Health Insurance in the US Essay Example

Health insurance for all is one of the political issues affecting almost all governments in the world. Many leaders try what they can to ensure universal health coverage. Unfortunately, some people are not able to sign up for the health policy. The US is no exemption. Many people were not covered until Obama's government devised a policy. During Obama's administration, the government enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was commonly known as Obamacare or ACA (Carman). The Act saw an increase in the number of covered Americans. Following the implementation of Obamacare, the number of those with no insurance fell from 45 million in 2012 to 27 million by 2016, a 40% drop (Edward). However, despite the gains in health insurance during Obama's administration, the numbers have dropped with the entry of Trump. According to a report by the United States Census Bureau, the number of Americans without a health insurance cover went up from 27 million in the year 2016 to 28 million by 2017 with those living in the West and South registering higher rates than those in the East and North (Edward). In a bid to address the issue, Trump's government recently introduced a cover policy that offers a cheap short-term option (Coombs). The three-year plan is bound to give a stiff competition to Obamacare which is more expensive though, at the same time, it is more comprehensive. Although the uninsured claim that the cover is expensive, there are consequences for their choice to remain uninsured.

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One major reason for the failure to sign up for an insurance cover is the cost. When Obamacare was enacted, it seemed very attractive and almost every citizen felt that this option was cheaper and more accessible. However, with time, reality hit that it was not too cheap and therefore, some of the enrollees opted out thus the increase in the number of uninsured people (Sommers). The cost of health insurance in the US is so high that many poor and low-income earners are unable to finance it. To make matters worse, some employers have resorted to asking for higher contributions from their employees while others have decided to avoid paying for the cover (Carman). Additionally, the unemployed and those who were previously enrolled in job-based insurance covers cannot afford it anymore. After losing their jobs, they are not able to continue paying the premiums required by the insurer. Therefore, while some people are generally unable to pay for a health cover, others cannot afford it since their employers do not offer it.

The other reason for failing to take up a health insurance cover is ignorance. While some people are not aware of enrolment procedures and programs, others fail to sign up because they believe they are healthy enough to live without a cover (Carman). Some people believe that they do not need a health cover since they rarely fall sick. According to Beland, people who perceive themselves as healthy are 13% more likely to drop individual health cover than those who are sickly and deeply care about their health. The attempts by both Obama and Trump in terms of enhancing health insurance cover are aimed at encouraging people to take covers, whether they are sickly or not.

There are consequences for failing to take an insurance cover. Although it is an individual choice to take up the cover, choices have consequences. The major consequence of failing to sign up for a medical cover is that one is at a high risk of losing their lives should they fall sick. This is because they may not have enough cash to seek for the appropriate health care at the right time. The person cannot also afford to go for a medical check-up to determine if they may be unwell. The diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancer, for example, is prohibitively costly, and if one does not have an insurance scheme to cover the costs, they are highly likely to die (Beland). Additionally, the cost of treating the uninsured is transferred to others through charity care, higher charges for the insured, taxes and increased premiums (Sommers). This brings about an unnecessary burden that can be avoided if every person signed up for an insurance cover. Although the number of uninsured Americans is way smaller than the number of those insured, the consequences are inevitable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear that health insurance is a cause for concern for any government as it is an issue that is highly likely to elicit political debates. During their administrations, both Obama and Trump have come up with possible solutions but universal coverage is yet to be achieved. There is still a good number of citizens who have failed to enroll in an insurance scheme. Ignorance and the high cost of a health cover are the major reasons for the failure to take up a cover. Unfortunately, there are consequences for not being insured. Apart from the risk of dying from preventable causes, the uninsured place an unwarranted burden on others. Therefore, it is important for every person to pursue a health insurance, whether private or government offers for a healthy nation.

Works Cited

Beland, Daniel, Philip Rocco, and Alex Waddan. Obamacare wars: federalism, state politics, and the affordable care act. University Press of Kansas, 2016.

Carman, Katherine G., Christine Eibner, and Susan M. Paddock. "Trends in health insurance enrollment, 2013-15." Health Affairs 34.6 (2015): 1044-1048.

Coombs Bertha. "Trump administration clears the way for cheap short-term health plans to compete with Obamacare." CNBC, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/01/trump-clears-way-for-health-plans-to-compete-with-obamacare.html

Edward R. Berchick, Emily Hood, and Jessica C. Barnett. "Health insurance coverage in the United States: 2017." United States Census Bureau, Report Number P60-264, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-264.html

Sommers, Benjamin D., Atul A. Gawande, and Katherine Baicker. "Health insurance coverage and health-what the recent evidence tells us." (2017): 586-593.