Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, is a healthcare law that works between a person and an insurance company. Obamacare is meant to make healthcare available and affordable for all Americans. It also aims to reduce the cost of healthcare as a whole.
President Obama signed this law reform on March 23, 2010. The remainder of the reforms will continue to roll out until 2022.
Obamacare does not control healthcare directly, but it influences the health insurance industry. Health insurance is a contract with a company where the company pays all, or some medical bill costs based on specific plans. In return, an amount is paid each month in case medical care is needed.
Many students in the MST program hope to enter the medical field. HST teacher Annette Chinske says that the government is going to limit what can be made as a healthcare provider.
“I think fewer students will want to be healthcare providers because they’re not going to make any money,” Chinske said.
Obamacare includes taxes, mostly for high-earners, large businesses, and the healthcare industry. However, toget the new rights and protections that Obamacare offers, Americans must either get healthcare coverage, an exemption, or pay a per-month fee.
Obamacare is not mean to replace private-insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. Americans who prefer their own type of health insurance can keep it until 2015, when they will be required to switch their health insurance if it does not comply with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
English department head Stephanie Dingle does not think that Obamacare is a great idea, even though she says that it could help some people out who don’t have jobs or are unable to afford healthcare.
“Something about healthcare needs to change because it’s really expensive,” Dingle said. “It’s a stretch to call them benefits because what are we benefitting from?”
People can learn about their health coverage options and compare prices through the healthcare marketplace. Through information such as household size and income, the best cost for private insurance can be bought.