0942 which range from medical services to long term care to job placement for anyone affected. Overview of the Problem Today, many Illinoisans are facing an enormous problem: the rising cost of healthcare. Currently, our state’s medical care cost, as of all America, is outrageously expensive while the quality of care is inadequate compared to other countries around the world. Using the latest statistics by the Physicians for a National Health Program Illinois (PNHP), approximately 1.8 million of the 13 million citizens of Illinois are lacking healthcare coverage ("A Single-Payer Statewide," 2013). It is very clear that the system the state is currently using is not working. For this reason, a new bill is in the process of being passed. The rising cost and lack of access to healthcare is causing...
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