Despite complications on healthcare.gov, President Obama recently gave a speech at a church in Texas defending his Affordable Care Act (ACA), a task made even more difficult because of skeptical citizens and politicians attacking the act’s website. An alleged glitch in the website’s security created concerns about identity theft.
Debate regarding the ACA has been active since the bill’s conception. Recently, it’s been difficult to decipher the facts from the political slander.
The bottom line
The ACA will provide coverage for numerous individuals and families without health insurance. It will in turn save the lives of some of those currently unable to receive medical treatment due to a lack of insurance coverage for whatever reason, according to Gregory Slatzman, professor of economics.
This bill will ensure that insurance is provided to those with preexisting health conditions and those who are not able to afford the costs of healthcare insurance. These new regulations will make insurance available to roughly 30 million Americans who previously did not have coverage, according to Patrick McLean, director of the Ford Institute.
Though insurance will be more realistically available for a wider range of American citizens, it comes at a price.
“The system is inequitable (with more than 50 million uninsured) and highly inefficient from a cost standpoint,” McLean said. “Major reform is warranted.”
The Debate
According to McLean, costs will go up for business owners, but in the long run the economy will see certain benefits.
“Right now there are so many people who are chained to jobs by their insurance that it creates a drain on the economy, especially with regard to entrepreneurship,” McLean said.
Some express concern about the new requirements and costs that come with the bill’s installment.
“My great aunt is forced to get a new plan because hers doesn’t cover maternity leave, but my great aunt is 65 and will not be having a kid any time soon,” said Heather Stoner, Birmingham senior.
Not all are in accordance with this view, though. Some rationalize the new costs.
“I believe these costs are worth paying if it means the 16 percent of Americans without insurance can receive it,” McLean said.
The website
As President Obama addressed during his speech in Texas, there were, and still are, some complications with healthcare.gov. However, he assures that his staff is working around the clock to resolve the problems.
Americans seemed to feast on this undeniable blemish.
“The government should have foreseen this issue and planned for it ahead of time in case it did happen so that it could be resolved easily,” Stoner said.
This defect early on disrupted the confidence some Americans previously had in the ACA. Citizens are concerned for the future of the website and about where other flaws lie within the new law.
Others recognize this series of events affects more than America’s average Joe. It also interests the nation’s political figures in a major way.
“A long delay potentially could be a big political problem for the Democrats in the November 2014 Congressional elections,” Saltzman said.
Realistically, there were improvements to healcare.gov, but there is still necessary progress to be made in the months to come.
“The healthcare.gov web site was terrible when it started on Oct. 1, but it is gradually getting better,” Saltzman said.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
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