One of the hottest debates going on right now is the future of health care. Currently, Republicans are trying to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and replace it with the American Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act recently released a statement by the White House back on March, 22 2016. Here is some facts that I would like to point out:
- 20 million people gained health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.
- More than 9 out of 10 Americans have health insurance the first time that has ever happen. Prohibits coverage denials and reduce benefits in result of this it protected 129 Million Americans who had some type of pre existing conditions.
- It eliminated lifetime and annual limits on insurance coverage and establishes annual limit on out of pocket spending on important health benefits benefiting 105 million Americans.
- And has expanded medicaid to all non eligible adults with incomes 133 percent of the federal poverty level.
- Kids can stay on parents insurance until the age of 26 under the Affordable Care Act.
- The Affordable Care Act provides more health screeners and preventive services for Americans which in result could protect Americans in the long haul by staying healthier for a longer time it will prevent the problem from happening earlier.
- And finally lower prescription drug costs saving 15 billion in the first five years of the Affordable Care Act.
Additional information can be found at Fact Sheet: Health Care Accomplishments and The Pros And Cons Of Obamacare.
There are many more positive things the Affordable Care Act has provided to the American people as well as some things that have not worked out.
However, not everything in the Affordable Care Act benefited everyone. Many people had to pay higher premiums. You would get fined for not having health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and when first enrolling for the Affordable Care Act they was trouble with the website. Businesses had to cut employees hours in result of Affordable Care Act because anyone working more than 30 hours would have to be covered under Affordable Care Act.
On the other hand, new propose plan by the Republicans, known as the American Health Care Act, has some major issues that will hurt millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office came out with eye opening numbers that will shock you. Under the American Health Care Act, more than 24 million Americans will be uninsured by 2026. This bill would cut 880 billion from medicaid over 10 years and reduce subsidies to low income Americans.
Many of Trump voters, low income earners in rural areas of the country, will be worse off under American Health Care Act
Most Republicans want Medicaid to get turned over to the states instead of the federal government. Running it this way would make it that each state would have full control of how much money gets spent in Medicaid which concerns me because of people's political agendas that the politicians want done, which could hurt a lot of Americans if not dealt with correctly.
The American Health Care Act will benefit the most wealthy in this country with tax cuts estimated to be $346 billion over 10 years of households making $200,000 a year or more. Americans with Affordable Care Act exchanges will suffer greatly with the Republican plan with the increase of $2,400 additional by 2020. Older Americans will be hurt because in the American Health Care Act allows insurers to charge up to five times in premiums for people approaching age of 65.
Affordable Care Act helped millions of American people that did not health insurance before be able to received it. Under President Trump American Health Care Act will hurt more Americans, it is likely that it will hurt more Americans than it will help them.
My question for Republicans lawmakers is: why are you rushing this through congress you criticize the democrats for doing the same thing on their health care law?
With the Republicans having majority in the House of Representatives for the past six years and having control of the senate the past two years. The Republicans continued to criticized the Affordable Care Act and if the republicans did not like it they should of propose their own health care bill. In the coming days and weeks we will find out if the American Health Care Act will become law. It is worth noting that the legacy of Affordable Care Act hangs in the balance and Democrats have made it clear that they will not go down without an fight. One thing is for sure the debate of health care will go on for many more generations to come.
