Personal Narrative: My Family Health Care Insurance

A series of events has recently occurred to cause the passage of PPACA. Economics are explicitly linked to health care. In the United States, health care coverage is provided primarily through an employer-based system. This system began in the depression era when pay was federally frozen. Companies, in an attempt to lure scarce workers, used benefits packages including health care as bait. Described as a “uniquely American” “private social security” health care system, the employer-sponsored system is the “cornerstone” of United States health care system (Blumenthal, 2006). This system has left many un- or under-insured. Blumenthal states (2006), “The United States’ dependence on employer-sponsored insurance means that the protection of its citizens against the costs of illness depends directly on the ability of private businesses to manage and absorb health care expenses that have defied all efforts to contain them.” Recently, economic downturn and the need to reduce expenses to better compete on the global market has caused many companies to both reduce their insurance benefits package and their work force causing many to lose their health care coverage. The employer-based system merged with the economic downturn, unaffordable health care costs for businesses, and

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” completely changed the American healthcare system. The purpose of the bill was to lower the cost of healthcare, improve health outcomes, and lower the national uninsured rate. To lower the cost of healthcare, the bill provides federal subsidies for government-sponsored healthcare plans to any person or family whose income is between one and four times the federal poverty level and is not covered by their employer, Medicaid, or Medicare (Neporent). In addition, the bill allows children to stay on their parents’ insurance plans until they are 26. Previously, children could only be on their parents’ plans until age 19 ("Is the Affordable Care Act Working?").

Healthcare is essential to the nature of our well- being, it provides some financial relief to individuals or families during doctor or hospital visits. Medical care is very expensive, and without health insurance it can be even more of a financial burden. However, being able to afford health insurance has been a challenge for a lot of family’s. For some, they must choose whether to feed their families, pay utility bills or make monthly health insurance payments; so, they allow the insurance to laps. The

For those Americans not covered or find their work coverage too expensive, there is a new way for them to buy insurance on their own called Health Insurance Marketplaces. Some states have named these marketplaces something else. The Health Insurance Marketplace is like a virtual insurance megamall where private insurers compete for American’s business. Americans can pick out how much coverage they want, how much they want to pay for it, from cheaper high deductible plans to more expensive plans. Regardless what plan is chosen, all plans will cover a complete set of services like hospital visits, doctor visits,

The ACA of 2010 has a key goal of increasing access to health care by providing uninsured American’s with options to obtain health insurance. One way this is being done is allowing parents to keep their children on their health insurance plan, up to the age of 26 (HHS, n.d.). Another example is the option for states to expand Medicaid, and receive funding from the federal government to accomplish this. Medicaid covers

One of this health care’s programs objective is to limit the number of uninsured (Shi & Singh, 2015). This controversial healthcare plan incorporates a privately funded insurance which is paid for through employment and solely by the patient and a publicly funded insurance by the government. Medicare is provided for senior citizens 65 and older, and Medicaid is provided for low income citizens. The federal government and state government both partake in the funding of Medicaid. Although insurance is provided to the low income through Medicaid, the United States continues to suffer from cost escalation spending 17.1 percent of GDP on healthcare in 2013, a 50 percent more than the second nation (Commonwealth, n.d.) The high cost and limited coverage continues to spark up the conversation for a

The ever rising cost of healthcare has made access to healthcare almost impossible to many households in the United States. That these households have stagnant incomes has further complicated issues (Collins, 2008). Many working families without insurance cover have been forced to pay for their own medical expenses that consume lion share of their incomes. Individuals have been forced to forfeit healthcare because of its inherent costs. The lower-income and middle-income families are a very vulnerable lot because they are either uninsured or underinsured (Collins, 2008).

Obamacare has drastically raised health care costs for individuals and families. One of the reasons Obamacare was established was to reduce family premiums by $2,500 a year (Anderson 1). However, this goal has not been accomplished yet, the typical family premiums are increasing at rapid rates (Anderson 2). From 2015-2016, Family Silver, one of the most popular family insurance plans, had a ten percent increase on their premiums price. Some states even rose by forty percent (Furchtgott-Roth 3). Middle class families cannot keep paying an arm and a leg for health insurance. Health insurance should not be a major issue for Americans, it should be

Prior to The ACA, the United States was primarily composed of a private health care system. This meant that employers, families or individuals would buy health insurance through private insurance companies. There were also Medicare and Medicaid government insurance programs for qualifying individuals. (Bradey, 2016) Typically the Medicare program is reserved for those individuals who have reached retirement age and Medicaid is for the poor. There are exceptions to each of the programs that this paper will not explore.

