The Affordable Care Act health insurance bill is one of the more controversial and ambitious moves the country has made together in recent history. Created by President Barack Obama and written into law to help Americans pay for healthcare and insurance, the act known widely as “Obamacare” hopes to lower costs by encouraging uninsured taxpayers to seek coverage and more evenly distributing healthcare expenses. Obamacare has many opponents and supporters, but with so much debating and finger-pointing taking over debate, it’s hard to find cold, hard facts about the impact that Obamacare has had so far.
A recent study conducted by The Commonwealth Fund found that, for the first time in years, American healthcare is improving in a wide range of areas. Here are the Obamacare facts we’ve been waiting for…
– The number of people unable to pay their medical bills has declined for the first time since 2005, slipping from 30% of Americans to just 23% since 2012 alone. That 7% difference is approximately 12 million people.
– Insurance agencies are having to make fewer phone calls to collect their debts.
– Only 66 million Americans had issues obtaining health care in 2014, a huge improvement since 2012 when that number was roughly 80 million.
– 6.7 million people now have coverage thanks to healthcare marketplaces.
– The percentage of uninsured adults has dropped three percent since 2012, from 19% to 2014’s 16%.
One of the primary goals of the Affordable Care Act, health insurance equality and accessibility, is seemingly being accomplished at an astounding rate. The Commonwealth Fund conducts this survey only once every two years, so we won’t know how things have developed in 2015 until the 2016 survey is released, but with more stringent Obamacare taxes and fees, the number of uninsured people should continue to drop. Worried about those ever-increasing Obamacare fees? Check out our guide on how to avoid them and save hundreds or thousands of dollars. (Hyperlink this text to “How Millions can avoid the Obamacare Tax in 2015” once it’s posted)
Opponents of the Affordable Care Act continue their campaign against the new law, claiming that while individuals may benefit from it, businesses and employees will suffer the consequences. With the cost of living increasing as incomes remain the same, however, many Americans have clearly benefitted so far. The long-term effects of Obamacare are hard to predict, but there are several steps you can take to get the most out of The Affordable Care Act. Register for free government healthcare at HealthCare.gov by February 15th, check to see if you’re exempt from Obamacare fees, and share this article with everyone you know to raise awareness for the stipulations behind Obamacare and the measurable impact it has already had. The Affordable Care Act and the impact it’s had so far aren’t just important for American taxpayers – it’s important to the American economy as a whole, and in the future, the way we think about health insurance and medical costs may change completely.
How do you feel about Obamacare? How do you feel American healthcare should be handled in the future? Have you or someone you know benefitted from Obamacare or signed up for free government health insurance? Let us know in the comments section below!
