Vivian Ayala-Suarez
Special to In Motion
Health insurance is one of the most important benefits anyone can have because of the exorbitant cost of the American medical field. The Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare,” is the net that all Americans need to take care of their health issue.
And yet, some people continue to try and repeal the ACA because of lack of information and misconceptions towards Obamacare. This is preventing people from making the right decision and from obtaining health insurance. The United States should follow the examples of many other Western industrialized democratic countries that provide affordable health care to all citizens, as advocated by the country’s leading health care experts.
If we look at some Congress members’ voting records, they refuse to accept ACA because they think it is too costly. Yet, untold billions of American tax dollars are already being spent on those indigent citizens forced to use the emergency room at their primary care physicians. Working Americans, who already pay high insurance premiums, foot the bill for the uninsured.
In addition, some state governments such those in Florida and Texas will not participate in the Obamacare simply because of their party affiliation. Hospitals and doctors say they are reluctant to accept the program because of a mandatory price range that they are obliged to charge. Further dooming the roll-out of the program was the Healthcare.gov website and state exchange websites that had so many glitches no one could access them to sign up for the program.
But after repairing the websites enrollment in the ACA has exceeded expectations, proving that Americans do want and need affordable health care options.
The advantages of Obamacare are that low income families and patients with pre-existing conditions now have health insurance. Low income families that cannot afford to pay for their health insurance are subsidized by the government and can receive any medical treatment. Patients with pre-existing conditions are able to get health insurance and continue being treated for their condition. Without Obamacare these patients are in danger of bankruptcy should a medical emergency arise. Most bankruptcies in this country are due to medical treatments citizens cannot afford to pay.
Obamacare also gives young adults the chance to be insured under their parents or guardian’s health insurance until age 26.
My experience with Obamacare has been excellent, because I was able to keep my son on our medical insurance. My sister-in-law was able to retire at the age of 62, instead of waiting to become eligible for Medicare at age 65, because she enrolled in the health insurance subsidized by the government. My friend, who also has a family of four, was paying for private insurance with her company, amounting to more than $600 a month. With Obamacare she pays $400 monthly.
On the other hand, some of my other friends refuse to participate in the program due to ignorance. They are upset because the government plans to fine people who refuse to buy health insurance. They believe government should not get involved in people’s lives.
But the fact remains that the ACA is one of the best government programs of this decade. Some want to repeal it the same way others wanted to reject Social Security in the 1940s, but can anyone imagine not having that safety net today?
Many other countries provide health insurance, along with benefits such as requiring employees to take all their vacation time and extended maternity and paternity leave, because they believe it makes for a better, stronger society. Healthy workers are happier and more productive employees.
America should follow the examples of these countries and continue providing coverage under the ACA. As with the creation of Medicare in 1965 and Social Security in 1935, which were assailed with promises of repeal and lawsuits, we will no doubt see Obamacare greatly expanded in the future as well.