This all helps explain why the Senate Republicans decided to pass their own version of a healthcare bill, however, the Senate bill has not been without controversy either. Perhaps the biggest criticism of the bill before it's official release today was that until today nobody, except a small group of senators, had seen it. The Senate Republicans choose to write the bill without allowing public hearings or markup (amendment adding) sessions - meaning that the bill was basically written in secret by a small group of Republican Senators, and it will have major impact on the whole population of the country, but the public was not given the opportunity to see how.
OK, enough of my yapping, on to the real questions: (1) What's in this bill? And (2) will it pass the Senate?
Here are some articles and links that should help you (and me) to better understand what's in this bill, what it does to Obamacare, and whether or not it will reach President Trump's desk.
First Step: What is Obamacare?
Before reading or commenting it's a good idea to find out, or to refresh yourself on exactly how Obamacare works. Below is a video on just that:
Links for Further Reading:
Senate GOP brings Obamacare repeal bill out of the shadows - from Politico.com
What's in the Senate's Obamacare repeal bill - from Politico.com
GOP Senate Health Care Bill: What you need to know - from Politico.com
The Senators Who Could Take Down The Health Care Bill - from FiveThirtyEight.com
Will the Senate Pass Its Healthcare Bill? - from FiveThirtyEight.com
Questions for Discussion:
- Should Obamacare be repealed or stay in place?
- How does the Senate bill change Obamacare? How is it different from the bill proposed by the House?
- Does it matter that the Senate bill was written in secret without the input of the public?
- Is the Senate bill a good change/fix to Obamacare? If so, why? If not, what would be better?
- Will the Senate healthcare bill pass the Senate?
- Which Senator has the best chance to stop the passage of the bill?
DON'T FORGET TO READ MY POST ON CURRENT EVENT COMMENTS BEFORE YOUR COMMENT!!
Obamacare has many benefits that a lot of the United States population is not aware of. The negative comments and messages about Obamacare have outnumbered the positives fifteen to one. Even three years after the bill was approved fifty four percent of Americans wanted to repeal and replace the bill. However, there are several positive and negative aspects of the Obamacare bill that are overlooked.
ReplyDeleteObamacare’s largest benefit is that overall, it lowers health care costs. By providing preventative care for free (an example of this is check-ups or mammograms), people can receive the treatment they need before they have to pay for expensive emergency room services.
Obamacare’s largest downfall would be that all Americans must have some form or health insurance, or they are required to pay a fee. This is difficult due to the fact that there are thirty million uninsured Americans. This is also an issue because millions of people who had previously bought private insurance had to have their plan cancelled because it didn’t cover the ACA’s ten essential benefits, and millions more lost their company-sponsored health care plans. Gaining back those insurance plans can be a large expense.
As of recently, GOP senators Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee and Rand Paul, had made it clear that they were not ready to support the bill as written. After further negotiations they had said they would remain open for voting. Also, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democrats had said that Donald Trump thought the bill “needed heart” and that it was “mean”. Not only that, but former President Barack Obama had said the Senate bill was a"massive transfer of wealth" and it would skyrocket the cost of healthcare for poor and middle-class Americans, therefore it would only be beneficial for the wealthy. Obama also stated that “if there’s a chance you might get sick, get old, or start a family – this bill will do you harm."
In my opinion, until the bill is negotiated and revised to be beneficial for all people, Obamacare should not be replaced. Although there are significant issues with Obamacare, would repealing and replacing the bill be more beneficial?
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DeleteGoing off of Morgan's question, I feel that the bill would not be more beneficial if it were to be repealed or replaced. The bill already allows scans and checks for all citizens with insurance at no costs . Also, it allows most citizens to have health insurance that fits them according to their income and family. If it were to be replaced with something else as the Senate Bill, I feel that it would just cause more problems for the citizens. At least with Obamacare, everyone has health insurance. So, I strongly feel as if Obamacare should stay as it is and not be canceled or replaced.
DeleteAnswering Morgan's question I believe that the new bill would not be more beneficial for our country. I ageee this because it would only be beneficial for people that have more money and wealth, but it would not help people with little money. Considering poverty rates are high, many people are living on their own or are starting to live on their own, and there are 30 million uninsured Americans, it would not be helpful. Also because it would make the Senate and Government lose more money. Another downside to the new bill is, people that have gained insurance through the ACA will lose it since they are eleiminating Individual Mandate, and women's health care would be at high risk. Women's health care being at high risk is an issue because if Planned Parenthood funding is eliminated like it would be in the new bill, women won't be able to get birth control, abortions, and other things they need, especially if it was a life or death situation. Therefore we should not repeal Obamacare because the new bill is not beneficial to our country.
DeleteI think that it would, eventually, be beneficial to repeal and replace. At this point in time, it did provide problems mainly for the uninsured, however those who were insured benefited enough that they were in a better situation than they were before the bill was in place. It does definitely some adjustments to make it more appealing, but it did benefit many people and even the 54% of people wanted adjustments to the bill, no a complete abolishment. It would definitely be beneficial to adjust some aspects, but it does not need to be completely destroyed.
DeleteResponding to Morgan’s question, I don’t think the bill should be completely repealed, but must be modified to an extent. I am strongly against the new bill’s structure in which citizens are no longer required to purchase health insurance if they don’t have it. I believe it’s essential for every person. For the ones that don’t have health coverage, it is only fair that they pay a fee so that they are not entitled to have complete free healthcare. It is unfair to hardworking citizens that are paying for their insurance compared to manipulative people that can use the eliminated individual mandate in the new bill and medicaid to their advantages. However, I like the small changes the new bill adds from the previous Obama Care such as limiting the enhanced funding for Medicaid and addressing the issue of opioids to citizens. In order to solve this issue, I do not think it is necessary to completely remove the new bill due to the adjustments and additions that it offers; yet, they should modify and tweak the general structure especially the rules regarding the removal of the individual mandate.
