A Look at the New Health Care Bill The ACA was a blessing to some, but not all. Could it have been perfected over time? We will never really know as it is being replaced. As of now, 70% of Americans do not approve of the ACA, so let's see if the new one is any better. The New Health Care Bill This bill does not require people to buy insurance. Instead, it offers incentives to those who do. The new bill tries to encourage insured people to maintain their coverage by setting regulations with insurance companies. The new act will prevent companies from charging more or denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. The only stipulation is, you cannot let your insurance lapse. If insurance does lapse for more than 63 days, it allows the company to tag on a 30% penalty for the year. The tax credits will be based on age, but can go up to 4,000 per year. It's difficult to predict who will win out with the new bill, and who will lose, it takes some time to determine the results. Related: Importance of Nursing Practitioner Affordable Healthcare Example (Obamacare) The PositiveA single mom of three works in a dentist office 4 days a week. Her children are covered under their dad's insurance; however, the mom went for years without coverage, due to the cost. She worked 36 hours a week and made too much for state aid on coverage for herself. When the Affordable Act was put in place, she shopped for, and found coverage. For $114 per month she now has insurance for herself. The NegativeA 52-year-old woman that suffers from severe Crohn's disease was forced to switch to the healthcare marketplace when it became the law. Her current doctor did not accept her new insurance, in fact, no GI specialist in her town did. She was forced to drive 3 hours one way to obtain a provider on the list of covered insured.
The New Healthcare Insurance The positiveThe government will no longer force Americans to buy insurance. They will encourage and reward, but you won't be fined if you don't have it. The NegativeThe hardest hit Group under this plan looks to be the 60+ group, which needs all of the income they can get, they may not be happy. There will most likely be higher insurance costs, and higher deductibles.
State by State No one seems to be exactly sure how Medicaid will be effected. The new plan will make some cutbacks in Medicaid funding, and expect states to cover the slack. Gradually by 2019 the federal money will return to help cover the costs of Medicaid. The idea is the cuts in certain areas will be sufficient to bring Medicaid back to a federally funded level. The biggest change in Medicaid, however, is the type of program it will be. It will no longer be considered an entitlement program in which the government pays all healthcare care costs. The new program will change Medicaid to a grant, which will most likely have a fixed spending amount attached. Many hospitals report patients using the emergency rooms as a doctor's office, coming in for minor illnesses, such as colds and stomach virus’. The cost difference from a doctor's office visit to the emergency room is approximately $190. The hope is the cap on spending will make for better choices when needing minor medical help. Related:
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The new health care plan eliminates the insurer from rejecting coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions, or charging higher rates for anyone with a pre-existing condition. Now, if you are not thoroughly confused, you may be trying to determine which is best, the old or the new health care act. It depends on who you ask. In other words, take a room of 100 people, and you will average 50 that say the old was better and 50 that say the new is better. Of course, much of that is based on political affiliation and not the health care bill itself. The fact is, it will be about two years before the real answer is known, and then much of it will still be an opinion. At the very least, our country is
starting plans to cover those without insurance, often working individuals that are not covered through an employer. The old and new plans are far from perfect; however they are a step in the right direction. Related: List of nursing organizations Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter