Ever since its introduction, there have been heated debates and arguments over Obamacare and whether or not it should be repealed. As the first government healthcare system ever introduced in the US, it came with a lot of issues that needed to be ironed out.
Unfortunately, many of those issues remain unaddressed even five years later, and so Republicans have begun to argue that Obamacare should be repealed entirely and replaced with something better.
The Republican Party will become “The Party of Healthcare!”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 26, 2019
Here are their biggest complaints:
The Rise Of Costs
First and foremost, the biggest issue that cropped up with Obamacare was the rise in costs for healthcare -- despite promising the exact opposite. Obamacare was introduced and implemented in 2014. The average family’s premiums increased risen about 32 % from 2010-2016, and then 140 % from 2013-2017. The average nationwide premiums for individuals also increased by 99% from 2013-2017.
If that alone sounds terrible to you, you should also realize that deductibles have been rising ever since Obamacare was also implemented.
Choice Between Insurers
Another incredibly concerning issue that has come to the forefront with the introduction of Obamacare is the limitation in a choice between insurers for consumers. Slowly and steadily over the years, US counties have been losing insurers. It came to the point where back in 2017, it was reported that 70% of US counties had two or FEWER insurers offering coverage.
This is outrageous, as it opens up the gates for insurers to start moving towards a monopoly in their area -- and it is the citizens who end up suffering because of this.
Restricted Access to Providers & Plans
Another significant issue related to choices between insurers is access to them. Obamacare makes it impossible for a citizen of one state to receive healthcare from a provider that operates in another state. This leads to more monopolizing, as the consumer is forced to stick with whatever plan is offered to them by the insurers they’re limited to.
Furthermore, the risings costs caused Obamacare have prompted insurers to start very narrow network insurance plans. What this means is that they set up more requirements to have access to a specific healthcare plan.
Being Forced Out of a Plan
Finally, the biggest problem with Obamacare was something that happened right when it was introduced, and it set a worrisome precedent for what could happen in the future. When Obamacare was implemented back in 2014, citizens were forced out of specific plans that the government deemed unlikable -- even if they themselves really liked the plan.
The precedent set at that moment of the government just pulling away access to healthcare for citizens for whatever reason is certainly horrifying. The United States has always had a fear of governments that grow too big, powerful, and totalitarian. When something like this happens, it brings that closer to reality.
Final Words
There are many more problems that Obamacare has, along with many more reasons, it should be replaced with something better. It is the first government healthcare system introduced in the United States, and although that is a great thing, it has many issues that need to be reworked -- otherwise, it only adds to the suffering of American citizens.
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