Reference no: EM132247199

Agree or desagree? Why? Comments, please.

The purpose of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to make affordable health insurance available to more people; expand the Medicaid program to cover all low-income adults (below 138% poverty level); and lower the costs of health care in general ("Affordable Care Act (ACA) - HealthCare.gov Glossary", n.d.). Since the ACA became law in 2010, millions of people have health insurance that never had it before. The biggest change that will take effect in 2019 is the elimination of the individual mandate, which required most people to either have health coverage or pay a penalty if they did not have it (Auten, 2018). The mandate is still in effect, but the penalty is no longer. It is expected that many people who only had the coverage to avoid the penalty will now drop it, which can increase the cost of health insurance for all who do opt to have it. It is also expected that while health insurance premiums will continue to increase due to this change. High-deductible plans means lower annual premiums, which will give people more money in their paycheck to spend or invest as they choose rather than paying towards their coverage. This is a good option for people who do not have or foresee major health issues. I think the Affordability Care Act of 2010 has benefited the country overall, as it has lessened the burden on the federal budget and limits out-of-pocket costs. It also provides preventative care to patients at no cost, including well-women visits, lab tests, mammograms, and colonoscopies. In addition, maternity and newborn care, dental and vision care for children are free.