The Affordable Care Act also known as the Obamacare is aimed at providing cheap health care policy for all Americans ( McDonough, 2011) . The health care act was also put in place to cushion a consumer from tactics used by insurance companies that increase the costs incurred by patients or in other circumstances restrict care to the patients. Through the ACA, millions of Americans of whom were unemployed or had low-income jobs have been given a chance to have health insurance most. There is also the category who received disability aid and others who could not access insurance due to pre-existing conditions that have benefitted from the ACA. The act was signed into law in 2010, and despite numerous controversies, the pros are outweighing the cons. One of the roles of the ACA was to show that the government was capable of coming to the aid of the poor and the lower middle class in the community ( McDonough, 2011) .
The biggest advantage of the ACA is that it decreases the overall healthcare expenses. The insurance offered by the ACA is by making preventive care free. This way the patient can receive treatment before they are referred for more expensive treatments. It has also ensured that the insurance firms spend at least 80 percent of the insurance payments on health care and other related developments ( McDonough, 2011) . While the coverage is not free, the lessened costs have given the Americans a wider range of coverage products. Through the ACA, over 16 million Americans have access to healthcare coverage within the first five years of its introduction.
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Pre-existing conditions such as cancer and high blood pressure made it hard for a lot of people to acquire insurance and making the payments from their own pockets was a tall order. Most of the companies would not cover these preexisting conditions since the injuries occurred before their medical covers took effect ( Furman, 2014). Under the ACA, these patients were able to receive care and access to quality medical care at affordable costs.
Those who stand to have the most benefits from the ACA are the baby boomers. This category has been the hardest hit by unemployment, depleting savings as well as the increase in healthcare costs. Before the concept of the ACA, over 8.6 million boomers did not have access to insurance. Many in this age gap are approaching retirement, and they need to have an existing program that will have them saving their money as opposed to spending it all on medical covers. The ACA is looking to give them relief from the hurdle they face while seeking to access quality health care with their insurance companies.
Boomers are in a disadvantaged category as they have to pay prices that are over five to seven times what the younger generations are paying regarding health insurance. When the ACA takes effect, the boomers are expected to have an even playing field in which the insurance companies are not able to take advantage of these categories. Even if the boomers can have access private healthcare, it will be very costly for them. The introduction of the ACA will make the playing field a bit even for all applicants ( Furman, 2014).
Reactions from those seeking to have the ACA removed were that it was unpopular with the American public; the case on the ground was very different. Polls conducted by various news agencies such as Reuters, Washington post, and ABC suggest a division in the public opinion on the healthcare bill. There is a slightly higher percentage that is in support of the Act. The arguments put forth by the Republicans ( Jacobs et al., 2010) over the Obamacare are at times ludicrous with such suggestions as the Act will be responsible for the destruction of the American economy, increase the countries debt, and overall endanger the country's' future. All this is false seeing as the Act has been responsible for more good than harm. The following graph shows the percentage of Americans who are in support, those who are not in support and those who are undecided about the Affordable Care Act.
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The results of the introduction of the ACA are that States have seen a dramatic increase in their enrollment levels that may far surpass the normal levels. If implemented the cost to Medicaid are expected to go up, and there might be an upset to Americans who rely on insurance policies from their employers or individually. The states need to understand that they do not just serve at the mercy of the deferral government. The states should assert their rightful authority and defend and protect their citizens from reforms that will be destructive in the long run. Rising costs as a result of the Medicaid will be transferred to the state taxpayers, and this will have adverse effects on individual who rely on public healthcare programs ( Furman, 2014).
The ACA is expected to provide subsidies and payment support, especially for the lower income earners. However, many states are not sure whether they want to make the exchange as proposed by the Act. State lawmakers are somewhat skeptical about the extra workload and the increased costs that will be transferred to the medical providers. It has also been suggested that the quality of healthcare may be compromised due to the numerous people who will b seeking medical care. The increase in demand should be accompanied by an increase in staff ( Furman, 2014).
References
Furman, J. (2014). Six Economic Benefits of the Affordable Care Act . Retrieved from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/02/06/six-economic-benefits-affordable-care-act
Jacobs, Lawrence R.; Skocpol, T. (2010) Health Care Reform, and American Politics . Oxford University.Press
McDonough, J. E. (August 2, 2011) Inside National Health Reform . University of California Press
