Affordable Care Act

 Affordable Care Act:

The purpose of the Affordable Care act is to reform the healthcare industry.  It was signed into law on March 23, 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012.  It has survived attempts to repeal it.  It survives as the law of the land.  It does not replace private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.   According to the administration the Affordable Care Act expands the affordability, quality, and availability of private and public health insurance through consumer protections, regulations, subsidies, taxes, insurance exchanges, and other reforms. 

The failure of the launch of the government website healthcare.gov is so unfortunate.   It was the first step in implementing  the Affordable care act.   Its purpose is to help people get signed up for healthcare via healthcare marketplaces.   This strategy works in California.  In fact there area 14 states that have sites.   I don't understand why the federal government was unable to get a working sight up and running.  Some are saying that it was known before the launch of the website that it had problems.  Testimony in Congress put the cost of  developing and implementing the website at over $600 million.  The sight does not work!  That's outrageous!  Where was government oversight when the site was developed?

Here's something else that is outrageous.  The President promised the public that if thy have an insurance plan they like, they will be able to keep it.  Five million people recently received cancellation notices from their insurers because their plans did not meet the new minimum  requirements.  There was an uproar!  How can the government have missed that potential.   Well, needless to say, the government is working overtime on the website and  also to allow those with below minimum requirements  policies to keep them for at least a year.  In the end I don't know anyone in my circle who is happy with "Obamacare".   It is causing the cost of insurance to increase and healthcare providers say it will be a nightmare.  In the meantime the government tells us that the website will be fixed and everything will be just fine.  I'm not so sure.  Stay tuned.