Wednesday, April 9, 2014

The Problem with Obamacare

As Conservative Republicans continue to attack the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, distracting the electorate from their opposition to the rights of the middle class, women, gays and immigrants, some of us are unhappy with the Act for other reasons.  In our opinion, Obamacare does not go far enough in providing access to healthcare for impoverished and uninsured Americans.

While the Affordable Care Act has addressed many important issues, such as coverage for pre-existing conditions and insurance for young adults on their parents' policy, it has left a segment of society with an inability to obtain affordable healthcare; individuals who are too "wealthy" to qualify for Medicaid but too poor to afford Obamacare remain uninsured.  Of course, these persons live in States that have declined Federal funds to expand their Medicaid programs; in effect, the affordability of quality healthcare varies across the United States.

In my opinion, it is outrageous that the wealthiest country on the planet does not ensure that all of its citizens have access to preventive and interventional healthcare; opposition to that concept is both morally bankrupt and economically unwise.  Conservative Republicans may prefer to focus on our right to own assault rifles but many of us believe that quality healthcare should be a right for all Americans, regardless of their social status.