DeleteJust to be clear everyone, responding to Morgan's question, while excellent practice, does not count as a current event comment.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteObamacare (the Affordable Care Act) is a law intended to improve the access to health insurance for citizens in the United States. Obamacare is helpful to most citizens in the U.S. but many see this law as unbeneficial. Even after the bill was approved, many Americans wanted the bill to be canceled or replaced. Even though citizens can favor a side of either keeping or changing this law, there are numerous positives and negatives about the bill.
ReplyDeleteThe Affordable Care Act has the upside of allowing citizens to have affordable healthcare available to more Americans, allowing those who don’t have health insurance to attain it and are able to get a plan that is reasonable for their family and money income. The act creates the Health Insurance Marketplace, which is what allows people to find health insurance. Obamacare also covers preventative care for free, giving citizens checkups, mammograms, and screening at no costs. This helps everyone by saving money on highly costing visits to doctors. ACA allows young adults under the age of 26 to stay under their parent's health insurance which can benefit people who are just starting to live on their own and are still starting to live on their own. Obamacare is super beneficial to Americans but also has some downsides.
This bill causes a change of individual mandate, which requires most Americans to possess some form of health care insurance. This is a downfall because the U.S. has 30 million uninsured citizens, creating a huge change throughout the country. For those who do not possess health insurance, they are required to pay fees, $95 for adults and $47.50 for children. This is a negative attachment of this bill because people are having to pay even though they don’t have or want health insurance, loosing even more money yearly.
Their is the Senate Bill that was made that changes some of the rights and requirements in Obamacare. It is not officially passed but many people such as Donald Trump view it as “mean” and the previous President Barack Obama, commented saying the Senate Bill is a “massive transfer of wealth”. Trump dislikes the changes in the bill and Obama feels as if the Senate bill is be very costly in health insurance for the poorer citizens of the U.S.. The Senate Bill in my opinion would only harm the United States and Obamacare should stay as it is and not be canceled. The changing of this bill would not be beneficial towards everyone, only people with wealth. Therefore, in my own standpoint I feel as if Obamacare should be kept, not repealed unless most of the changes are beneficial towards the wealthy and poor.
As most of us know the current issue in America is healthcare. President Donald Trump is trying to repeal Obamacare, which has been around for a while. Obamacare aka the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has many pros and cons. The pros of it are, it makes healthcare in America more affordable, it helps people pay less money rather than just going to the ER and paying ridiculous amounts of money, and men & women pay equal amounts of money for insurance. The cons of ACA are, if a citizen does not have coverage or insurance you have to pay a fine or penalty that increases annually, it results in high co-pay for the government, it's a very unfair and unstable system because it helps some people but hurts others, and it was voted for unfairly. In the new bill called the GOP Senate Healthcare Bill, Individual Mandate, Cost-sharing subsidies, and Planned Parenthood funding will be eliminated. If Planned Parenthood funding is eliminated, the women's health organization will be banned from Medicaid for a year. If Individual Mandate is eliminated people will not have to pay penalties for not having coverage, but that will cause many people to lose insurance. Things that will change in the new bill are, insurers are going to be banned from charging people more or denying coverage based on a medical condition that currently exists. States will be encouraged to expand Medicaid programs in their state and they will receive enhanced federal payments that could cover more citizens in need of affordable health care. Traditional Medicaid is going to be changed in the new bill as well. It's going to cover low income children, elderly people, pregnant women, and people with disabilities, and there would be absolutely no corresponding provision to Obamacare. For the new bill in 2018 $2 billion provided by the Senate, will be given to states that address the national opioid crisis. Lastly in the new bill, in 2020 subsidies will be scaled back 350 percent of federal poverty levels, and the base of coverage levels will be skimpier. (Politico GOP Senate Healthcare Bill Article). Now, will this bill pass the Senate? No it won't be passed most likely because not only are Republican Senators such as Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, and Mike Lee, trying to stop the new bill from replacing the ACA, in the ratings more Republicans in the Senate want to stick with Obamacare. In my opinion I don't think the ACA should be repealed just yet. That is because if the new bill is passed too quickly things in the country will become very corrupt and controversial. Obamacare is definitely not the most stable healthcare system this country can give but neither is the GOP Senate Healthcare Bill. I believe they should use both systems to compromise and make a new system that would work with our country, because if the new bill is passed women's healthcare will be at a higher risk than men and children's healthcare, many people will lose insurance (since Obamacare has helped people get insurance), and the Government and Senate will lose more money. If they work off of the positives of both of these bills, fix the negatives as best they can and create a system well enough for this country and they vote upon it fairly, I think our country's healthcare issue will be solved, not entirely but a lot of the problems could be fixed.
ReplyDeleteGood first post! The only critique I have for you is to spend more time on your opinion and less time summarizing the bills and articles.
DeleteThank you! I'll definitely work on that (:
DeleteThe Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is a health care plan created during Obama’s presidency in an attempt to improve America’s healthcare system and give more Americans access to healthcare. The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is very controversial and has had wavering support over the years. As recently as December, 49% of Americans supported repealing the ACA while 47% thought it should stay in place. However, once Trump became president the ACA became more popular, perhaps in fear that Trump’s new healthcare plan would be detrimental to their health. As of March, 51% of Americans supported keeping the ACA. 45% opposed it, but the approval rate is still increasing. Although there are still Americans who feel the ACA is not ideal, it does have many beneficial policies. Under the ACA, Americans may keep their current healthcare plan. Those who are on their parent’s healthcare plan, for example, may stay on it until they are 26 years old. Another benefit of the ACA is that there is no penalty for those with pre-existing conditions. This means that those who had a condition before joining their insurance do not have to pay more than an able-bodied person. In addition, the ACA covers preventative care such as check-ups, screenings, and mammograms which are essential for well-being.
