Health
Adverse Side Effect of Obamacare Rears: The Ugly Truth
There were many who were skeptical about the health reform measures being undertaken by President Obama. The Affordable Care Act meant to ensure that medical facilities are available to one and all at affordable rates is never short of controversies. As the effects of the health reforms play out, it is becoming clear that the act will do little to reduce the Medicare burden on the government and is likely to require trillions of dollars of taxpayer money to be pumped into the system to provide affordable health care to millions of people. The supposed health care reforms are likely to accentuate the current problems and will burden the system more, with millions seeking medical help on one platform. Here are the issues that are likely to crop up in the near future.
1. A big switch from employer’s health care coverage to Mediaid
The numbers that have been accounted for by the Government, taking into consideration a scenario wherein only 7 percent of the employees covered under various health insurance plans through their employers, will have to make the switch to Mediaid. It is expected that small businesses will no longer give their employees access to healthcare and as many as 45 percent of employees will have to look for medical help through Mediaid.
2. Increase in cost for Government beyond the calculated numbers
The Government estimates for the cost to the Federal Government over the next ten years to be at about $970 million. These are extremely conservative estimates. The federal Govt. will bear half of the costs, rest will go to the state Govt. As 45 percent of employees from small businesses take Mediaid, the costs are likely to balloon.
3. Overburdening of system
Shortage of doctors is already an issue in the medical domain. As Government health care is availed by millions, access to good health care is likely to become even more difficult.
4. Rationing beyond acceptable levels
The state Governments are likely to resort to rationing of medical expenses to cut down on costs. An instance is the limit on free ER visits to three for non-emergency visits per year. This is a good instance of the policy but rationing is likely to go beyond this in a manner that it will have an adverse effect on the availability of affordable health care.
5. Denial of medical aid to the vulnerable
The elderly and the people suffering from diseases that require access to expensive medical resources may have to face the problems that arise out of rationing and overburdened systems.
Several scenarios should be looked into before reforms of any kind are implemented. This is because the effects play out in the real world and the situations that arise in the real world are not necessarily based on perfect or ideal scenarios. Attempts are always made, by different parties involved, to turn the system in their favor by taking advantage of the loopholes. The same might eventually happen with the affordable health care reforms as well, if safeguards are not put in place to protect the vulnerable and to ensure that businesses do not ditch their employees to force them to avail mediaid from Government channels.
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