The health care reform debate is mainly argued by two sides: the Republicans, who believe that “government-run health care leads to inefficiencies, long waiting periods, and often substandard health care,” and that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, and PPACA) should be repealed[1]; and the Democrats, who believe that health care should be “available to all Americans,” and are in favor of universal, government-run health care.[2] The Democrats most recently won a victory in 2010 when President Obama passed the Affordable Care Act[3], which was upheld by the Supreme Court to be constitutional in 2012.
Obamacare is set to be implemented along a timeline, with the last change becoming effective January 1, 2015.[4] Changes that will be made include the elimination of lifetime maximums, implementing a maximum amount of money a person can pay for pre-existing conditions, preventing health insurance companies from denying children with pre-existing conditions health care, covering cost of preventative care for those on Medicare, and allowing children to stay on their parents health insurance policy until the age of 26 if they are dependent and cannot get health insurance from their employer. Those covered by Medicare also “get a $250 check from the federal government to help pay for prescription drugs currently not covered as a result of the Medicare Part D ‘doughnut hole.’” This amount is reduced for those with larger incomes.[5] To cover these changes, the Affordable Care Act also details “20 new or higher taxes on American families and small businesses."[6]
Although many parts of the health care act have been debated, the most controversial issue is the individual mandate, which requires “all U.S. citizens and legal residents to obtain government-approved health insurance.” The only exception to this is those who have “insurance premiums at least equal to 8 percent of his or her income.” Everyone else will be fined by the government if they do not comply.[7] Republicans state that this leads to a stronger government, and that it is socialist policy. They consider Obamacare “an attack on our Constitution,” and believe that it limits the freedom of Americans.[1] Democrats assert that the Affordable Care Act will help everyone to be able to afford health insurance, with provisions to make it fair for everyone in the economy. They state that Obamacare will “end the worst insurance company abuses,” and lay “a new foundation for our country that will bring additional security and stability to the American people for generations to come."[2]