ReplyDeleteThe newly proposed healthcare act, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, is the Senate’s replacement to the ACA. Its goal is to repeal the ACA by resolving some of its problems. A main issue many people have with the ACA is its individual mandate, which requires that all Americans buy health insurance, or else they will have to pay a fee. Another change the new healthcare act would make concerns cost-sharing subsidies; after two years of the new plan’s enactment they will be completely eliminated. Lastly, the new plan would defund Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides many women with essential healthcare, for a year. In the House’s original bill, states would have the option to opt out of the requirement that insurers must charge everyone equally which would put a strain on those with pre-existing conditions. The Senate’s bill maintains this requirement. The House’s version of the bill also linked financial assistance to age. In the Senate’s bill eligibility for financial assistance is scaled back, weakening coverage.
The Senate’s bill to repeal the ACA is facing a lot of opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. Some Republicans feel that the new bill does not repeal the ACA, but rather revises it. Other Republicans, such as Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul are not ready to vote on the bill but are willing to vote on it after further negotiations. It is not highly likely that the Senate’s bill will pass. 50 of the 52 members of the Senate need to support the bill in order for it to pass. This is difficult because it will only take 2 Republicans to vote against the bill to reject it. Also, approving the bill would be risky. It is the last step before reaching the President’s desk, and many senators do not want to take that risk until the bill is revised to the point at which it can help everyone. Therefore, the Senate’s healthcare bill will most likely not pass.
In my opinion, the ACA should not be replaced. Although it is not the most ideal healthcare plan and it does have its flaws, it is still better than the Senate’s plan. The Senate’s healthcare bill is not very considerate of lower to middle class people. It could increase the cost of healthcare for lower to middle class Americans, and could possibly force older Americans to pay more. Although insurance companies are still required to provide equal prices for all of their customers under the Senate’s bill, they can still choose what they are willing to cover. Lastly, the Senate’s bill defunds Planned Parenthood for a year. This is detrimental to over 2.4 million women, men, and young people who visit Planned Parenthood per year to receive necessary health care. In conclusion, the Senate’s bill is not fit to replace the ACA.
Caitlin,
DeleteGood first post! The only critique I have for you is to spend more time on your opinion and less time summarizing the bills and articles. Next time, assume everyone knows about the current event posted and write more about your opinion (using the articles for evidence).
Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, was put into place by the Obama administration in March of 2012. It's main purpose was to provide sufficient and affordable healthcare to the citizens of the United States. There are many positive and negative aspects to Obamacare, which is why there is a lot of controversy about whether it should remain, or be repealed and replaced. On the positive side, adolescents under the age of 26 are able to stay on their parents insurance plan, as they set themselves up for the future. Also, this act covers preventative care such as check ups and mammograms. Along with the positives, there are also downfalls. If you are of the 30 million uninsured United States citizens, you are forced to pay a fee every year. As of 2014, the fee was $95 for adults and $47.50 for children. Also, premiums in various states differ significantly, making it hard for some to afford suitable insurance. Because of these negatives, the Senate Bill was created by Senate Republicans to try and replace Obamacare. Many are not in favor of the Senate Bill, even Donald Trump viewed it as "mean". This may be because this bill was created in secret, without public hearings, however, if put into place,it will affect everyone in the United States. Personally, I believe that Obamacare should not be repealed and replaced, but revised instead. Some major and some minor changes should be made to try to benefit everyone as best as possible. But, I do not believe the ACA should be entirely replaced because it has many positive qualities that significantly help the population of the united states.
ReplyDeleteBriana,
ReplyDeleteGood first post, you just need to spend more time on your opinion than on summarizing the articles and the law. For example, how would you like to see Obamacare changed/fixed? What do you like and not like about the Senate bill?
Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act was created In March of 2012, and was intended to improve access to Health Insurance for US citizens. Though this worked in some cases, I believe the ACA, or Obamacare, should be repealed because it may benefit some but it does not benefit all. For example, thirty million people bought private health insurance. But then, the insurance companies canceled many of their plans because their policies didn't cover the ACA's 10 essential benefits. For those who lost their private insurance, costs of replacing it were very high. Also, starting in 2013, families could deduct medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of income. Before, they could deduct any expenses that exceeded 7.5 percent of income. Therefore, Obamacare is just another problem that needs to be resolved (AKA by Trump repealing it). Going off of what Brianna said though, if the ACA was revised instead of repealed, that would aslo be a solution.
ReplyDeleteThe Senate's bill to repeal Obamacare was written in secret. I dont feel that this was a good thing to do, but it also wasnt a bad thing. For example, writting it in private would keep the public's criticism from keeping it from getting passed. Though the public's criticism wouldn't be that bad as it would persuade the government into giving them what they want.
The Senate Bill is a good change to Obamacare for many reasons. First off, the plan would keep the ACA's rule that insurers include everyone and charge the same rates, but with few conditions. The bill would extend two more years than Obamacare would, which help insurers pay medical bills for low-income customers. President Trump has threatened to cut off those payments though due to destabilization.
Interesting point, "writting it in private would keep the public's criticism from keeping it from getting passed". Isn't the bill meant to benefit the people? If they don't like it shouldn't it not be passed or at least shouldn't we be allowed to give input?
DeleteAlthough Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) has helped a multitude of Americans by providing more available ,
ReplyDeleteaffordable health insurance, it has also put a damper on those who might get penalized for not having insurance already in
businesses, and would have to change up their provided health care plans to meet the Obamacare requirements. As
Obamacare isn't perfect it could be revised and made into a better system by not penalizing those who don't deserve it.
No i do not think Obamacare
(Affordable Care Act) should be replaced by the senates bill even tho it's hard to choose between replacing
it and not due to its pretty equal pros and cons. A few points to be touched apon would be if Obamacare were to
be replaced it would eliminate Planned Parenthood funds, which i feel is important to have. Although replacing it would
eliminate individual mandate, which is not penalizing anyone that doesn't have an insurance plan. When it was found out
that
the Republican senate was drafting a bill behind the peoples back US citizens got upset because of this being such a
big issue in the public eye
it could effect the whole nation. They should have done it in the peoples eyes to begin with, seeing
that it is them the bill is going to essentially effect. Therefore the US citizens should have 100 percent had a say
in what they think would be right for them. It's hard to tell if the senates bill will be passed because
although the senate majority is republican
there has been Republican senators lately pushing towards bipartisan agreements.
