The Facts… .and the Fiction
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Obama Health Care Reform. While everyone has their own interpretation of this new bill, the White House offers its own answers to the myths surrounding the health care reform bill. Only time will tell for sure what is the fact. . .and what is fiction. Below are some of the more common myths surrounding the controversy.
A common belief among the uninsured middle class is that they will be forced to purchase insurance against their will. According to the White House, this isn’t quite true. Their official statement is that the Affordable Care Act will offer tax credits, as well as hardship waivers for those who still cannot afford the insurance after the tax credits. This is supposed to make certain that everyone can be insured without having to worry about filing bankruptcy. There is an allusion to the “hidden tax” that the insured pays (but really doesn’t offer any clarity to this) to provide health care for the uninsured. The White House states that insured people pay this hidden tax to provide health care for the uninsured. However, there are many state and federal programs, as well as private programs and grants from pharmacology corporations that often pay for indigent care.
Another apparent “myth” (according to the White House) is that the bill won’t do anything to actually bring down the cost of health care. The White House suggests that the economic experts and the Congressional Budget Office declared that health insurance reform will reduce the National deficit by over $100 billion over the course of this decade, and by more than $1 trillion over the next ten years. They don’t say HOW this will happen, or how this reduction is indicative of lower health care costs. Most Americans are interested in HOW the costs are being reduced; not some generic report from a budget council that throws numbers at a misconception. Again, this is one of those things in which time will tell.
The White House offers several pages of information on the new Act, called the Affordable Care Act. There are several pages to navigate through, and while some do indeed address some of the common “myths” they don’t really explain things clearly. In fact, while the home page offers the disclosure of how the act is supposed to work, many people leave the page more confused than when they arrived. Statements such as competitive marketplaces, and benefits beginning at a certain date are often confusing when compared to questions like, “When can I be eligible for benefits?” and “HOW do I find insurance for myself.” Apparently coverage is supposed to increase, while the cost of healthcare decreases, but there is no explanation as to how this will take place.
While there appears to be immediate relief for those who are already insured, it remains to be seen whether or not relief is intended for those who are uninsured. There appear to be planned in place for Latinos and African American’s, but there is very little information to suggest that there is a plan in place for the average working Joe. It appears that the insured, the elderly, and the minorities will be the first to benefit from Obama’s Health Care Reform, while the working middle class continues to fund the bill. In the end, the old adage remains the same; while promises have been made, only time will tell the difference between fact and fiction.