Pros And Cons Of Affordable Care Act

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: WILL REPEAL RESULT IN A BETTER REPLACE?

A PAPER

SUBMITTED

TO MR. CHURCHILL

AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

BY

EMILY PRIGGE

NEW RICHLAND, MINNESOTA

07 NOVEMBER 2017

Since the inauguration of Mr. Donald Trump, it has been on the agenda to have the Affordable Care act repealed and replaced with a plan similar to it but also vast in differences. Pros and well as cons can be extracted from the resulting years since the act was implemented, but is it really in our best interest to repeal and replace the ACA? Does repeal take into account the well-being of everyone?

The Affordable Care Act

Approved by the 111th United States Congress and signed by President Obama on March 23,

Perhaps the most recognizable out of the benefits people see in the ACA is the amplification of coverage for those with pre-existing health conditions, heart disease and diabetes being among those conditions. Prior to the ACA, health care coverage was refused to people with these pre-existing health conditions because most insurance companies overlooked them as being more costly (to cover) than their healthier coequals. It introduced subsidies, prohibits surprise cancellations and/or pre-existing denials by insurance companies, and excludes unreasonable limits on lifetime benefits to citizens. The ACA also serves to lower health care costs as an overall contribution to the long run by giving people the opportunitiy to be able to receive treatment before the period of time comes when they need more costly emergency health assistance, offers improved access to health insurance and health insurance options (through exchanges), and provides services for millions of American

Recently, on October 12, President Donald Trump took his first steps toward fulfilling his vow of doing just that: repealing Obamacare. He signed an executive order that targeted the health care law, asking federal agencies to “look for ways to expand the use of association health plans, groups of small businesses that pool together to buy health insurance, and to broaden the definition of short-term insurance, which is exempt from the Affordable Care Act’s rules, administration officials said.” President Donald Trump claimed that the order would “give millions of Americans with Obamacare relief,” and that it would “cost the United States government virtually nothing and people will have great, great health care” (he was referring to “people” by the millions and millions). Experts worry that the possiblity of President Trump’s administration making cheaper plans with decreased benefits more available will damage the ACA’s marketplaces, being that Mr. Donald Trump aims to open more loopholes for more individuals to purchase insurance outside of the health care law’s market. This repeal bill was blocked, also, and it was not said what the next version would be. Andrew Bremberg, a person who oversees domestic policy at the White House, shared his thoughts by saying “the president still firmly believes that Congress must act to repeal and replace Obamacare” and they expect the policy changes “to potentially benefit tens of millions of