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Post #12- Nick Djamalidinov
March 29, 2015 | Leave a Comment
The Affordable Care Act has made progress and it is explored in the articles today. One of the first questions everyone would have is if it’s working. It set out to decrease the number of uninsured people, provide more affordable health care, and make the population healthier. The Affordable Health Care act though is not without its controversies. People do not like the government telling them to buy insurance and there are people far below the poverty line who are still locked out from insurance. But overall, the articles have shown the Affordable Care Act has had an overall positive effect on The United States and has even disproved some predictions.
The Affordable Care Act has decreased the number of uninsured Americans by about 8 to 11 million people. That is great progress and certainly shows that the primary goal of the act is off to a good start. It provides subsidies for people at the poverty level and allows young people to stay on their parents’ plan. I think those are great ideas, especially the subsidies. Most people who do not have insurance do not because of the premiums. I understand the logic behind avoiding paying premiums when you are poor because there is a chance nothing will happen for a year and that means you simply threw money away that year. That can be very troubling for lower income people. That is also if you could afford the premiums at all. The second article told of a few people whose lives were saved by the Affordable Care Act, as they got access to expensive medical procedures. The subsidies make actually make it “affordable” and save lives.
I think the biggest criticism of the Affordable Health Care act was the idea that it would ruin the health insurance market and cause the fall of several insurance companies. The article said the opposite happened. Business increased because more people bought insurance. But I do like that the government controls what insurance companies can do and limits how much money companies can get from people. I think this is an important step in avoiding the issues that caused the Financial Crisis of 2007. Lax regulation means more companies will throw away ethics and following laws to maximize profit. With government regulation, the insurance companies cannot become too powerful. I understand the importance of big business but I do not think health insurance should be a game. Big business treats the economy like a game and disregards the social consequences in favor of more profit.
One of the controversies briefly discussed in the second article. Sharon Tomalavage expressed discontent over the idea that the government is forcing people to buy insurance. She claimed adults should be free to choose whether or not they want buy insurance. I understand that it is people’s right to do what they want with their money but the problem is people are blinded by short term interests and do not see long term ramifications. People seem to make poor decisions, as evidenced by behavioral scientists. And I believe the government should step in during matters of health and safety. Even Tomalavage admitted she was nervous in case something happens to her when she is not insured. I feel it is the government’s responsibility to fix such an issue when people personally cannot. I mean the government tells what drugs we can take, the business practices we can use, and they have done that since the beginning and the United States turned out alright.
The third article brought up something interesting. It claimed that the Affordable Care Act has, in some way, fought back against income inequality. These subsidies transfer income to the poor which they obtain from taxes. Blacks and hispanics benefitted as well as people in rural areas, and the 18-34 year olds. All these groups do poorly in terms of income and employment compared to other similar groups. This is an interesting phenomenon. It reminds of an article we read that opposed the minimum wage increase in favor of tax subsidies. I think giving people money at those low poverty levels helps them make their ends meet and allows them to have more disposable income from which they can have savings or afford more necessities.
