The status of healthcare in the United States was a goal of President Obama, in which Obama sought to correct. Prior to 2009, health insurance was not a luxury all Americans could afford. Various countries including France, Canada, and Germany all currently provide universal healthcare to its citizens. The Affordable Healthcare Act was introduced into Congress, and became law in 2010. An analysis of the underlying need for universal healthcare, case studies in Germany, and the future of healthcare in the United States, reveals the motivation of the Obama Administration.
With a population estimated around three hundred and eighteen million, approximately eighteen percent do not have any form of healthcare insurance (Isidore, 2015). This figure …show more content…
The study further pointed out that “the median ER visit costs 40 percent more than what the average American pays in monthly rent” (Abrams, 2013). Rising cost is something to be expected, with the modernizing and advancing of medicine that occurs on what is seemingly daily. However, the majority of American’s are not able to spend this staggering cost. As a result, the Affordable Healthcare Act attempted to combat these problems. The Affordable Healthcare Act works by “offering consumers discounts, known as tax credits on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program to include more people who don't have it in their budgets to pay for health care” (Neporent, 2013). The law also enacted sweeping changes throughout the industry. One major change was to that of pre-existing conditions. Before the law, someone with an expensive or long-term disease or condition could be turned down from insurance. If you were not turned down, the insurance company seizes the opportunity for price gouging, and will charge outrageous prices as premiums and deductibles. …show more content…
The article further reveals that there lacks a sufficient cause to determine the reasoning behind the sizeable difference in charges. The Affordable Healthcare Act seeks to curtail this issue by adding this aspect of transparency. There are future hopes that insurance companies and hospitals can enter into further negotiations to reduce this cost, and provide better services to its patients. This is important as “unexpected health care bills continue to be a leading cause of financial ruin for American families” (Young, 2013). This issue is above all is important, as the patients are recovering from what condition forced them to seek treatment. Americans do not need an added burden financially, as debt collectors, added stress, and uncertainty about the future could actually impede one’s ability to recover properly. In summation, the Affordable Healthcare Act undertook some of the greatest challenges facing Americans. With some success, however further case studies are needed to further understand the healthcare crisis in the United
With a population estimated around three hundred and eighteen million, approximately eighteen percent do not have any form of healthcare insurance (Isidore, 2015). This figure …show more content…
The study further pointed out that “the median ER visit costs 40 percent more than what the average American pays in monthly rent” (Abrams, 2013). Rising cost is something to be expected, with the modernizing and advancing of medicine that occurs on what is seemingly daily. However, the majority of American’s are not able to spend this staggering cost. As a result, the Affordable Healthcare Act attempted to combat these problems. The Affordable Healthcare Act works by “offering consumers discounts, known as tax credits on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program to include more people who don't have it in their budgets to pay for health care” (Neporent, 2013). The law also enacted sweeping changes throughout the industry. One major change was to that of pre-existing conditions. Before the law, someone with an expensive or long-term disease or condition could be turned down from insurance. If you were not turned down, the insurance company seizes the opportunity for price gouging, and will charge outrageous prices as premiums and deductibles. …show more content…
The article further reveals that there lacks a sufficient cause to determine the reasoning behind the sizeable difference in charges. The Affordable Healthcare Act seeks to curtail this issue by adding this aspect of transparency. There are future hopes that insurance companies and hospitals can enter into further negotiations to reduce this cost, and provide better services to its patients. This is important as “unexpected health care bills continue to be a leading cause of financial ruin for American families” (Young, 2013). This issue is above all is important, as the patients are recovering from what condition forced them to seek treatment. Americans do not need an added burden financially, as debt collectors, added stress, and uncertainty about the future could actually impede one’s ability to recover properly. In summation, the Affordable Healthcare Act undertook some of the greatest challenges facing Americans. With some success, however further case studies are needed to further understand the healthcare crisis in the United