My initial reaction after talking to my parents about our health history was mind-boggling. I never took the time out to look into my family history. I am grateful to have the opportunity to take the time out to investigate my family health history. This assignment was extremely necessary and well informative. To begin with, after completing this assignment, I learned that my sisters and I are at high risk of diabetes and hypertension. Let us start off with my father’s side of the family since it is smaller compared to my mother. In addition, my father has diabetes and hypertension; he was diagnosed with those diseases about 8 years ago. His mother (my grandmother), had a lot of diseases such as; Alzheimer’s, diabetes, kidney stone, hypertension, cholesterol, heart disease, and blind in one eye. My grandmother suffered a lot and once she passed away we felt that was the best thing to have happened to her to end her misery. My grandmother ended up passing away in December 2013 at 85 years old. I didn’t get any information on my parental grandfather. My father, on the other hand, has hypertension, and diabetes and many of his cousins have a history of heart problem, murmur in particular. That explains why I was born with a heart murmur (which was resolved in 1995).

On top of regulation, in order to help this system reach everyone, Obamacare is designed to offer insurance rates based on one’s salary. And in addition to salary based premium rates, Obamacare is offering subsidies, which is cost assistance that “lowers the amount you spend on your monthly premium (via advanced premium tax credits) or reduces your out-of-pocket costs for things like copays, coinsurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximum (cost sharing reduction).” (http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-subsidies/) Also, small businesses of a minimum 50 employees are now required to offer insurance for their employees, bringing more people closer to the reach of insurance. Those who previously viewed health care coverage as a luxury can now be closer to obtaining affordable coverage. “The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 48% of Americans who buy individual insurance today would be eligible for subsidies. They would receive an average of $5,548, which would cover 66% of the price.” (http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/21/news/economy/obamacare-subsidies/) Aside from insurance regulations, Obamacare has initiated additional perks to enhance the health system for everyone’s benefit. One significant adjustment for children up to ages 19 with pre-existing conditions is that health

The yearly expense of a family health plan is approximately $16,351, a figure that to the majority of families in the United States is unaffordable (Kamrany, 2014). “In a single-payer system, a public entity, such as the government, would pay all the medical bills for a certain population, rather than insurance companies doing that work” (“Doctors Warm to Single-Payer Health Care”, 2017). The United States federal government should provide health care to all its citizens with a single payer system, giving doctors and patients autonomy eliminating the exaggerated expensive costs and cover all Americans for medically necessary services.

You have made a lot of good points about the impact of deductible and co-payment on patients seeking health care. Did you know that 51.1% of low-income families reported have to delay or forgo treatment due to cost of care compared to 34.8% of higher income families? Based on this finding it was suggested to policymakers that deductibles be set based on income and family size. (Anonymous, 2010)

Prior to having a high deductible plan I had traditional personal choice insurance plan that I was able to get from my employer for my family of five for $240.00 a paycheck which was twenty six bi-weekly costing me $6,240 out of immediate salary with an eighty to twenty deductible. The first year my premium went down to $121.78 a biweekly paycheck. The high deductible was $2000. My employer paid $1000.00 and once deductible was met all costs under insurance were covered. Since then the premium went to $137.74 with a $3000.00 deductible. Currently my premium is $160.96 a bi weekly paycheck with a $4000.00 deductible and now an eighty/twenty deductible at office visits, prescription plans. There are allotted certain automatic fees for hospitalizations and high costs testing. A few preventative care costs are included for example, once a year well visits. If I pay into my HAS account I have started with fees as listed earlier then an ongoing fees of $5.00 a month to maintain it. In order to just cover the $4000.00 deductible I have to take out of my pay $153.85 bi weekly just to meet. In order to use advantage of tax free income the benefits of putting more into HAS do not outweigh other needs and costs. I have put in more than needed to meet deductible to help with copays. On top of what is not included my husband has type I diabetes on an insulin pump which the equipment is only covered 66%. Having using the insulin

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called Obama care, is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, it represents the most significant government expansion and regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Guaranteed issue will require policies to be issued regardless of any medical condition, and partial community rating will require insurers to offer the same premium to all applicants of the same age and geographical location without regard to gender or most pre-existing conditions. It requires that all individuals not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare or other public insurance programs, secure an approved private-insurance policy or pay a penalty. According to this system, a child would stay under their parents insurance until they turn twenty-six. The non-participating employers/ citizens, health