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Affordable Care Act-Have we overlooked repercussions?

By Darlene Grey posted 07-31-2014 08:55

  

I, like many Americans, am employed part-time. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, my place work place provided some health insurance with an increased amount of the premium paid by myself due to my employment status. Now, since the inception of the ACA, my insurance was dropped and I was informed that I have to go to the Market Place for my insurance. After viewing the prices and coverage provided by the insurances that can be obtained by the market place, I am appalled. For inadequate insurance (high deductible and low insurance coverage), I would have to pay nearly $300 dollars per month. For better insurance, I would pay even more.

This is an ongoing trend with many large companies. Employment statuses are placed or kept at part-time status to allow the companies to pay less for their employees and profit from their decrease in overall financial net funds.   The only one that is profiting here is big business. The hardworking Americans are finding more part-time only positions and no insurance coverage except for being scalped through the Market Place. Discounts are only given for those whose finances would not allow for them to pay any insurance. Their penalty fee for not getting insurance $90 dollars a year. My fee, because I attempt to better my life by working more hours, is one percent of my annual income.

There are other options for health insurance, or should I say there were other options. I went out on my own to find an acceptable insurance plan that fit my needs and my budget. Short term policies can readily be found through the internet or other sources. The prices was approximately $100 dollars cheaper with the exception of filing fees twice a year. Unfortunately, this option is also now being removed through politicians and the ACA.

I have now been informed that short term policies are not “acceptable” forms of insurance and I will still be liable for a penalty fee at the end of this year if I don’t switch to a Market Place Insurance. I have spoken to many others and this situation is common among many Americans. The intent of the Affordable Care Act may have been good, but the application has gone very wrong. Big business has found a loophole to allow them to neglect their employee health and pay less for each employee while padding their pockets.


Darlene Grey, RN BSN
3 comments
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Comments

Yenifer Garcia
02-06-2017 20:37

Dear Grey,

I understand that your post is older from early 2016, however, today in 2017, the situation has evolved and there is a chance for Affordable Care Act to get repeal. According to Popken (2017), this might result in "One million lost jobs, longer workdays, and delayed retirement". As the ACA repeals, Obamacare also repeals, which created 20 million insured patients and repeal means patients will not receive funds from Medicaid anymore. However, the biggest effect on nurses would be on low-wage workers to work more. 
Similarly, other sources have identified that "a repeal of the Affordable Care Act could cost more than 2.5 million jobs". Regardless, of the disadvantages, there are advantages of ACA as well. For instance, it has expanded Medicaid benefits and had sustained the patient's financial situation. Besides, ACA  has allowed hospitals to hire more nurses, medical technicians, physicians and other healthcare professionals (Japsen, 2017). Therefore, the repeal of ACA will lead to even major problems than just paying high insurance. Because most the nurses might unemployed, which is even worst than other disadvantages.

Best Regards,
 Garcia,
RN, BSN

Sources:

Popken, B. (2017, January 10). Obamacare repeal could mean you work longer hours — and retire Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/obamacare-repeal-could-affect-your-workday-your-retirement-n704721

Japsen, B. (2017, January 8). As Obamacare repeal looms, hospitals brace for job losses. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2017/01/08/as-obamacare-repeal-looms-hospitals-brace-for-job-losses/#274446cf29b6

Barbara Collette
06-01-2016 16:41

Hello, I too have been adversely affected by Obamacare exchanges and I realize that this post is older, but even today on the 6th anniversary of Obamacare American workers continue to struggle to pay the lofty premiums and deductibles of the Obamacare exchanges. In fact, according to a recent CNN report ‘catastrophic coverage’ is commonplace now instead of the American preventative care model.
Today as we look back, the Los Angeles Times reports only half of the state run and government funded coops are still functioning, and those that are left have restricted patient access to top specialty doctors and hospitals in an attempt to cut insurance premium increases caused by Obamacare itself. Furthermore, if policy changes don’t occur soon only the affluent with vast financial resources or power to skirt the new system will have access to America's top doctors and hospitals (Scott 2015). I think this is an advantageous time for DNPs to get into the game and offer cost-saving high quality preventative care.
I agree with you when you said ‘the intent of the Affordable Care Act may have been good, but the application has gone very wrong.’ So use social media to contact your congressman and let them know that it’s truly time for real change that would support the middle class healthcare using 3 goals:
1) Help workers find affordable private insurance.
2) Reduce health care costs by competition imposed by consumers’ needs not government bailouts.
3) Utilize DNPs to fill affordability loopholes.

Calling for Professional Medical Reform,
Barb PharmD, RN, MSN candidate

References:
Atlas, Scott (2015). How obamacare fails the poor and middle class. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/04/opinion/atlas-obamacare-poor-middle-class.
Quin, Melissa (2016). In 5 Charts, how Obamacare has worked the past 6 years. Retrieved from
http://dailysignal.com/2016/03/23/in-five-charts-how-obamacare-has-worked-past-six-years.

Cindy McCullough
08-25-2014 08:16

Hello Darlene,
I am sorry to hear about your dilemma. Unfortunately, the people that wrote the unaffordable no-Care Act were not medical people. It amazes me that individuals consistently allow our government (politicians/lawyers) to decide on huge issues when they have no idea what they are doing. We have some of the most amazing and creative minds and talent in the medical and business world right here in the US. I personally believed beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the people so intimately involved in medicine and care as well as economics, those creative and brillliant minds, could figure this out quite well. The red flag for me was when none of these experienced medical/business people were employed to do the job right. Second red flag was politicians and individuals who again have no idea about medicine, without having even trialed this, touted everything it is not i.e. lower premiums, won't lose current healthcare or providers etc. Americans do better when the real Americans with the "boots on the ground" figure this out for themselves, not politicians/lawyers. I hope they finally decide to dump this current mess and employ medical people to write medical legislation. But then the issue would go away and how would our politicians use the issue to pit people against each other, and thereby gain votes as they promise to deliver what always turns out to be a fantasy and not reality??