Good first post Marion! "although the senate majority is republican
Deletethere has been Republican senators lately pushing towards bipartisan agreements." Is this a good or bad sign for the Republican majority in the Senate?
For those of you with little or no knowledge, Obamacare also known as the (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) was implemented to reform the American Healthcare System in March 2010. Obamacare has become a very controversial topic since Trump has been president. People have become more aware of the healthcare plan, in fear of the senate's reform, and whether the ACA should stay or be replaced. In my opinion, Obamacare is the first step in improving America’s Healthcare System. One of the major highlights of Obamacare is a focus on preventive health care which includes routine health screenings such as free mammograms, check-ups, and vaccines. In the absence of these preventive services, costly medical conditions such as colon cancer and breast cancer are found in advanced stages. With these free services, money is saved by identifying conditions earlier and the overall healthcare cost is lowered, which is the main goal. The ACA also allows anyone under the age of 26 to stay under their parents healthcare plan. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, as of 2012, 3 million previously uninsured people were added to this plan. This has grown and increases profit for insurance companies while keeping children and young adults covered. In addition, ACA forces insurance companies to waive pre existing conditions. Now don’t get me wrong, Obamacare does have many flaws like the employer mandate, which is a big expense for large companies costing employers nearly as much as salaries. Also, the current limitations on healthcare savings accounts are another drawback. Personally, the ability to contribute more to health care accounts would have been beneficial to my family due to a major health event. A positive aspect that the Senate bill would bring is a larger capacity on health care savings accounts. This would have been a financial advantage to my family, and would for many others. In my opinion, a bipartisan solution to the healthcare system would be ideal. I don’t think the ACA should be totally repealed but fixed. A unified approach would solve flaws in both reforms.
ReplyDeleteLauren,
DeleteGood first post, you just need to spend more time on your opinion than on summarizing the articles and the law. For example, how would you like to see Obamacare changed/fixed? What do you like and not like about the Senate bill?
The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is a topic I always heard as a child without any knowledge of knowing what it was. Its intention is to create healthcare that is manageable for citizens to afford. Now that Trump is the new president in office, he believes it is best to repeal and possibly create a new healthcare option in place of Obamacare. To be frank, this new Senate Bill is hastily written to uphold President Trump’s campaign promise, and its only goal is to undo Obamacare, not actually help people. I think the best solution for America’s healthcare crisis is to modify Obamacare. Regarding Morgan’s claim in which “Obamacare’s largest downfall would be that all Americans must have some form or health insurance… [and] This is difficult due to the fact that there are thirty million uninsured Americans.” is a true fact however, I fully disagree with Morgan’s conclusion. I do not think the health insurance mandate is Obamacare’s largest downfall, but it’s greatest ascent of that law. It is important to emphasize the fact that America’s healthcare system is paid for by insurance, therefore, without changing the paying system means that these laws will work within it, meaning the easiest change is that everyone should have health insurance. (According to Politico) The new Senate Bill undoes the mandate without undoing the payor system, and decides to remove the requirement of paying a penalty. Abolishing this mandate will make insurance for those who have it more expensive because it makes the pool smaller. Therefore, I think that this choice could possibly cause more people to become uninsured as costs rise. In my opinion, Obamacare can be improved by changing a few points. One way in particular is to fix inefficiency of Medicare and Medicaid, health care for the poor and elderly. Part of the reason Medicaid is clunky is that it covers many people, but only under specific circumstances, which gives a lot of people coverage “only some of the time”. Giving people who are eligible to work subsidies in order to make health insurance easier to pay for will make Medicaid more manageable, and less costly. While Obamacare is not perfect, it has made large strides in providing people with healthcare based in the health system America has. There are many ways to improve upon the Affordable Care Act without repealing the progress it has made.
ReplyDeleteRepealing the Affordable Care Act completely would harshly impact the country and leave millions of people sick or losing much needed money to insurance. It was a great thing to happen to our country, as it made sure health care was affordable for everyone (thus the name), and set good smaller rules in place, such as the fact that men and women would pay equal amounts for insurance, and the fact that it covers preventative care such as mammograms and screening. Typically the first thought when it comes to insurance coverage is existing diseases and emergency care, but the ACA made sure to include anything needed medically. Basically, Obamacare took the citizens of the US into consideration, not primarily focusing on the profits that the government would make. Therefore, it should not be repealed because of how many people have been helped out by this. In addition to that, affordable healthcare should be considered a right, not a privilege that one receives when the can afford it.
ReplyDeleteThe Senate's new bill is not awful, but definitely could be better. A major thing that stood out to me about this bill was the fact that older citizens would be paying five times more than those who are younger. The article that stated this did not specify how old is considered "older," but if these people are retired then they likely won't be extremely wealthy. Another thing that stood out to me was the fact that Planned Parenthood would be defunded with this bill. I understand that abortion is against the morals of some people, but what those people should do is simply not get abortions. A woman should have the choice to terminate a pregnancy if she deems necessary. Also, Planned Parenthood does not only offer abortions. They cover most aspects of feminine health and provide care to too many people to get defunded. There were several other changes that would be made with the Senate bill, some of which kept the ACA in mind, but many of which seemed to plan to provide less fair rights to our country's citizens.
Overwriting the ACA with the proposed Senate bill would be detrimental to the United States. The only groups that would truly benefit from repealing and replacing our current system would be large corporations, and the wealthy would be largely unaffected. The provisions suggested are generally harmful to low-income Americans, especially low-income women.
ReplyDeletePenalties for living without insurance would disappear, eliminating the incentive for purchasing coverage. On top of the est. 23 million Americans predicted to lose coverage, many will be able to freely choose to go without coverage. While the right to choose one's insurance plan is fundamental, having too many uninsured citizens is dangerous for the USA’s economy, as this could lead to other Americans having to "pick up the tab" (through taxes or raised premiums) in the event that uninsured people need emergency medical attention which they cannot afford.
If the government stops subsidizing insurance, low-income families will suffer because there will not be enough money allocated for them. Since the GOP claims the gov. insurance money was never properly appropriated, Congress should hold a session to determine where and how much of this money is needed. By choosing to scale Medicaid funding back from 400% of the poverty line to only 350%, it will be more difficult for poor Americans to qualify for assistance.
It is obvious that this bill was drafted by Senate Republicans, since vital programs like Planned Parenthood will be defunded. Likely due to their party's stance on abortions, Republicans suggest that this bill should not require Medicaid to pay for services provided by PP (not just abortion. Some of these include prenatal care, cancer screenings, etc.) In my opinion, this should not be a partisan issue, and politicians should be able to overlook the abortions provided by PP considering all of the great things they do for women's health. Along with PP, organizations that administer mental health care and cut prescription costs will also be abandoned. These programs could suffer because they will no longer be reimbursed after caring for Medicaid patients.
On the other hand, large businesses will profit from this bill, since the requirement for corporations to provide employees with health insurance will be removed. Under the ACA, companies with over 50 employees must provide insurance and face penalties if workers can find a better deal on a gov. marketplace.
Coverage equity for those with preexisting conditions is also under question. In my opinion, it is simply wrong for both private and subsidized companies to charge more or refuse to cover those with preexisting conditions (even pregnancy can be considered a preexisting condition!) Under this bill, protections in basic benefit packages will be weakened and those with preexisting conditions may have to pay more. This is discriminatory, as these people are more vulnerable and dependent on insurance in the first place.
The requirement for states to have a public marketplace could be lifted under this bill, meaning that many people that will no longer be able to receive Medicaid will have to turn to private companies. In some states, though, the "competitive market" that Republicans claim to want to create simply does not exist. Some states only have a few insurance options to choose from.
One positive aspect of this bill is the allocating of funding for research and prevention of the opioid epidemic. Providing $2 bil to states for this cause is a good idea. However, this could be included in a separate bill that provides program for addicts rather than being in an otherwise terrible bill.
I believe that Obamacare is crucial to the USA and allows those in poverty to have protection without dealing with the high costs of competitive, private companies. While it is not perfect (just like anything else the government does) it is much better than the Senate Bill and should be amended, not repealed or replaced.
Obamacare is an informal term for a federal law intended to improve access to health insurance for U.S citizens. The official name of the law is the Affordable Care Act or (in full) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). This topic was on the news in Europe(Greece) I used to watch all the Republicans going against democrats and the arguments occurring because health care is a major issue all around the world. But when me and my family moved to the U.S then I understood the challenge of a capitalist/market economy which I am really thankful for ACA because I could take my shots, fix my teeth but also always being able to be healthy and achieve the America dream. The idea to create Obamacare is helpful/beneficial for the citizens to afford that are not wealthy. But now the republican president named Donald Trump think the best solution to repeal and maybe create a different health care. When the president did the campaign, he had promise to remove the Obamacare but the issue will be all the low-income people will be with no insurance. The president need to see the bigger picture in today’s everyday life because the society struggles to maintain the family healthy. My opinion in this topic is to reshape/rewrite the Affordable Care Act. People now day will think that Obamacare was a huge economic disaster but Americans need to have insurance and if the government decided to cancel ACA the big issue will be the 30 million people around the United States are uninsured and the situation will increase humans being lives not being able to go to the doctors to stay healthy. I strongly disagree with the republican’s perspective of the healthcare option. Obamacare is the best law because it provides families to stay healthy and do their checkup once a year. Being healthy is more important than money and human beings have to see the reality of the world. The health care system is getting the money from the insurances which that means everyone is benefits from the ACA. Conferring to the senate bill which decides to take out the paying the penalty will make the health care cost increase a lot which not everyone now days will be able to afford. Taking out the penalty and making all those awful changes will increase the uninsured around America. I think, Affordable Care Act could become the best healthcare around the world by shifting some points around which later on could benefit the society. I believe some ways to change the ACA is to fix the applications that the government sends to the family. For example, the US could save a lot of money by making sure the clients don’t lie because now days people will fake a health problem just to get benefits. The government should interview the clients more often to make sure the money is going to a good cause. Another way is the veterans/military should be able to get covered 100% without needing to do any applications or interviews because they risk/serve the country for our families. The healthcare program should update how people could be eligible to have ACA. Also, if the government helps the people to get better then later on they won’t need the insurance and could help the economy. Although the health care is not the greatest, it helped a lot of people around the U.S to stay healthy and strong. In conclusion, the ACA should not be repealed because it will create a catastrophe around America health going downhill.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is Obamacare should not be repealed. I am on this side of the argument because their are many pros to Obamacare. For example, Obamacare makes sure that women don't have to pay more money for health insurance then men even though they might have more procedures needed. Also, Obamacare makes sure big companies have to explain price increases more then 10% so people don't have unfair expenses. In addition, one can be apart of a family plan and be considered a child until the age of 26 so if a young male or female is having difficulty in their lives they have an insurance plan with their families if they can not afford it by them selves. Lastly this bill allows people to have extra procedures like mammograms for no extra cost so people can make sure they don't have to choose between a money deficiency and health, as long as they have health insurance. Another upside is that you can stay on your own previous health insurance plans, not switching. However there are down sides to Obamacare. One huge problem about Obamacare is that 30 million people are uninsured and if a person is uninsured they either have to get insured costing money or pay a fee for not being insured. The fee for uninsured adults is 95 dollars or 1% income, for children who are not insured their family has to pay $47.50, and for a whole family it is 285 dollars. These fees cause chaos because it's such a costly expenses.
