Tag: Obamacare

R&D from Prepd: Problems with the Affordable Care Act

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On October 27, 2016

In R&D

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on the problems of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  President Barack Obama’s major legislative initiative is suffering from a lack of insurance competition in many states and it was revealed this week that significant premium hikes are on the way.  Some states such as Arizona could see premium hikes that go beyond 100%.  Republican critics of the ACA have seized on this as proof that the system should be scrapped, while liberal forces argue that a “public option” should be introduced where the government could compete with private insurers to keep premium costs low.  It is unclear whether recent news about the ACA will affect the 2016 presidential election and be this year’s “October Surprise.”

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R&D from Prepd: UnitedHealth Leaving ACA Exchanges

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On May 5, 2016

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete!  Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides information on UnitedHealth’s recent decision to leave thirty-four of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance exchanges due to mounting losses.  The insurer says that it will lose $650 million this year, partly due to the fact that those using the exchanges are most in need of care versus those that receive insurance from an employer.  This sicker risk pool was not offset by enough younger, healthier customers so UnitedHealth has taken a financial hit.  Critics of the ACA say that UnitedHealth’s departure from the exchanges will lead to fewer options for exchange customers and that it is further proof that the ACA is not working for a majority of Americans. Defenders of the law say that UnitedHealth’s exit will not adversely affect the ability of Americans to purchase health insurance over the short-term or long-term.

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R&D from Prepd: The Affordable Care Act

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On November 5, 2015

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l_2Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd, the only software built specifically for extemp. Prepd makes it easy to research, practice, and compete! Visit www.prepd.in to learn more. Like Prepd on Facebook for special info and contests.

This R&D provides resources on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. The law is in its third year and the open enrollment period for health insurance began this week. The Obama administration is hoping that increased penalties for going without health insurance will cause more people to seek out coverage on federal and state exchanges, but rising premiums and the closure of some healthcare cooperatives are giving ammunition to opponents of the legislation.

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The Affordable Care Act (2013)

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On December 31, 2013

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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During his first year in office President Obama decided to tackle a problem that had frustrated previous presidents:  universal healthcare.  Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton had all proposed plans for a universal health insurance program, but none of them were able to make them part of American law.  From 2009-2010, the U.S. Congress debated the feasibility of having a universal healthcare system and in March 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, into law.  President Obama’s push for universal healthcare was assisted by the Democrats having a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and a majority in the House, but opposition to the ACA from voters played a role in giving the Republicans control of the House in the 2010 midterms.  After several years of planning, the ACA has begun its rollout, but extempers are likely aware that elements of this rollout have been botched, notably on the government’s healthare.gov website which is supposed to a portal for citizens of thirty-six states to shop for health insurance.  President Obama has also used his executive powers to delay mandates in the law, which are currently being challenged in the court system as a usurpation of legislative authority.  Due to the politics of the ACA and questions about its implementation, extempers will be handling questions about the ACA for seasons to come.

The ACA has been the subject of many rumors, misinformation, and distortions since it was formulated and passed into law.  This confusion about the law has made implementation difficult and made it difficult for President Obama to rally public opinion behind the law.  This confusion has also affected extempers, who may be unsure about the intentions of the ACA and what it does.  This topic brief will not stake out a political position on the ACA because it is Extemp Central’s belief that these topic briefs should provide you with enough information to reach your own conclusions.  Instead, this topic brief will break down the reasons why the ACA was implemented, what the ACA does, arguments and complaints made by liberals and progressives in the Democratic Party over the legislation, arguments and complains made by conservatives and libertarians in the Republican Party over the legislation, and provide some tips for handling future questions on the ACA.  It is our hope that after reading this brief you will have a better understanding of the ACA and be more confident when speaking about it in future rounds.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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R&D: The Affordable Care Act (2013)

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On December 31, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the Affordable Care Act.

 

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Healthcare.Gov Problems

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On October 29, 2013

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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On October 1st, the federal government launched healthcare.gov, which allowed for Americans in 36 states to find healthcare policies that were congruent with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.  By March 31st, all Americans are required to purchase health insurance or pay a fine.  Although conservatives challenged this individual mandate in court shortly after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010, the Supreme Court found it constitutional last summer as a tax.  President Obama hoped that the national exchange would lead to millions of Americans signing up for health insurance and that it would generate good press for his landmark achievement.  However, the website has been riddled with problems, ranging from individuals being unable to create accounts to access the exchange to time outs to slow browsing speed.  States that are running their own exchanges, like Washington, Kentucky, and California have also experienced some technical difficulties.  Conservative critics have seized on the problems of healthcare.gov to bolster their political fortunes after the government shutdown and if these problems are not fixed it could imperil the Affordable Care Act.

Extemp Central has broken down the politics of healthcare reform in the past and extempers are urged to check out our previous briefs on healthcare reform.  This brief will dive into the current controversy by breaking down the problems of healthcare.gov, the impact these problems could have on the success of the Affordable Care Act, and the potential political fallout in Washington D.C. if these problems are not fixed.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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R&D: Healthcare.Gov Problems

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On October 29, 2013

In R&D

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Here is today’s premium R&D to accompany today’s premium topic brief on the problems facing healthcare.gov.

 

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R&D: Obamacare

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On September 27, 2013

In R&D

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Today’s R&D covers the controversial Obamacare initiative, which begins its official roll out on October 1st.

 

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