Public Policy Paper

Public Policy Paper

Healthcare has been a hot topic in American politics for many years. The United States has a healthcare system where citizens buy health insurance from a private non-government insurer. Since these insures are private corporations, they run things how they want, without being regulated. Since there are no regulations, insures are able to deny people applying for insurance and can deny people who have insurance treatment if they think it is unnecessary. While many people, particularly Republicans, like this system, much of the population felt a need for change.

When Barrack Obama ran his presidential campaign he pushed for healthcare reform. As President, he signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act into law in March of 2010. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act provided some amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which was passed only seven days prior. The two laws will slowly reform our nation's healthcare system over a four year period. The laws require insurers to provide insurance to applicants regardless of preexisting conditions without raising their costs. The bills also make it illegal for insurance companies to drop enrollees if they lose their job. It also provides subsidies to low income people to help them purchase insurance and businesses so they can provide insurance to employees. Students will be allowed to stay under their parents insurance plan until they are twenty-six years of age. Under the bill, everyone will be required to purchase health insurance

unless exempt. One exemption is if an insurance plan would take up more than eitght percent of the household income, iThe ultimate goal is for all citizens to have access to adequate healthcare. The funding for this reform is indented to come from a variety of federal taxes, such as a tax on tanning services.

Healthcare reform has been strongly...