Obamacare!
In the previous blog post, which you can read HERE, we took a brief look at how Obamacare works.
However, the one thing that we missed was the challenges that come with it.
And that’s what we are here to cover. In this blog post, we took a look at the top 11 reasons why Donald Trump currently wants to replace Obamacare.
Without wasting any further time, let’s just get started.
Challenge I
If you don’t have even cheap health insurance, then you’ll find it really tough to calculate the Obamacare taxes that you need to pay.
2016 was the year when it simply increased to about 2.5% of the adjusted gross income.
What’s the minimum penalty?
That’s $695.
Whereas, the maximum is a Bronze Plan’s cost.
The cost of the minimum depends on the number of family members.
Challenge II
You want what we like, right?
And that’s what President Obama promised to give. If you like a plan, you can simply keep it.
However, the case here is 1 million people faced the cancellation of their plans by the health insurance companies.
Why did they do that?
That’s because they didn’t comply with the ten essential health benefits provided by ACA.
Remember this! This wasn’t Obama’s decision. It was the one passed by the health insurance companies.
Challenge III
ACA reducing the deficits!
That’s what some experts disagree with. Originally, it was $143 billion in the savings. Some predicted it would lead to the addition of $1.76 trillion in debt.
And that’s quite disappointing.
Why?
That’s because ACA was passed by Congress for reducing the cost of Medicaid and Medicare. The entire budget is eaten up by the federal payment for the benefits.
Challenge IV
The thing that’s required here is for the records to be computerized in the doctor’s office.
It was the year 2009. During this year, the mandate was introduced by the Government for the first time as a part of the Economic Stimulus Act.
And that’s quite frustrating for the doctors. It just makes the lives of the employees at the doctor’s office a lot harder.
Since October 2013, doctors are required to choose from 140,000 codes while inserting some data about the diagnosis.
And that’s a serious amount up from the 18,000 codes that it was previously.
Hospital records should comply with the policies of the Medicare value-based payment system.
Challenge V
Medicare is reimbursing hospitals. And the Affordable Care Act totally changes the entire way that it does that.
Fee-for-service to value-based payment! A total switch. And that will lead to it stop paying for every exam, test as well as procedure.
What will it do instead?
It will provide base payments on the basis of how good a patient does.
And that will lead to the cutting of the cost in the long run.
However, it’s just a pain for the hospitals to record all of these transactions.
Challenge VI
If you are someone who earns more than $ 200,000 individually or if your family earns more than $ 250,000, then you need to pay additional Medicare taxes.
And that’s something heart-breaking, and may be a surprise to people when they file their tax returns.
How many people were affected?
About a million individuals as well as four million couples. It affected both capital gain taxes and income taxes.
Challenge VII
Health care made available for most of the people in the United States!
However, that increased the cost of healthcare during the short term.
For the first time in a decade, some people received preventive care.
What raised costs for the insurance companies was treatments and tests for cholesterol, cancer as well as diabetes.
Challenge VIII
Tax Deductions! Some families faced that for uninsured medical costs.
A raise from 7.5% to 10% of the adjusted gross income was observed due to ACA. However, the deductible level for 2017 as well as 2018 was restored after Trump brought in the tax plan.
Challenge IX
Obamacare benefits were just limitless! And that’s the reason most of the health care insurance companies as well as health care providers, paid some additional taxes. That’s the way how they funded it.
They could have passed it to the consumers asking for a higher premium.
A 10% excise tax on indoor tanning service!
Over the next ten years, drug companies will be paying an additional 84.8$ billion in fees. And that’s what will cover the Medicare Part D.’s “Doughnut Hole.” In 2013, about a 2.3% excise tax was observed in case of medical device manufacturers as well as importers. However, this tax was suspended by the Congress between 2016 and 2018.
Challenge X
Do you know how many people lost their company-sponsored health care plan?
That’s about 3-5 million people we are talking about.
Many businesses thought that they were good off paying the penalties rather than providing their employees with health insurance benefits.
Many business owners thought that their workers could always look for a better plan from the exchanges.
Challenge XI
We all know how complicated buying health insurance is.
And it’s still the same after all these years.
Can you name the Health Insurance Marketplace exchange policy levels?
Bronze! Silver! Gold! Platinum!
Choosing one of them totally depends on your personal health insurance needs and financial situation.
To make a smart decision on choosing Health Insurance, you need to take a look at the deductibles, copays as well as co-insurance levels provided from the different Health Insurance providers. Then you can compare and make a choice for the best plan that fits your needs.
Conclusion
The Affordable Care Act ( Obamacare ) comes along with many challenges. However, we can’t just ignore how it has completely revolutionized the health insurance industry.
Need help navigating the Obamacare challenges? Star Nsurance would be glad to assist you anytime. Please call us at 813-563-5577 for a FREE consultation.
Open Enrollment for Obamacare is November 1, 2019 through December 15, 2019. Please call us today at 813-563-5577 or make an appointment HERE. We look forward to serving you.