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Mar 18, 2022 · Thanks to the ACA, millions more Americans have gained health coverage without limits, and protections are in place for people with preexisting conditions. People have access to essential health benefits, including preventive and rehabilitative care, prescription drugs, wellness visits and contraceptives, mental health and substance use treatment, among many others.
Mar 17, 2022 · The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to as the Affordable Care Act or “ACA” for short, is the comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010. The law has 3 primary goals: Make affordable health insurance available to more people.
- Assistant Secretary For Public Affairs (ASPA)
- Overview
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Some pros of Obamacare include more affordable health insurance and coverage for preexisting health conditions, while some cons include people having to pay higher premiums.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into law in 2010.
The act aimed to provide affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans. The ACA was also designed to protect consumers from insurance company tactics that might drive up patient costs or restrict care.
Millions of Americans have benefitted by receiving insurance coverage through the ACA. Many of these people were unemployed or had low-paying jobs. Some couldn’t work because of a disability or family obligations. Others couldn’t get decent health insurance because of a preexisting medical condition, such as a chronic disease.
The ACA has been highly controversial, despite the positive outcomes.
Conservatives objected to the tax increases and higher insurance premiums needed to pay for Obamacare. Some people in the healthcare industry are critical of the additional workload and costs placed on medical providers. They also think it may have negative effects on the quality of care.
More Americans have health insurance
More than 16 million Americans obtained health insurance coverage within the first five years of the ACA. Young adults make up a large percentage of these newly insured people.
Health insurance is more affordable for many people
Insurance companies must now spend at least 80 percent of insurance premiums on medical care and improvements. The ACA also aims to prevent insurers from making unreasonable rate increases. Insurance coverage isn’t free by any means, but people now have a wider range of coverage options.
People with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage
A preexisting condition, such as cancer, made it difficult for many people to get health insurance before the ACA. Most insurance companies wouldn’t cover treatment for these conditions. They said this was because the illness or injury occurred before you were covered by their plans. Under the ACA, you can’t be denied coverage because of a preexisting health problem.
Many people have to pay higher premiums
Insurance companies now provide a wider range of benefits and cover people with preexisting conditions. This has caused premiums to rise for a lot of people who already had health insurance.
You can be fined if you don’t have insurance
The goal of Obamacare is for people to be insured year round. If you’re uninsured and don’t obtain an exemption, you must pay a modest fine. Recent events have changed this fine, and beginning with the tax year 2019 it will be eliminated. Some people think it’s intrusive for the government to require health insurance. ACA supporters argue that not having insurance passes your healthcare costs on to everyone else.
Taxes are going up as a result of the ACA
Several new taxes were passed into law to help pay for the ACA, including taxes on medical device and pharmaceutical sales. Taxes were also increased for people with high incomes. Funding also comes from savings in Medicare payments. The wealthy are helping to subsidize insurance for the poor. Some economists, however, predict that in the long term, the ACA will help reduce the deficit and may eventually have a positive impact on the budget.
The ACA is subject to changes every year. The legislation can be amended, and budget decisions can affect how it’s implemented. Changes in the healthcare field, along with changes to the political makeup of future presidential administrations and Congress, make it likely that the ACA will continue to change for years to come.
- James Roland
May 28, 2024 · The ACA prohibits abortion coverage from being required as part of the essential health benefits package. The premium subsidy does not cover non-essential health benefits, meaning that people ...
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) adds many protections related to employment-based group health plans for you and your family. These include extending dependent coverage up to age 26; prohibiting preexisting condition exclusions for all individuals; and requiring easy-to-understand summaries of a health plan's benefits and coverage.
Apr 20, 2023 · The “Affordable Care Act” (ACA) is the name for the comprehensive health care reform law (passed in 2010) and its amendments. The law addresses health insurance coverage, health care costs, and preventive care. The law was enacted in two parts: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010
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Essential health benefits A set of 10 categories of services health insurance plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act. These include doctors’ services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy and childbirth, mental health services, and more.
