Stability and Security for All Americans: An Overview of Health Care Reform

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November 9, 2009  
Filed under News

From town hall meetings to news broadcasts, the future of our nation’s health care system is one of the most popular topics of discussion.  Obama’s plan for health care reform advocates the universal single-payer system, in which the government provides public health insurance to all citizens. 

The President’s plan aims to provide “quality, affordable choices for all Americans” that do not have health insurance by accomplishing the following goals:

• Creating a new insurance marketplace that allows people without insurance to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices
• Providing new tax credits to help people buy insurance and to help small businesses provide coverage for employees
• Offering a public health insurance option
• Offering new, low-cost coverage to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions from financial ruin

What about Americans that do have health insurance?  Well, his plan also includes several goals to “provide stability and security” by:

• Ending discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes
• Preventing insurance companies from dropping coverage
• Eliminating extra charges for preventive care (flu shots, diabetes tests, mammograms, etc.)
• Protecting Medicare for senior citizens and eliminating the gap in coverage for prescription drugs

Although Obama’s plan is intended to benefit all Americans, questions and concerns still arise.  One of the most controversial concerns with reform is the competition between the government’s public plan and private health insurers.  Some people are worried that lower-priced public insurance will drive private health insurance companies out of business, leaving the health care system to be solely run by the government.  Currently, the House of Representatives and the Senate are creating two separate bills for health care reform.  Later, they will come together and draft a bill to send to President Obama.  There is a long way to go before any decisions are made regarding health care reform.

Written by Carissa Redmon

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