The patient protection and affordable care act commonly known as Obamacare, reforms the health insurance industry and the American health care system as a whole. The new law was signed on March 23rd 2010 and accredited by the Supreme Court (Michael, 1). However, some changes were enacted that allow states to opt-out of expanding access to Medicaid. The law give millions of uninsured Americans more rights and protection and expand access to affordable quality health care. The law requires all Americans to have health insurance by 2014 or otherwise pay a tax penalty.
The Act reforms the way people buy health insurance requiring them to purchase a private health care plan, get an exemption or pay a 1 to 2.5 percentage of their taxable income or asset amount. Those who cannot afford health care insurance will qualify for one of the following; Medicaid, CHIP or get assistance through their states Health Insurance Exchanges. My opinion is that the government was not profound enough when introducing the act since it presented with a lot of controversy.
The law has created two blocks of the American population one block for and the other against it. This is because of its complex nature which benefits the middle and low class and at the same time creating obstacle for the high earners and large firms that do not insure their employees (Michael, 1). It can be noted that the Obamacare have not meet the accreditation of all parties as it only favors the low income earners. These division combined with political differences has created the debate and made it controversial. So the question to be answered is; what is in Obamacare that makes it so controversial?
The progressives believe that the problem lies in the Americans lack of understanding on how the affordable act will help them. The can be attributed to lack of education which has resulted to the mass movement and the public opinion on its favor (Michael, 1). There has been eloquent information to anyone who wishes to understand the basic of what the Act is meant to do.
The conservatives see the facts presented by the progressives as dubious, which forms the core of the problem and controversy about the Act. Despite the apparent benefits that seem to arise from the act that most of them embrace, they seem to believe that a progress towards a collective health care coverage program will be a step towards a socialistic system that will challenge their individual freedom.
The progressives’ claim that the Act will lead to socialism is ostensible. The healthcare evolution will eventually phase out the private health insurers. Emphatically, the federal government offers efficient health insurance than the private insurances (Pipes, 107). There is adequate evidence to support this claim as the federal experience with Medicare, Medicaid and in other industrial democracies proves it.
Conservatives believe that there will be shortage in resources to implement the project over a long term period. The large base of customers might not deliver quality services. Many of the conservatives believe that they have contributed to the system what they should and therefore they are entitled to get back in the form of medical services.
Another controversial argument is the ability of the American economy to support the project. This creates more divisions since the act is so scrupulous. Though the country’s economy has been stable over the years, the recent past has been characterized be poor economic performance (Pipes, 123). Unless the economic situation gets back to normal, there will be difficulties in making the project a success. There are fears in the lack of resources to cover every member of the American society. These arguments have made the system seem unachievable.
In the congress, there have been conflicts because of the controversy in the Obama care. The fights are intended to bring a balance in the legitimate concerns. Obamacare is associated with a lot of intuition surrounding it. The House of Commons are looking for a way to create a clear understanding between universal coverage and individual freedoms. Most of the republicans argue that the United States is under a tight economy and sustaining Obama care will present with economic constraints.
Are the imbalances that come up with the taxes when paying for Medicare worth the services provided? In recent times, there exists no crisis to explicit the difference but with time, a different scenario may arise. It will be very risky if policy developers will allow the costs of Medicare exceed the normal rates of inflation in the country (Scott56). To solve this controversy, the government must introduce ways to reduce the high taxation rates in all sectors so as to accommodate the bill. It will always be wrong to attempt to expand services in healthcare faster than the rate of which the economy is growing (Scott, 46).
The success of Obamacare remains a dilemma since the American System is subjected to a lot of inefficiency. When a comparison with other developed countries is undertaken, it realized that United States care is very costly and too far expensive. When universal coverage does not become a reality, the economy of the country will be pushed to the corner. The republicans are standing strong to ensure that Obamacare is implemented in an emphatic way.
In a nutshell, the implementation of Obamacare must accommodate the room to avoid the increasing costs of care. When the costs are regulated, the provision of Affordable Care Act will be very helpful to all individuals and it will solve the enigma surrounding it. There are many imbalances that are associated with Obamacare and measures must be taken to rectify the tricky situation. When the controversy is done away with, every individual will be full of zeal in supporting its implementation.
Works Cited
Atlas, Scott W. Reforming America's Health Care System: The Flawed Vision of Obamacare. Stanford, Calif: Hoover Institution Press, 2010. Print.
Michael, E B. "Progressive Charlestown: Why is the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) So Controversial?" Progressive Charlestown. N.p., 10 Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. <http://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2013/04/why-is-affordable-care-act-obamacare-so.html>.
Pipes, Sally, and Kevin Foley. The Truth About Obamacare. Old Saybrook, CT: Tantor Media, 2010. Print.