ReplyDeleteObamacare is a great bill because it supports Americans to make sure they have healthcare to protect them and keep them healthy. Without Obamacare people who can't afford costly insurance plans might go through life without insurance or has a huge money strain that effects themselves and their families. This is why Obamacare is important to keep as a bill since it's solely here to protect and aid United States citizens. It is a better option then the Senate Bill, which changes many rights of the Obamacare Act. However, in my opinion, I feel as if the Senate Bill is worse than Obamacare. Therefore, I strongly feel that Obamacare should stay and not be replaced by the Senate Bill or get canceled.
Obamacare provides health care and support for the citizens who cannot afford proper insurance. It was made to aid Americans who do not have enough money to purchase health insurance for themselves or their families. It would be a mistake on the governments behalf if the bill were to be revoked, because so many more Americans depend on this insurance than we realize. 30 million people in the U.S. are uninsured because they cannot afford insurance. These people strongly rely on Obamacare. As for the people who can afford insurance, our rates are so high that we are paying more to our country than we would in other countries. Obamacare would be a better option for most of our citizens because it would be saving them a lot of the money that is spent on expensive insurance each month, or even more after an accident or emergency situation. I have seen rates go up personally, after my brothers accident, his health insurance became more expensive than the rest of my family. Many people believe that people should be able to work for themselves and their family to provide health insurance. But tragedies can happen to wealthy families as well, that can lead them to become bankrupt. Some benefits of it for Americans in general, are that women and men's insurance costs are equal, regarding the expensive costs of prenatal appointments and care. This is a very big benefit because younger mothers have trouble affording the costs because of insurance and money problems. The individual mandate provides families that struggle to get health insurance and help them get plans that go along with their family size and income. The downside of Obamacare is that people who do not support health insurance are forced to pay fees. For adults it is 95 dollars and for children, its 47.50 dollars. This is a downfall because families would have to pay extensive amounts of money for not even having insurance. This goes against my opinion, of believing that Obamacare should stay. I feel this strongly due to the pros of this bill and how other bills don't help everyone. Some bills like the Senate Bill provide more for the wealthy and the Afordable Care Act provides for all (by allowing scans and mammagrams at no costs). Therefore, I stand on the side of the bill of Obamacare being kept as it is, not being replaced or removed.
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ReplyDeleteThe big question people are asking is should Obamacare stay or go? While Obamacare does provide health care at low prices, there are several ups and downs to this fact. The low prices allow people in a lower class to more easily obtain insurance without dealing with large sums of money. However, the company mainly focuses on healthcare. This will divert the attention of more wealthy people since they can easily obtain medicine from pharmacies. People in mid to upper classes with focus less on healthcare and more on property insurance. Another problem that diverts the attention of mid to high class people is the penalty price. The penalty price for not having healthcare for an adult is about $695. This is approximately 2.5 percent of the total tax paid a year for the average American. This makes Obama care seem pointless since this is way too low of a penalty. This will want to make people pay the penalty rather than the company since it costs less. In conclusion, although Obamacare provides benefits to low class people, the rest of America would benefit from an insurance company that would provide better for their needs.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is that the Affordable Care Act should remain in place. Although it isn't a perfect plan, it has made healthcare much more affordable for many. Without Obamacare, children just going off to college would have to figure out how to pay for healthcare as well as pay for schooling, all without yet having a well paying job. Obamacare allows children to be on their parents insurance until the age of 26. Both the house and the senates plans would take this away. One thing that could be changed about the ACA is the fact that all citizens are required to buy insurance. this makes some people upset, because the government is forcing them to buy something they may not want. This is one fallback of Obamacare. Another positive aspect of Obamacare is that all preventative testing is required to be covered by insurance. People that don’t have a lot of money would otherwise not be able to afford such testing. They would skip tests such as mammograms and likely miss any red flags, causing them to possibly become ill. Overall, the Affordable Care Act has many more pros than cons, and should not be replaced by a plan with many more issues such as the senate or the houses plans. However, I do agree that changes should be made to the plan in order to make it more efficient and better for everyone.
ReplyDeleteRose,
DeleteYou do a nice job in a short comment of discussing your view of the pros and cons of Obamacare. However, you need to spend more time on the Senate healthcare bill, which was the main focus of my post. Also, (because I can't help myself) "Obamacare allows children to be on their parents insurance until the age of 26. Both the house and the senates plans would take this away." is incorrect - both plans keep this Obamacare provision because it's so popular with the public.
Of course it matters that the Senate bill was written in secret without the input of the public! Something this large should be spread to the public, especially to the people who have Obamacare. If this new bill succeeds, it would completely erase Obamacare as a whole. There are too many people in this country who cannot afford healthcare as it is, and along with that there is a penalty which requires money. The people of the Senate should have expected such backlash from the public (patient advocates, hospitals and public health organizations). Whatever happens will be guarenteed to change multiple lives, and whether it be negative or positive, there will be effects. Surprisingly, this reminds me of when the current President Trump made the decision to not release his tax returns to the public. It led to a lot of backlash from all around the country. Both these situations angered people and caused them to take action, and I do not blame them for being angry. The government should not be keeping secrets from the community; it will only make things worse.
ReplyDeleteThe Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, was created on March 23, 2010. The main purpose of Obamacare is to provide an affordable healthcare option to Americans. Some positives of Obamacare are that it lets citizens keep their previous insurance if they choose to do so and children under the age of 26 can remain under their parents’ insurance. Some negatives of Obamacare are that it requires citizens to already have prior insurance and since there are 30 million uninsured Americans, this can lead to many problems. On the other hand, the fees of yearly healthcare as of 2014 are as follows: $95 for an adult, $47.50 for a child, and $285 maximum for a family. These costs are considered affordable for most people. In my opinion, Obamacare should not be repealed unless a better healthcare system is put in place. According to former President Barack Obama, the Senate Bill is a “massive transfer of wealth”. In other words, it would not benefit Americans very much and would cause the cost of healthcare for poor and middle class citizens to rise tremendously. Obama makes his opinion about the bill clear by also saying, “Simply put, if there’s a chance you might get sick, get old, or start a family-this bill will do you harm.” By using these descriptions of who the bill affects, Obama evidently shows that the bill will affect almost all Americans. Since the effect of the bill is seen as negative as of now, this means that the majority of the citizens of the United States will be harmed by this change. I think that Obamacare should stay in place for the time being, at least until a change that would benefit Americans more than harm them is put in place. Also, the fact that the Senate Bill was written in secret without the input of the public matters tremendously. Any changes made to Obamacare affect the citizens of America, therefore their opinions should be taken into great consideration. Going along with my opinion, Obamacare is clearly the more secure and safer option for the wellbeing of Americans.
