What The Repealing Of Obamacare Means For You | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

What The Repealing Of Obamacare Means For You

Congress budget resolution kickstarts the repeal of Obamacare

15
What The Repealing Of Obamacare Means For You
Womble Carlyle

On Friday, January 13, Congress successfully passed a budget resolution with a vote of 51 to 48. This was the first step in the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (a primary goal of the Republican party since Obamacare became law back in 2010). But how does this budget resolution effect the ACA, and how does it affect you?

The Budget Resolution: How does it work?

The budget resolution is not a landmark piece of legislation; rather, it is an annual statement of what the federal government expects to spend during that year. This year, however, had a certain section of the resolution is causing an uproar among adamant Obamacare supporters. This section, “reconciliation directive,” asks for the four committees that control spending on federal health care to reduce the impact the ACA has on the federal deficit. AKA, how these four committees (two in the House, two in the Senate) will defund Obamacare.

Ingeniously, this removes much of the chance Democrats would have to filibuster a bill that repeals Obamacare, for a bill of such a sort would take 60 votes to overcome (the Republicans only hold 52 seats). So, to prevent a Democratic filibuster and failure of such a bill, the Republicans are using a budget reconciliation to defund the ACA. A budget reconciliation can be passed with a total of 51 votes, and a budget resolution is the first step in moving towards a budget reconciliation

The budget resolution, passed by both the House and Senate, then gets sent to committees of jurisdiction to draft the repeal bill. This will take quite some time, for debate over what parts of Obamacare to defund will likely be a slow and arduous conversation. But once it has been decided which parts to defund, the plan will be sent to the budget committee. This committee will turn the entirety of all plans proposed into one large proposal (the budget reconciliation), to be voted on again by Congress. A simple majority wins it for the House, and the Senate only requires 51 votes to pass. Once it passes (and it likely will once the reconciliation is proposed), parts of Obamacare will be repealed. The rest of the ACA, though, will have to be deconstructed with bipartisan support

But what does this have to do with me?

Unfortunately, a lot. America already spends the most of its GDP on healthcare out of any developed nation (a fact that has been consistent since before the ACA), a fact that may seem odd when most all other developed nations have some form of socialized healthcare. But this fact is due, in part, to a large amount of persons who are uninsured in this country. If one is uninsured and they go to a hospital to seek treatment, but can't pay, they will still receive treatment regardless. However, their bill still has to be paid and will default onto the American taxpayers. Thus, in order to pay for those who can't afford pricey insurance premiums, taxes will increase.

In order to help alleviate tax increases and decrease the number of uninsured programs, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act. This, alongside its many other facets, served to get 20 million more people insured, thus reducing the amount of medical bills that end up defaulting back onto American tax payers.

Just a few highlights of the ACA that are likely to start being contested soon:

-Protection for those with preexisting conditions, so that insurance companies cannot refuse you or charge you a higher amount

-Expansion of Medicad and CHIP, so that if you fall below 138% of the Federal Poverty Line, you can be covered by said plans.

-Individual Mandate Penalty which must be paid monthly by all those who opt out of having insurance coverage.

-Employer Mandate that requires all employers with 50+ full-time workers must cover their workers (started in 2016).

-Insurance coverage through your parents up until the age of 26. (A landmark in insurance coverage for many young persons who are full-time students)

The first of these that are likely to see an end in the budget reconciliation is the expansion of Medicaid and the individual mandate. So, things will change most immediately for those who are covered by the expansion of Medicaid, or those who pay a monthly penalty. But, for better, or for worse, with a Republican President and Congress, it is likely the US will watch the dismantlement of the ACA in the coming years.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

136626
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

32288
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

29436
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments