Obamacare. A word that has already changed the face and culture of United States healthcare, as we know it. A word that sparks such intense feelings and emotions both positively and negatively across the board. President Obama and his administration have lined up a four-year plan to and already implemented the first two phases of a revolutionary healthcare plan that has the long-term goal of not only giving everyone the chance for an equal-opportunity for healthcare, but the chance to take a more preventative approach to one’s health in order to avoid larger, costlier health issues in the future.
Instituted as a four-year plan beginning in 2010, Obamacare is an overhaul of our nation’s crumbling healthcare system that was contributing to our ever-increasing economical crisis. The first phase, or year of Obamacare was rolled out in 2010. It included the Patient’s Bill of Rights taking affect, which protects consumers from the most serious abuses of the insurance industry (Affordable Care Act Summary, 2008). Highlights of 2008 include, protecting your choice of doctors, allowing young adults under the age of 26 to stay on their parents’ insurance as well as covering preventative health costs. It was the first phase in a reformation of our once solid healthcare system.
2011 brought about more preventative healthcare measures for people with Medicare getting critical preventive services for free and receiving a 50% discount on brand-name drugs (Affordable Care Act Summary, 2008). 2012 and Obamacare links payments to quality outcomes, encourages integrated healthcare systems to help doctors coordinate better patient care as well as fighting health disparities among demographic groups (Affordable Care Act Summary, 2008). 2013 of Obamacare will include improvements to the quality of care as well as lower healthcare costs. By 2014, Obamacare will be completely implemented and will include provisions like increasing access to Medicaid for low-income families and...