The day I am writing this, the Majority Party in the U.S. House of Representatives will vote to delay Obamacare for one year, making it effective after the next round of congressional elections. (shutdown) If you have been paying close attention, cutting through the rhetoric, turning off the talking heads, and doing your own homework, you know why they are doing this: They fear the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will work.
I have asked myself a thousand times, Do I like Obamacare? Here is what I know that I like about it:
- I like being able to cover my children until they are twenty-six years old.
- I like that a person cannot be refused insurance because of their current condition. (If you are sick, they cannot turn you down.)
- I like that they end gender discrimination.
- I like that the law eliminates the lifetime caps on care so that insurance companies cannot throw a person off because it cost the company too much. They have underwriters who can calculate that into their premiums. They understand the risks and include allowances for them.
- I like that the plan has been used in Massachusetts for several years and it works there.
- I like that it is universal coverage and therefore all have insurance when they get sick. With this, we are joining the rest of the free world.
Why do the conservatives hate it so much? After all, this plan was inspired by the Heritage Foundation, a very conservative think-tank. Is it because there may be a network of doctors in each available plan? No, we have that now so that cannot be it. Is it because it is nearly universal coverage? What moral person could oppose anyone being able to stay healthy or cared for when injured. Is it because it is not ready to be started? According to a report on “Morning Joe” (September 30, 2013), there have been twenty-one legislative changes already. What still needs to be changed?
Are they afraid it is going to work and that people will like it? I think this is the winner. Let’s be real. Americans want good health care at a reasonable cost. We have good health care. This may make it better as there has been NO credible evidence saying otherwise. As for costs, rates may go down and they may go down in larger percentages. There have been numerous stories about this. The Washington Post also says there has been evidence of the cost of health care beginning to slow already. Check the New York Times.
The law was passed by Congress and signed by the President. The law is taking effect over time. Let’s let it be implemented and if it works, we can celebrate. If it does not work, let’s repeal it. America is a democracy and this is how a democracy works. Congress should quit the games, move on to real issues, and see if this health reform is the one that is right for America. We will not know until it takes affect.