By Diksha Sharma
Introduction
For any successful country two components are very important that is the health, and happiness of its citizens. A country may be economically strong and powerful, but what if its citizens live unhappy lives, is it really successful? No there is no use of this wealth if it does not make citizens happy.
America is a well-developed country which has had many great leaders. It is the fourth largest country of the world. It is the one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Sometimes United States is known as a “melting pot” because different cultures have contributed their own distinct flavors of their respective cultures to American culture.
Successful leaders are the power and behind their country. A great leader will always influence his citizens to succeed together. He will always sacrifice his life for the sake of his country.
One of the finest and great leaders of America is Barak Obama. He was the first African American President of United States.
He worked hard day and night to build America a powerful country across the world. He was always concern for his citizens and was always ready to stand for them.
He signed Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama care for the people of America and their safety of health. This Act is just to help those people primarily who cannot afford good health care due to high costs and fees.
What are Medicare and Medicaid?
Many health care reforms were made before ACA for the welfare of people of America but at every time they all were getting useless for the country. Health care was always a major issue for America and this issue was bought up by at the time in power of Obama’s Presidency.
Health costs were rising people were stepping back to get medically insured.
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law of Social Security Act Amendments, which is popularly known as the Medicare Bill. Then Medicaid and Medicare were started which is also known as California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal or MediCal) which was created for serving low-income individuals and families, seniors citizens including persons with disabilities, children in foster care, pregnant women.
In this Bill, Medicare was a health insurance program for the elderly or people of age of 65 or more. Medicare has divided into two main parts that is Part A and Part B. Part A is for hospital coverage and Part B is for medical coverage.
Medicare have some exceptions for persons under 65 years who require regular dialysis treatment and persons under 65 who have other certain disabilities or illnesses.
Medicaid is a health insurance program for the poor who cannot afford health care for themselves. Each State of America has to maintain its own respective Medicaid program but each of these states has to meet certain standards established by the federal government.
Following are the basic services covered by Medicaid.
- Family planning care
- Prescription drug costs
- Inpatient/outpatient hospital services
- Pediatric services
- Mental health care
- Occupational, speech, and physical therapy
- Dental healthcare and related service[1]
ASA or Obama Care was signed and passed to cover the exceptions of the Medicare Bill. Now the question arises, how it covers the exceptions of this reform?
What is Obama’s Healthcare Reform?
The former President Barak Obama of United States signed and passed and an Act on 23 March 2010 that was Affordable Care Act (ACA). This Act is also known as Obama care and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It was enacted by the 111th Unites States Congress which was the meeting of Legislative branch of federal Government.
Obama care reform was an amendment in the Public Health Service Act of 1944. Whereas Public Health Service Act is a federal law which was enacted by the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), this is a department of Health and Human Services and concerned with public health.
ACA was the new provision which was added into the Title 42 of the United States Code (a code which deals with the public health, social welfare and civil rights).
ACA was mainly designed to reduce the health insurance coverage for those who cannot afford it. ACA is run by private insurance companies but have some regulations of Federal Government also.
Some of the private companies are following which execute ACA reform:
- Anthem
- Kaiser Permanente
- Molina
- Cigna
- Centene[2]
Obama Care is a reform to improve quality of care for all Americans by providing them better preventative and wellness care by raising basic health care coverage standards.
Moreover, it has eliminated the gender discrimination so that no one can leave behind to gain health care facilities and everyone can get health insurance.
It ensures healthcare coverage to any legal US resident so that access to health care is no longer dependent of health insurance companies. It protects every individual from being dropped while sick, denied from care due to lifetime limits, denied from care due to pre-existing conditions.
Hence, it offers Americans a better legal standing against health insurance companies.
What are the benefits of ACA?
There is no doubt that Mr. Obama was a great leader who always put his duty to serve the nation his first priority. He never puts his personal things over his responsibilities towards nation.
He continuously tried to give his best and from the very first day of his office he tried serve in an enhanced way.
So, the Act passed by him can never be doubtful that it has not provided any benefit to his citizens. He very well knows about the health conditions hence, he made the Act so that it can provide benefit to most of the population of the country.
The most important benefit which Americans received is that now no insurance companies can deny any person, who is having any pre-existing disease like cancer. As earlier many people do not get health insurance due to this condition. Under the ACA, anyone can’t be denied just because of a preexisting health problem.
Before ACA it was difficult for elderly people to afford medicines for their disease but now they can get prescription drugs more affordably.
It has made necessary for insurance companies to cover essential medical benefits like emergency service, hospitalization, laboratory services, Pregnancy, Maternity, and Newborn Care and many more.
Conclusion
Health of the people comes first no matter if any Act is passed or a not it must be the duty of healthcare servants to serve at their best. Always it is not necessary to make strict rules to follow that thing which should be the followed without any delay or with carelessness. If health of citizens is good only than they can contribute to make a country a better place.
Obama’s care scheme has benefited many people so that they can get proper health care without any delay just because they cannot afford it.
Health is the primary aspect and Mr. Obama has shown this by taking strict step to improve health care conditions of country. This scheme has helped many people to get health insurance at low rate.
Obama has served his country from the heart and moreover he has proved himself a great leader that every country should have.
He never steps behind from any work related to his nation and its people. He worked with whole concentration on his duties and never tries to compromise with his work.
- MEDICARE & MEDICAID, available at;
medicalBillingandcoding.org (Last visited on June 21 2021) ↑
- The Difference Between Medicaid and Obamacare, available at:
verywellhealth.com (Last visited on June 21 2021) ↑