The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has remained a contentious issue in the United States (Mukherjee, 2016). The current political climate experienced in the country has resulted in new concerns regarding the future of the Act. The article “Instead of ObamaCare: Giving Health-Care Power to the People” offers meaningful suggestions that can be used to support the health needs of more people. The author argues that more people have been against the ACA because it has led to increased coercion and federal spending. The article also offers new ideas that can reduce federal control of the country’s healthcare sector. The author explains why it is “appropriate to reform both Medicare and Medicaid” (Chen & Capretta, 2016, para. 7). Employer coverage should also be retained while at the same time expanding health savings.
The second article “Debate Prep: Fact-Checking the G.O.P. Candidates on Health Care” by Margot Sanger-Katz shows how different republican presidential candidates are against the ACA. However, the candidates have not presented clear healthcare plans to replace the ACA. Donald Trump has explained, “how his presidency will ensure more people do not die from preventable illnesses” (Sanger-Katz, 2016, para. 3). This means that the candidates are yet to design an appropriate plan to replace Obama’s ACA. According to Donald Trump, the ACA has affected the profitability of many insurers.
In the article “Obamacare Repeal Is a Train Wreck”, Jonathan Chait argues that the Affordable Care Act will eventually reduce insurance covers. The author is expertise in healthcare policy. Experts also believe that the policy has failed to support the health expectations of many Americans. The author goes further to explain how more republicans have opposed the policy. The saddening fact is that the political conditions expected to offer the best alternative are doing nothing constructive. The main argument is that the government should no longer be allowed to regulate the country’s insurance industry. The “federal government should not be allowed to subsidize access to healthcare through increased spending and taxation” (Chait, 2016, para. 6). The article also explains how the insurance premiums are still below the targeted estimates. As well, the policy has continued to increase the country’s national debt.
The authors of these three articles believe strongly that the ACA has been disastrous. Such assumptions explain why a new plan is required to ensure the government does not control the health-insurance industry. However, it is acknowledgeable that the articles offer detailed ideas to address the health issues affecting more people. The policy issue calls for new ideas and reforms that will ensure more people have better insurance covers (House & Miller, 2016). It will also be necessary to focus on the most appropriate strategies that will safeguard the health needs of the country’s future citizens (Mukherjee, 2016).
It will be necessary to have new reforms that can support the interests of every consumer. This policy issue can “be addressed by retaining employer coverage” (Schoen, 2016, p. 12). Tax credits should also be availed to individuals who are not covered by their employers. As well, citizens should be allowed to have insurance covers based on their health needs. Health savings should also be embraced to reduce medical costs. The important goal behind this policy issue is to outline a powerful plan that can support the ever-changing health needs of many American citizens (Schoen, 2016). This topic is worth analyzing because it examines a critical policy issue that will affect many Americans in the future.
Reference List
Chait, J. (2016). Obamacare Repeal Is a Train Wreck. The Intelligencer.
Chen, L., & Capretta, J. (2016). Instead of ObamaCare: Giving Health-Care Power to the People. The Wall-Street Journal.
House, B., & Miller, K. (2016). Obama to Veto Affordable Care Act Repeal Passed by Congress. Insurance Journal, 2(1), 1-9.
Mukherjee, K. (2016). Impact of affordability on accessibility of medical care post affordable care act in the USA. Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, 1(1), 1-24.
Sanger-Katz, M. (2016). Debate Prep: Fact-Checking the G.O.P. Candidates on Health Care. The New York Times.
Schoen, C. (2016). The Affordable Care Act and the U.S. Economy: A Five-Year Perspective. The Commonwealth Fund, 1(1), 1-24.