Current Domestic Issue Policy Paper Obamacare
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Current Domestic Issue Policy Paper: Obamacare
There have been current media debates about the performance and effectiveness of the Patient Protection and Affordable care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, following its passage and implementation after bitter counter arguments by the economists, medical practitioners, media and the political class. The United States Health Care system were the subject of political campaigns for decades as regime after regime seeks to improve the terms of the Medicare and Medicaid Act that was passed in 1965. The US citizens have time after time demanded from the federal government, a healthcare plan that would guarantee equitable access to health care insurance and healthcare facilities. On March 23, 2010, president Barrack Obama signed into law United States federal statutes that seek to satisfy these demands from the people of America. The Patient Protection and Affordable care Act, commonly called the Affordable care Act of “Obamacare,” was a new regime’s answer to a problem that has dogged the US for nearly half a century. Together with the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act, it represented the most significant overhaul of the US healthcare system. However, this Act has been met by both support and critics. Whereas proponents of the Act praise the affordability and increased access to health care it accords citizens, its adversaries have taken to more political and economic dissection of the Act. It is no wonder that to date this Act continues to be a hot subject of debate and contention between different political wings.
None has been more critical of President Obama’s Healthcare plan than the Republican Party members. The Republicans have continued their assault of the “Obamacare” accusing the president of betrayal of the Americans. According to Landler and Michael, “there have been counter election-year attacks by Republicans on the law’s success and viability” (1). For example, in the party’s weekly address, the Indiana representative Todd Young passed on stories from residents in his state who were concerned that their insurance had been cancelled as a result of the affordable care Act. Todd’s rage seems to have been sparked by president Obama’s repeated reassurance of the public, in his speeches over the past four years, that they could keep their insurance plans if they liked them.
The scrutiny on the law recently emerged again following sustained audit. Obama recently tried to qualify that statement arguing that his meaning was that the people of America could keep their existing healthcare insurance. April 2014 Statistics shows that “the total number of enrollees exceeds by a million the target set by the administration” ( Landler and Michael, 1). However, even when the president tried to apologize for the Affordable Care Act’s rollout problems, the Republicans still could hear none of his apology. They kept on with the attacks and Wisconsin senator, Ron Johnson, sponsor of a bill to let people keep their existing healthcare insurance, used another one of the Republicans’ weekly address to call president Obama’s acknowledgement of the problems facing the rollout of the new healthcare plan a “phoney apology”. Johnson embarked on a mockery of the president’s speech criticizing that his fumble acknowledgement was like telling a dog owner you were sorry his dog died, but not acknowledging you had run over the dog. While acknowledging the problems facing the rollout of the new healthcare plan, president Obama revealed some progress made in ensuring reduced dependence on foreign oil significantly, Johnson focused on the challenges of the healthcare reforms. He argued that Obama was playing political fraud and that the US needed long-term solutions to Obamacare debacle.
On the other hand, the Democrats rallied behind the commander-in-Chief arguing that the problems with the disastrous rollout of the Affordable care Act will be fixed in good time to achieve the intended goals. The house minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, was quick to caution that this was not going to be an easy task. She insisted that what mattered most was the events that went on in the kitchen tables of the American people and how they would have more “affordability, more accessibility, better quality care, prevention, wellness, a healthier nation” (Rushe 1). The rollout of the “Obamacare” has been dogged with serious problems, especially with the federal website healthcare.gov ( PBS, 1). Coupled with uproar concerning Obama’s statement that no one would lose their health plan under the new reforms, the program has attracted criticism from both the Republican and Democrat quarters. Indeed, 39 House Democrats, under fear of being victimized in the 2014 midterm elections, voted for the Republican “Keep you Plan” Bill ( Rush, 1.). It is this event that prompted key democrats, including Pelosi, to publicly come out and support Obama’s healthcare reforms. Pelosi advises that this is an issue that ought to be dealt with, but did not warrant political asylum seeking. Her rationale is that the reforms were too valuable for the people of America and politicians should not be thinking about who gets re-elected in 2014. Instead, they should only see to it that Americans are well served by the new healthcare reforms. She rightly observes that nobody can foretell what will happen next year. However, she promises “democrats stand tall in support of the Affordable care Act” (Rush, 1).
In a possible move to resolve the existing problems with the Affordable care Act, president Obama seems to have yielded to pressure from both his party and the Republicans when he announced changes in the Act to address the rampant cancellation of insurance policies. While the move was meant to address a staunch problem that had threatened to ruin the president’s reputation and credibility in the eyes of the public, it raised a number of questions. The issues include; whether insurers would adjust, whether customers would need to pay higher premiums and whether the states would make the fix available. In his announcement, president Obama admitted that he was in the dark about many aspects of his crowning achievement of his presidency. Obama has appreciated that the federal government rules were an impediment to individual political ambitions and lamented the political damage he had caused for members of his party (Eilperin, Goldstein and Sun, 1).
Despite the many critics and support, facts about the Affordable care Act show better results. The Act had the intention to enhance access to cheap, valuable health insurance. Contrary to widespread myths, the Act has bettered healthcare quality and affordability since its enactment. Its specialized form of operation has also seen it help specific target groups. Among the most benefited are the elderly through a clause to improve community healthcare centers to help those who cannot access private healthcare services. “Eight million older Americans have saved $10 billion because of lower prescription drug costs under the law” (Landler and Michael, 1). In South Carolina, the Act has been implemented successfully. In the region, “18 districts are already implementing Aesop, [and they] have decided to employ additional personnel to keep up with the requirements are paying up to $43,000 a year” (Frontline, 1).
Judging from these facts, it is inevitable to conclude that the controversy that surrounds the Affordable care act was primarily a factor of a political interplay rather than a factor of merit. The Act in its bare essentials has the good of the American people at heart. However, this cannot be achieved without stepping on to some mighty shoes. These revelations show that the decision on the suitability or unsuitability of the Act ought to be left to the individual citizens rather than their political representatives. The current news coverage and debate in the Act is very healthy. The process should continue to enhance transparency and accountability in management of the program.
Works Cited:
Frontline Orangeburg Approves Aesop to Help With Healthcare Reform Requirements. Frontline
News. May 2, 2014. Washington D.C.
Landler, Mark and Michael, Shearapril “Enrollments Exceed Obama’s Target for Health Care
Act”. New York Times. 17 April, 2014. New York.
Rushe, Dominic. “Democrats rally behind president in defense of Obamacare.” The Guardian,17 November 2013. New York.
Eilperin, Juliet; Goldstein, Amy and Sun, Lena H. “Obama announces change to address healthinsurance cancellations.” The Washington Post, November 14, 2013.
PBS. at enrollment deadline, affordability may be real test of Affordable Care Act. The News
Hour 31, March, 2014.
