Liberal

Krawczyk: Affordable Care Act has been successful, needs improvement

The Affordable Care Act has been under constant scrutiny since its introduction, with Republicans condemning “Obamacare” every step of the way. But the law has now been in effect for a year, and we can finally see real data behind its performance.

From the data gathered by a number of news outlets and surveys in the past year, it is clear that the Affordable Care Act is doing its job. Many of President Barack Obama’s promises have been met, and Republicans should realize this.

Results are headed in the right direction, but there have been shortcomings along the way. The federal government must realize these mistakes and improve the ACA accordingly.

One key purpose of the ACA was to help as many citizens as possible get insurance, and it has done just that. According to an Oct. 26 article in The New York Times and solidified by surveys and a government report, the number of uninsured Americans has gone down by about 25 percent — about 8 million before to 11 million people who now have insurance.

Five reputable surveys, including ones performed by Gallup and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all showed reductions in uninsured Americans after the ACA’s introduction.



The healthcare industry has also fared well under the ACA, with newly insured people bringing increased business to providers. Also according to The New York Times, 85 percent of enrollees qualified for federal subsidies that lowered their premium costs.

However, not every aspect of the ACA was a complete success.

Although the act may have made insurance affordable for huge majority of enrollees, there were some who saw increased premiums or could not afford their insurance. The government must do more to make sure everyone can afford health insurance. After all, we cannot call something the “Affordable” Care Act if it raises citizens’ healthcare costs.
One key way to reduce healthcare costs is through the expansion of Medicaid. Although states that expanded Medicaid saw the biggest reductions in uninsured citizens, 23 states still object to expansion. They need to see the positive effects Medicaid expansion and follow the lead of other successful states.
Ensuring that all insurance provided is affordable will likely increase enrollment. But there are still many who do not have insurance for other reasons.
There are certain demographics that would substantially benefit from affordable healthcare, namely those with lower incomes. However, many do not seek out health insurance on their own or don’t think they could afford it. Organizations like Enroll America are already on track to gain more enrollees by seeking out candidates for healthcare enrollment, especially low-income citizens.

Other people who have resisted the ACA are people that are so caught up in the political drama surrounding the act that they will not give it a second glance.
Supporters must refute criticism with actual facts that prove the ACA’s many positive effects. There are many misconceptions, but they could easily be cleared up if citizens received correct information. Republicans and other adversaries of the act need to look beyond their biases and see the positive effects the ACA can bring.

Despite shortcomings, there is plenty of data to show that the Affordable Care Act is headed in the right direction. The next step is fixing these weaknesses to ensure the ACA’s future success.





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