ReplyDeleteObamacare (The Affordable Care Act) is a health care plan whose purpose is to increase the number of Americans covered by health insurance and decrease the cost of healthcare. As current president Donald Trump prepared to take office, one of his top priorities was to repeal Obamacare. All this talk on Obamacare has millions of Americans wondering: should we repeal it or keep it? Obamacare should still be active and modified monthly for better improvement. There are many benefits to this healthcare act. The biggest benefit of the ACA is that it lowers overall healthcare costs. It does that by providing insurance for millions of Americans and making preventive care free. In this case, people would receive treatment before they need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive emergency room services. According to Healthcare.gov, “In 2016, the cost of healthcare services increased 1.2 percent”. All in all, this is much less than the typical annual price increases of 3-4 percent in the years before. This healthcare plan also maintains coverage for people with pre- excising conditions. No insurance company no longer deny anyone coverage due to any pre- excising conditions. For instance, Obamacare, for the first time, required Americans to have health insurance. That would no longer be the case. Under the Affordable Care Act, a person is required to purchase health insurance or pay a tax penalty. However the House bill changes Obamacare because it eliminates the tax penalty. Anyone who goes without insurance for more than two months would face a six-month waiting period to get coverage when they buy a new plan. The Senate also eliminates the tax penalty, however unlike the House bill, there version does not include any penalties for people who do not maintain coverage. When the Senate bill was being written it most definitely should have caught the public’s attention. In other words, the citizens of America should have known about it because it affects them exceedingly. They too should have a say on something that alters them.
ReplyDeletePrior to Obamacare there was over 30 million people without health insurance. Obamacare should not be repealed nor replaced becauses it provided millions health insurance especially those of lower income households. It covered preventative care, equal cost for both men and women, and covered pre-existing conditions. This preventive care will even cover mammograms. This is very important for women because over 246,000 women are founded each year to have breast cancer in the United States. The Senate’s bill will cause many of those from lower income community to lose the current affordable insurance they have. This will then hugely impact hospitals because when someone is injured they are still treated at the hospital whether they have life insurance or not. Thus in the end hospitals will lose money and they increase the cost to treat patients. Because the cost is increased the insurance then increases their premiums to cover their cost. The current Senate Bill does not guarantee the coverage of pre existing conditions. Three years ago my younger brother had open heart surgery due to an aortic valve defect that he was born with. However, my father changed jobs and insurances before his surgery. His surgery currently would not be covered under the Senate’s Bill. Obamacare was not highly liked and caused many problems amongst the richer community that can easily afford health insurance, however, the Senate’s bill accommodates the richer community again leaving out the lower income community. Many of which that can finally afford health care will no longer be able too. I think this bill would be an awful fix since it is not helping fix any of the major issues of health care in America. The biggest issues is that too many people are uninsured and health insurance cost so much more money than health insurance in other countries. Obamacare allowed for people to qualify for lower premiums making the cost cheaper and forced insurance companies to publicly justify a rate increase of over 10% allowing to keep insurance prices down. In all reality I believe that Obamacare is the best fix for the current problems we face as a country when it comes to health care. Another large problem with the Senate’s Bill was that it was made in secret not allowing the citizens of America to have a say. This is critically important because this bill will affect everyone’s daily life whether you are rich, poor, a small business owner, or if you even work in or for a hospital. Even though, the Senate’s Bill was made without any consideration of many senators and the public it will still pass because the republicans hold the majority rule and the republicans created the bill. The senator with the most chance to stop the bill from passing is Nancy Pelosi because she is the current speaker of the house and she can rally support against the bill.
ReplyDeleteMarissa,
DeleteGreat post! I noticed that you commented on both current event posts I put up, and while I love that you commented on both, just remember that you have to comment on 1 to earn credit.
Nice job!
I do believe that Obamacare should be repealed and fixed to benefit U.S. citizens. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act definitely has many benefits to it. With it, more Americans can afford health care and you have the option to keep the health insurance you already have. Also, you can no longer be denied health care because of any preexisting conditions you have. Even with these positives, the costs it makes Americans pay is unsettling, and citizens that want to live without insurance must pay a fee.
ReplyDeleteWhile President Trump was campaigning, one of his main promises as President of the United States was to repeal and replace Obamacare. Now that he is in office, the Senate has begun on a repeal bill for the Affordable Care Act. The Senate had some of the great ideas that Obamacare did and didn’t have, such as denying coverage to people with existing medical conditions, citizens would not be charged a penalty for not living with insurance, and the Senate would give states $2 Billion in 2018 to try and put an end to the national opioid issue. Some topics on this bill were also changed from the House. This includes where the Senate wants to take more money away from Medicare than the House. Also, the Senate believes insurance subsidies should cover 350% of the federal poverty level, where the House thought financial assistance should have to do with age.
Even with the revisions to the Senate’s bill to repeal Obamacare, it is not perfect. It would ban Planned Parenthood, an important organization for people of all ages, from the Medicaid program for a year. This organization teaches people about safety and health, and it has helped millions of people have affordable health care. To cut their funding would be like going backwards in this bill. The point of a bill like the Affordable Care Act and the Senate’s new bill to replace it are to help Americans have an easier, more affordable way to get health care without hurting the government and economy. It also doesn’t help that the Senate bill was written in secret. Of course, no bill would ever be loved by every single American citizen, but it’s important to at least get their input. Senators and state representatives are elected to represent the people, not to hide their ideas from them. This bill might have some upgrades from Obamacare, but it is nowhere near perfect. That is why the Senate will have a hard time getting enough votes on the bill. Many Senators are nowhere near ready to approve it. There would need to be many changes made for it to pass the Senate. I also agree the senator with the greatest chance to stop the bill from passing is Nancy Pelosi. This is because of her ability to gain support due to her position as speaker of the house.
