How some facet of process philosophy has impacted American Government and society – Obamacare
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), popularly known as The Obamacare, is one of the most significant and landmark legislations enacted and passed into law in the United States in the last 10 years. The law was passed by the 111th congress in 2010 and signed into law by President Barack Obama in March of the same year. The main role of the act was to expand health insurance coverage to ensure that all Americans could access insurance coverage easily. The law also initiated a number of measures geared towards improving the quality of care provided in the country as well as bringing down the costs of accessing healthcare services. This paper elaborates on the impact the legislation has had on government, the political landscape and the American society in general.
Read also The Way Some Facet of Process Philosophy has Affected American Government and Society
One of the biggest impacts of the legislation is the fact that it has led to a significant reduction in the number of people without health insurance, as well as leading to improved health outcomes. Many reports have confirmed significant increases in the number of people taking up insurance cover. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported in 2016 that the number of people of people without health insurance cover reduced from about 16 percent in 2010 to 9 percent in 2016 (Center et al., 2017). Due to the expansion of Medicaid services and the reduction in the insurance costs, many people could afford to pay health coverage.
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Additionally, the law provided for the charging of fines for those who failed to obtain insurance services once the registration period elapsed. The requirement that employers contribute to the insurance costs of their employees, the costs on the part of the employees went down significantly (Almeida et al., 2017). The law mandates health insurance to not discriminate people with preexisting conditions or any person on the basis of sex, gender, race among other variables. With this, many people that could not get insurance before are now assured of coverage. This has led to improved health of the general population and inclusion of the entire citizenry in the healthcare insurance landscape.
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The legislation had, and continues to have, a lot of stake to play in government and the political landscape. The law is credited as the biggest and the most consequential of the Obama era. The Congress Budget Office has projected that the legislation would lead to the reduction in the federal deficit by more than US$ 200 billion between 2012 and 2021 (Kaplan & Pear, 2017). This is credited to the fact that with increased insurance services and increased in the number of enrolment, the overall health of the population is bound to improve and therefore put fewer demands on the government for investment in healthcare. This is also based on the fact that the legislation put a greater focus on preventive medical care which is cheaper that curative care which is very expensive.
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On the political perspective, however, the law has divided the major political parties deeply. The Republican Party has severally opposed the legislation on the basis that the legislation comes with exorbitant premiums that unfairly targets the very rich. In conclusion, it is clear that Obamacare has been impactful in a number of ways in the country. The legislation has led to an exponential increase in the number of people with health insurance coverage. This has been significant in improving the health outcomes of many Americans, especially for those with preexisting conditions who had difficulties in accessing insurance coverage before. The legislation also has potential of significantly reducing the federal deficit in the long-run. However, it is clear that the law has also been at the center of controversy and been a bone of contention between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
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