Barack Obama’s Healthcare Plans
by Sarah Scrafford
Healthcare is an important aspect in each and every American’s life, more so in the present day when the economic crisis, the rising incidence of lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes and cardiac arrests, and the increasing number of geriatrics in the country contribute to making affordable healthcare a dream for most Americans. Now that Obama has been elected the next president of the USA, his healthcare policies will have to be examined more in detail, as it affects every person connected in any way to this lucrative field.
In his campaign promises, the President-Elect stressed that:
• His healthcare reforms would see a savings of $2,500 for each family in terms of medical costs. Critics argue that while this sweeping statement is pretty when taken at face value, there’s no explanation of how the federal government plans to being into effect this cost saving measure, and that achieving this figure is highly impractical.
• Healthcare would be mandatory for every individual below the age of 18.
• Existing providers, doctors and plans would be used to put the new proposal into action.
• More emphasis would be placed on providing insurance for disease preventive and measures.
• Protection from and preparation to guard against terrorist attacks and natural disasters would come under healthcare costs.
• The existing system would be modernized to improve quality and reduce costs at the same time.
• Healthcare would become universal, a move that Obama says is sure to bring down the costs of uncompensated medical care.
• Employers would have to either provide coverage for their employees or pay more taxes so that the federal government can take care of their insurance details.
• The federal government would play a more active role in the development and implementation of health care proposals, a move that decreases state authority in such aspects.
• The new healthcare plans would compete against private plans, with the government keeping an eye on the private players to prevent malpractice and abuse.
In short, this policy, termed “accessible and affordable” by the Obama government, plans to spend a lot of money at the outset to make sure that more people are brought under the umbrella of health insurance. Estimated to cost between $50 and $65 billion a year when fully in place, experts are finding it difficult to predict how much of this added expense is going to be shifted to the taxpayers’ burden. The Obama camp is banking on bringing about savings through the new system and using that towards the extra cost. There’s also the money that will come in when the new President revokes the tax cuts for those earning above $250,000 per year, a sop provided to them by the Bush administration.
By-line:
This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of EKG Training Courses. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
In his campaign promises, the President-Elect stressed that:
• His healthcare reforms would see a savings of $2,500 for each family in terms of medical costs. Critics argue that while this sweeping statement is pretty when taken at face value, there’s no explanation of how the federal government plans to being into effect this cost saving measure, and that achieving this figure is highly impractical.
• Healthcare would be mandatory for every individual below the age of 18.
• Existing providers, doctors and plans would be used to put the new proposal into action.
• More emphasis would be placed on providing insurance for disease preventive and measures.
• Protection from and preparation to guard against terrorist attacks and natural disasters would come under healthcare costs.
• The existing system would be modernized to improve quality and reduce costs at the same time.
• Healthcare would become universal, a move that Obama says is sure to bring down the costs of uncompensated medical care.
• Employers would have to either provide coverage for their employees or pay more taxes so that the federal government can take care of their insurance details.
• The federal government would play a more active role in the development and implementation of health care proposals, a move that decreases state authority in such aspects.
• The new healthcare plans would compete against private plans, with the government keeping an eye on the private players to prevent malpractice and abuse.
In short, this policy, termed “accessible and affordable” by the Obama government, plans to spend a lot of money at the outset to make sure that more people are brought under the umbrella of health insurance. Estimated to cost between $50 and $65 billion a year when fully in place, experts are finding it difficult to predict how much of this added expense is going to be shifted to the taxpayers’ burden. The Obama camp is banking on bringing about savings through the new system and using that towards the extra cost. There’s also the money that will come in when the new President revokes the tax cuts for those earning above $250,000 per year, a sop provided to them by the Bush administration.
By-line:
This article is contributed by Sarah Scrafford, who regularly writes on the topic of EKG Training Courses. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: sarah.scrafford25@gmail.com.
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This is the first article by Ms. Scrafford written for Right Truth. I hope that you will leave her a comment, let her know what you think. We look forward to new articles from Ms. Scrafford in the future. --Debbie
You know, the US is the only western country without universal health care. Despite not being universal, our system costs nearly twice as much per capita as the second most expensive. Other western countries provide health care from a lot of different models, so there is a lot of information we could look at. Most other countries have much better outcomes, i.e. healthier people. We have a lot we could learn from other countries but we are too arrogant to do so. Everyone wants to talk about the importance of health care coverage, but anybody wants to tackle and people just kill it with fear and misinformation. Do you want a better system or do you just want some other topic you can criticize Obama for? (excuse me, am I supposed to call him Hussein or Bambi or Nobama, on this blog?)
A final aside. My parents have lived in Canada for 30 years. All of that time I have lived in the US. I have become very familiar with the Canadian health care system through my parents. Just last week I went with my mother to her doctor, then for tests that were ordered that day. The insurance company propaganda about Canadian health care system is close to 100% wrong. My parents get whatever they need and without waiting or hassles. The only real difference I see is that they don't have to pay huge sums out of pocket for health care. Or fill out lots of paperwork. Or spend hours on the phone trying to get an explanation of a bill.
Posted by: Brian | November 24, 2008 at 10:28 PM
You know, the US is the only western country without universal health care. Despite not being universal, our system costs nearly twice as much per capita as the second most expensive. Other western countries provide health care from a lot of different models, so there is a lot of information we could look at. Most other countries have much better outcomes, i.e. healthier people. We have a lot we could learn from other countries but we are too arrogant to do so. Everyone wants to talk about the importance of health care coverage, but anybody wants to tackle and people just kill it with fear and misinformation. Do you want a better system or do you just want some other topic you can criticize Obama for? (excuse me, am I supposed to call him Hussein or Bambi or Nobama, on this blog?)
A final aside. My parents have lived in Canada for 30 years. All of that time I have lived in the US. I have become very familiar with the Canadian health care system through my parents. Just last week I went with my mother to her doctor, then for tests that were ordered that day. The insurance company propaganda about Canadian health care system is close to 100% wrong. My parents get whatever they need and without waiting or hassles. The only real difference I see is that they don't have to pay huge sums out of pocket for health care. Or fill out lots of paperwork. Or spend hours on the phone trying to get an explanation of a bill.
Posted by: Brian | November 24, 2008 at 10:26 PM
I think the revoked Bush tax cuts have already been spent:-)
We only need look at the socialized medicine elsewhere. It's terrifying to think what's before us.
Posted by: Maggie Thornton | November 18, 2008 at 10:56 PM
Just spoke to a psychiatrist who's been working with Iraq War vets (PTSD mostly) in VA hospitals. It's messy and disappointing. Can't figure out where the money for the new health care system is going to come from. But can't figure out where the money for the bailout is coming from either. If an honest economist I know is right, it comes from the future in a weird form of financial time travel. Hope that machine doesn't break.
Posted by: Aoi | November 18, 2008 at 08:41 PM
ah yes here comes the soft tyranny Deb!
Posted by: Angel | November 18, 2008 at 04:43 PM
I spent 20 years in the military under a "socialized" medical system. There's not enough room in the blogoshpere to list all of the horror stories I could tell about that medical care system. At some point, rationing will begin--and who get's to decide who's worthy of treatment? Yep, good old Washington bureaucrats. I shudder at the thought of what will happen to our seniors.
Posted by: Demosthenes | November 18, 2008 at 01:08 PM
Since Hussein wants to give $50 billion to the UN, he can forget that and give it to Health Care instead. Then he can fund it.
Posted by: Katie | November 18, 2008 at 12:32 PM