Mike,
DeleteGood post, especially for your first one! I have only two issues, one small and one not so small. First, Nancy Pelosi is not a Senator, she is a Represenative (which is why you called her Speaker of the HOUSE). Second, while you say you want to repeal Obamacare, I'm not entirely sure why. Most of the things you mention seem to support Obamacare. Otherwise, this is a really solid post (seriously!), keep it up.
I believe that Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, should stay in place because it has helped millions of people in the United States to get an affordable healthcare plan at a price that they can manage. Although this plan has many flaws, like giving any American who chooses not to have healthcare a penalty or the fees Americans are forced to pay just to find a plan, its pros overpower its cons. In the ACA plan the amount old customers can be charged versus the amount new customers can be charged is a ratio of three to one, while on the new bill older customers can be charged five times more than newer ones. This new bill would greatly increase the price of insurance for anyone who was already on a plan, and would not be helpful to any low or middle class citizen because of the much higher costs. Because Obamacare lowered costs of health insurance and made it an option for many people who were not able to afford it before, the ACA is a much better choice for a healthcare plan in the United States and should not be replaced by the new bill.
ReplyDeleteI do believe it matters that the Senate bill was written without input from the public. The public are the ones using this healthcare so their opinions matter more than anyone else's. Most of society is middle and lower class citizens, so in repealing obamacare that leaves most of us without healthcare. In saying that, this only benefits upperclass citizens, which are the ones deciding whether or not to repeal it. See the problem? There was nothing wrong with obamacare, as far as I can see from the video provided, so there's really no point in taking it out. The people's lives should be the governments first priority over everything but seems not that money is more important. Without notifying the public it also makes people like myself feel unheard and unjustified. It makes sense why many people don't trust the government because it feels like they're always against us.To lighten the mood, the Senate needs 50 votes for the bill to pass and it seems he's not getting those. I understand that obamacare may be more expensive than what we had before but it is much more beneficial for citizens so why can't we go the extra mile and keep it going? To conclude this response, I'd sya that any bill being passed that includes society (which is most of them) the public should be notified and should have a say in it. Although this will never happen because the government is a bit corrupt, it's a nice thought.
ReplyDeleteThe Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare by most, opens opportunities for every American to be allowed affordable healthcare plans. This was established back in March 2010 by President Barack Obama. But since President Donald Trump is now in office one burning question still stands. Should Obamacare stay or go? In my honest opinion, Obamacare most definitely should stay. Any government powered organization that is specified to help any Americans afford healthcare is amazing. However now that Donald Trump is in office, chances of the ACA staying completely are not the best. If another organization is to be created specifically to replace Obamacare, people should have a right to speak up about what it can do to help them. It should not be created effortlessly with many problems, it should be open to any comments or concerns before it is set in stone. This is so that anyone, especially the homeless and people living in big families, is acknowledged with affordable health care plans.
ReplyDeleteObamacare has been a large topic of debate throughout trump’s candidacy. He has consistently bashed the validity and effectiveness of the previous president’s health care plan. When he announced that he would repeal the Affordable Care Act, millions of people in the United States rose up in a great panic. Repealing the Act completely would put these families in desperate and horrible situations. I absolutely and strongly disagree with the idea of replacing and repealing Obamacare in order to fulfill an egomaniac's attempt at presidency. I personally believe that getting rid of the ACA will be a major stepback of the progress made in healthcare in America. Compared to other countries, I have noticed that the Health Insurance costs are at a huge disadvantage. In order to get more affordable health care, major changes will have to be made that I don’t think people are ready for. Since The US is a diverse nation, everyone has different needs to be fulfilled and most likely not everyone will be content with changes made. I stand up to believe that people do not handle change well, however this is no small change. Making an entirely new plan was not a good idea on the president’s part. However, now that the plan is out many people have complaints. A major concern is about cutting planned parenthood’s budget. Everyone associates planned parenthood with abortions. However, the organization helps women in several different ways (birth control being one of them), and this has spurred anger and panic throughout the female population. Several women are outraged at having to pay for yet another thing they cannot control. This is just one of major differences/ changes compared to Obamacare. Adding onto, and changing things a reasonable amount in the ACA is a better option for everyone involved with this health care act. A reasonable change, for example, is not forcing people to pay a fine for not having insurance. That is a small change that can make a world of a difference. The way the Trump administration attacked the issue of Healthcare was wrong. The Senate bill being written in secret is completely ridiculous and childish. These people need to realize that their decisions ultimately impact EVERYONE in the US. Before writing the healthcare act at all, the administration should have questioned what people under Obamacare disliked, and made changes based off of that. People who this change pertains to need to have a say and influence on the bill. It is, after all, going to affect the millions of American’s who are below or near the poverty line, not rich politicians who will never have to worry about their lives being turned upside down. Overall, the better decision would be to revise the already existing Obamacare act within reason.
ReplyDeleteIn my honest opinion I that Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act, should stay in place because it has helped thousands and even millions of people in the United States to get an affordable healthcare plan at a really good price that they can manage. Even though the healthcare does have some flaws in it the good parts of the plan over power the bad parts of the healthcare plan. Also the good thing about Obamacare is the women won't have to pay more then men. Another good thing about the ACA is the 80/20 rule where the insurance will have to actually pay 80% for premium on actual healthcare. Another reason why I think we should keep the ACA is that it charges everyone the same amount for the healthcare unlike the new healthcare bill that is coming out. The new one wants to charge older customers 5 times as much as the younger customers. Also subsidies could no longer be used to purchase health plans that cover abortion and medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood would be cut off for one year.So in the end i think that we should keep the ACA because there are so many more good things in it compared to the new healthcare plan that they are trying to put into place.
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