Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Behind the Affordable Care Act

       Looking at the Affordable Care Act, the thought that everybody can have insurance sounds like a good idea, but the media along with their favorite politicians often composes for society simplistic plans that will supposedly save America. Is the Affordable Care Act going to solve healthcare dilemma? Is it really that easy?
       Browsing through American history one will note several attempts by the government to meld together the galaxy wide distances between the rich and the poor. Robin Hood like fantasies that are supposed to take from the rich to give to the poor such as the lottery has resulted in a much different end then initially expected by American leaders. The working class and poor instead have taken away from their own families' tight budget initially planned to be spent toward much bigger financial priorities to be gambled away on a game based on a wining odds of 1 in 175,711,536. This is the Mega Ball lottery odds of one matching 5 normal balls out of a pool of 56 and one mega ball out of a pool of 16. Wow!! The odds of winning 10 bucks, that is matching two normal balls and one mega ball is still 1 out of 844, still wow!! Imagine buying 844 Mega Ball tickets in order to win $10. Does that sound like good business sense? Yet it is the poor and middle class who most often gamble awayhad earned money for a prize they have a greater chance of getting hit on the road by a motorbike than winning.
       Another Robin Hood example that was supposed to be and by many US residents, still looked up to as a financial problem solving hero is Medicare and Medicaid. Both plans have good intentions but have unfortunately milked huge yearly portions of US tax payer dollars. And many of the individuals within these plans have no jobs and have no intention of looking for one. They plan to spend the rest of their lives leaving US tax payers to pay their medical bills. The portion of the bill not paid by Medicare and Medicaid some patients will refuse to pay because they insist that Uncle Sam must pay the entirety of all their hospital bills. Many Medicaid patients don't understand that the plan will not automatically pay all of their hospital bills. Depending on their income, they will be responsible for a portion of their medical bills. The same confusion will likely occur with the Affordable Care Act. Many clients will enter these insurance plans expecting their new insurance companies to take care of all or most of their expenses. They won't take the time to study and understand all the details and fine print saddled together with these plans. Likely many of these clients will be eventually sent to collections. Possible numerous lawsuits and allegations of fraud will occur because of great lack of understanding and an over dependency from a product with too high of expectations. There will be much arguments and debates regarding who is supposed to pay for what. And as always Obama and much of the Democratic party will walk away stating that somehow or another the confusion is the fault of the Republican Party or in someway or another blame former President George Bush, who is a popular scapegoat whenever something in the government goes awry.
       Another popular source of confusion is popular Liberal biased media, aka NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN news and affiliates. These are news sources who find it very difficult to hold President Obama or democrat at arms in Congress accountable for any mistake, offenses committed. In their fantasy world President Obama is supposed to have every major decision go his way while the Republicans roll out the long red carpet for him. Members of the tea party demand Obama make some cuts in the budget. Some members of Congress, led by Speaker of the House Boehner, want specific changes in the healthcare law. As fellow leaders elected by citizens of this country that is their right, their job to expect and demand compromise, changes to laws, acts expected by President Obama and his democrat comrades. The media makes it seem so but not every citizen in this country agrees with the idea of the government being in top control of supplying healthcare. Many people believe that Obama is overstepping his bounds and that businesses and citizens are capable of supplying and deciding their own insurance needs without the government's help. And there is a big question Obama has yet to answer. How can the federal government be so sure that they can stay on top of the insurance plans of every US citizen when the country continues to struggle handling its own Medicaid, Medicare programs, while continuing to stand billions and billions in dollars in debt?
       The US government is already swirling amidst running after terrorists, trying to get out of Afghanistan, trying not to get overly militarily involved with Libya, Syria, and terrorists groups Al Shabab and Boko Haram. The United States is streaming with once decent, middle class neighborhoods now diving under poverty. The Affordable Care Act could have been a good idea if begun long ago in place of Medicaid but now the US simply can not afford it and many people in this country simply don't trust the government telling them what to do to with their money. Don't force people to buy insurance. Allow churches and non profit organizations to create and develop programs to be able to find and care for those who lack ability to afford insurance. They will likely do a better job at caring for people's medical needs than the government. Force hospitals and doctors to reduce the cost of healthcare. They are simply getting away with charging their customers too much money. If someone can afford health insurance but gambles that he won't need it, let him pay the consequences if something bad happens to him. Such people will serve as examples to others the price of stinginess and making bad choices.

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