With President Barack Obama’s term winding down, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is still a controversial issue in America. While I understand the views of those against the Act, I still believe that it is beneficial for America because it assists those without health insurance.

One way the ACA has merit is because there are no monetary limits on care. Before the Act, people with chronic conditions like cancer would have their insurance coverage run out in the middle of care. This was because insurance companies could set a dollar limit on how long they were required to give the patient. With the ACA, there is no limit on the amount of money insurance companies will cover, which is why more Americans praise the new system.
In addition, more visits to the doctor are covered by the ACA because co-pays are cheaper. The goal of making them more affordable is to encourage users to be proactive in their screenings and catch illnesses before they become serious. If caught early, a patient can begin treatment for an illness sooner which will save both stress, money and your life.
Another benefit of the ACA is that people who had an illness before applying for coverage can no longer be denied. In the past, all illnesses and injuries prior to acquiring coverage would not be covered. With the ACA, people with ongoing illnesses like cancer can get the treatment they need.

However, the reason why the benefits from the ACA are possible is because new taxes were created to cover the costs. The amount of taxes you pay only depends on the level of your income. These include taxes on pharmaceutical sales and taxes specific to people with higher incomes.
This is great for college students and people with low incomes, but it’s unfair for the wealthy. A common view of those opposed to the ACA is the insurance premiums are often higher for people who were already insured before its inception. This change is to allow everyone to be covered. In addition, there are penalties for those who refuse to get the ACA coverage. If you don’t have health insurance, you must pay a fee during tax season. Taking the risk of not having health insurance in the past was a way to cut personal expenses, whereas now it adds up.
One last disadvantage about ACA is how difficult it can be for new people trying to sign up for coverage, because there are so many different health care options to choose from. When I signed up, I had a lot of questions for my parents to help guide me into finding the best provider.

Although I was uninsured for months, I signed up for basic care to avoid expensive bills for potential doctor visits. Also, I’ll have to pay a fee next tax season for the portion of this year that I was uninsured. Because I was insured under my dad’s health care plan, I lost health care when he passed away from cancer. Despite my frustration about having to pay a tax fee, I am glad my dad had the coverage he needed during his treatments. When I think about the obsolete health care system before the ACA, paying for his bills would have been a nightmare because he may have been denied coverage for a pre-existing illness. My step-mom had an easier time affording my dad’s hospital bills because his care did not run out during treatment. It’s maddening to imagine what it would have been like if his coverage ended and he still needed additional treatment with no insurance coverage.
Luckily, the ACA worked in my dad’s favor to reduce costs. Because hospital bills are so high, paying for them without health insurance is a headache. My sister tried to save money by not signing up for healthcare, but when she needed an appendectomy she realized it was a mistake. Without coverage, her hospital bills were astronomical and it was challenging for her to pay them off. I didn’t want to make the same mistake not being insured, so I googled ACA options and picked a provider. Though I now have to pay monthly payments, it’s worth the extra expense. However, I wish I knew about the tax fee sooner so that I could have found ACA options for myself sooner.

Despite a few issues with the penalties for not getting covered right away, the ACA is a good system. Whether our next president will keep the Affordable Care Act is unknown. For now, get insured with the program we do have. It’s a safe bet in the long run.

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US President Barack Obama answers a question during a discussion on the economy with local families at the Weithman family home in Columbus, Ohio, on August 18, 2010. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (Flickr ProgressOhio)