Obama's_Healthcare_Reform

The Pursuit of Liberty and Happiness In Healthcare Reform The Obama-Biden Health Care Plan Sharon Young Unit 4 Assignment Humanities HU300-15 In the past, many democratic leaders have continuously pursued liberty and happiness for all Americans when it came to health care in America. Today, President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have successfully put a plan together that will strengthen employer-based coverage, make insurance companies more accountable and to make sure all patients can make doctor choices without government interference. The democratic team, lead by President Obama, tried to present a plan that will benefit everyone without the threat of higher premium costs while receiving quality health care. Nothing changes if people like their current insurance plan except for the decrease in their cost per year. If people do not like their current health care plan, then they will have their freedom of choice in affordable health insurance options. In the last 8 years, health insurance premiums doubled, rising faster than wages with increasing co-pays and deductibles that prevented many folks to go without health insurance.[i] Compounding issues created huge flaws in the health care system such as plans limiting doctor visits or hospital coverage, exposing families to unlimited financial liability causing an increase in bankruptcies in the United States[ii], medical errors causing deaths in hospitals and creating uncontrollable and needless medical spending within the system that increased consumer costs.[iii] Barack and Biden believed that the current health system in which they inherited must be redesigned to reduce inefficiencies and waste and to improve the overall quality of health care. The Obama-Biden plan was developed to reduce costs, improve health information technology, and ensure all patients receive quality care to prevent and manage diseases and to offer federal assistance to employers that will help them deliver affordable and quality healthcare insurance plans.[iv] How does the Obama-Biden plan impact the world' It makes insurance more affordable by providing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history by reducing premiums costs for families and small business owners. It will help millions of Americans without health insurance get it and be able to afford to keep it. The plan projects that 95% of all Americans will be insured. It will bring accountability to the health care system to prevent insurance industry abuse and denial of care to others. It will also end discriminating against pre-existing conditions. Finally, the plan will increase competition in the insurance and drug markets that will result in wasteful spending and increasing costs.[v] All children will be required to have health care coverage and young adults up to age 25 will have options to be covered through their parents’ insurance plan. In their pursuit to strengthen public health through prevention, the Obama-Biden plan recognizes the increase epidemic of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and HIV/AIDS that can be delayed or controlled if Americans are not denied routinely medical visits. Chronic disease takes a tremendous toll on health care resources. For example, the care for patients with diabetes, cost $130 billion each year alone[vi]. Illness and disability puts a strain on businesses through reduction in productivity. The plan is empowering businesses to offer onsite health programs, clinical services and nutritional options in cafeterias and vending machines. It is causing the school systems to respond and tackle childhood obesity through nutritional education and physical fitness programs. The plan leads efforts to provide adequate training and education about new health threats by providing funding for information and technical support.[vii] The Obama-Biden health care plan will impact future generations. As Americans age, seniors will see an improvement in Medicare prescription drug plan to include protection for out-of-pocket costs and prevent drug companies from blocking generic drugs from consumers. The plan will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if they are safe and prices are lower outside of the United States. In 2014, pre-existing condition discrimination will be banned completely. Employers will receive tax cuts up to 50% of premium costs. Americans will get tax credits to help buy affordable coverage. It will be illegal for insurers to charge women more than men for same health care coverage through “gender rating” tactics. Pediatric basic services will include both oral and vision care for all children. In the pursuit of liberty and happiness in the subject of health care, we have seen an injustice to Americans through unethical and unfair practices from insurance and drug companies that caused people to go without health care in this country. We have seen discrimination against women and seniors when it came to coverage rates and drug prescriptions. Americans deserve the happiness of knowing that they can provide affordable, quality health care for their families. The Obama-Biden plan both builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and leaves Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans. Under the Obama-Biden plan, Americans will be able to maintain their current coverage, have access to new affordable options, and see the quality of their health care improve and their costs go down.[viii] ----------------------- [i] Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust. (2008). Employer Health Benefits 2008, http://kff.org/insurance/7527/index.cfm; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sept. 2008 [ii] David U. Himmelstein, Elizabeth Warren, Deborah Thorne, and Steffie Wooldhandler (February 2005). “Illness and Injury as Contributors to Bankruptcy,” Health Affairs, http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.w5.63v1 [iii] Linda T. Kohn, Janet M. Corrigan, and Molla S. Donaldson, Editors; Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, Institute of Medicine (2000). To Err is Human. Washington, DC: National Academy Press [iv] http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf, page 2 [v] http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal [vi] CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/press/index.htm [vii] http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf, page 7 [viii] http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf, page 5