Healthcare is a major issue in this presidential election. In 2010, Congress passed President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA). Republicans have been trying to repeal Obamacare ever since, and tried more than 60 times to date.
We now have state and federal marketplaces where the uninsured can go buy health insurance if their job doesn’t offer it, or even just to get a better deal. It is the only reason I have health insurance right now.
We have this great law to help people who can’t afford their healthcare, but we are still paying a lot.
Also, we have a lower life expectancy than other countries with cheaper healthcare. Our average life expectancy isn’t even 80, while other countries are outliving us.
This law got rid of pre-existing condition restrictions. It keeps your insurance company from dropping you if you get sick. No one should have to face bankruptcy for having health problems.
The 2015 data isn’t plotted here, but since health care accounted for 17.5 percent of the GDP, we are now closing in on a cost of $10,000 per year, per person.
That is $3.5 trillion annually.
We have got to do something to make healthcare more affordable. Here is another graphic showing our healthcare costs lowering, albeit slowly:
Obamacare has reduced healthcare spending pic.twitter.com/4JDLtbMhLO
— #TagAmericaBlue (@TagAmericaBlue) August 18, 2016
This handy little chart shows all of the effects of the ACA:
The ACA is a great start, but we should really be working towards Universal Healthcare.
Here are some key differences between Obamacare and Universal Healthcare, using Canada’s Universal Healthcare system as an example:
- In Canada, you are covered from birth.
- Insurance isn’t tied to your job or income.
- There are no “in-network” and “out-of-network” doctors. You can see anyone you want to.
- People don’t go bankrupt for being sick.
- The government negotiates the prices of medicine.
We need this and so much more for our system. It would be great if everyone could afford the treatment that they need.
Here is a video talking about the ACA does and how it works:
Featured image via YouTube screenshot.
