The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a health care plan, also known just as the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, that was created in 2010. It is intended to lessen the amount of money that lower-income class citizens have to pay for their health needs. The goals of this act are to make healthcare affordable to more people, expand the Medicaid program and to support new medical care methods. Grandfathered plans, or plans that were in place before the ACA was signed into law, for the Affordable Care Act will end Dec. 31, 2017.
“One of the jobs of our government is to ‘promote the general welfare,’ which means to ensure that Americans can have a shot at a decent life. To me, this means not having to choose between feeding your family and getting insulin,” said Trena Kirby, social studies teacher. “Not only that, but even more importantly, the ACA prevents insurance companies from dropping your coverage because of a “pre-existing” condition.”
Insurance prices have increased because of the threats to end Obamacare. If the Affordable Care Act was to become appealed, companies with at least 50 employees would not have to supply affordable insurance to their employees that work more than 30 hours a week. Health care workers gained an additional estimated 190 million hours in paperwork due to the ACA.
“I believe repealing Obamacare would be significantly detrimental to many citizens who have not had to stress as much about how they would be able to pay healthcare or how they would survive for the past few years,” said Grace Aghimien, junior.
Senate Republicans are drafting their version of the American Health Care Act, even after Republicans have disagreed to repeal Obamacare. As of July 13, 2017, the new plan calls for insurers to create less expensive plans, begin Medicaid funding again, and to make older consumers pay more.
“I believe the Affordable Care Act has been a very beneficial addition to our healthcare system with a few flaws,” said Aghimien. “It has helped many families that may not have been able to afford health care before and has made getting health care less of an obstacle for people with preexisting conditions.”
Some citizens believe that President Trump is working harder to take away what Obama had created rather than working to add a policy of his own. They believe trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act had more to do with that and less to do with what American citizens actually need in health care.
“For a long time there has been significant party polarization in Washington, with each party opposing anything the other party proposes simply because it came from the other side of the aisle,” said Kirby. “I don’t think Trump is against it because it came from Democrats, but I do think that for whatever reason, he is very focused on undoing any legacy that Obama left behind. There is much animosity there, but I have no idea where its roots lie.”
