Health care change is difficult, but needed
Healthcare has been a political landmine for decades. Many political leaders have tried, and failed, to make changes to the system that will lower costs for patients and make health care more accessible for the average American.
President Obama and Democrats in Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, making reforms in the system that they believed would benefit Americans as a whole. Instead, flaws in the system have resulted in a continued, unsustainable rise in insurance rates that threaten the entire system.
Republicans dubbed the new system “Obamacare,” and have made it their goal to “Repeal and replace” it with legislation of their own. Through their efforts, “Obamacare” has become widely unpopular in polls, even while many of the reforms, and even the term “Affordable Care Act” have proven to be popular.
With a Republican president and a Republican Congress, many assumed that Obamacare’s days would be numbered, that the first order of business when Donald Trump took office would be to repeal the existing Affordable Care Act and replace it with a plan more palatable to Republicans.
Yet here we are, more than six months into the Trump presidency, and so far, Republicans have been unable to come up with a plan that would replace “Obamacare.” Americans have benefitted from many of the new laws provisions. Some of the proposed changes have threatened to take away benefits under the new law, and other proposed changes don’t go far enough to satisfy the more conservative members of the party.
Do changes need to be made? Of course. Health care premiums continue to rise at rapid rates - just as they have done for decades, even before the Affordable Care Act was passed. These rising rates make it more difficult for families to afford insurance. If Republicans succeed in repealing “Obamacare,” whatever plan they come up with needs to address the rising costs, or the public will instead blame them for the situation and turn to the other side.
The best course would be for Republicans and Democrats to work together and come up with a plan that addresses the shortcomings of the Affordable Care Act, finding a solution that both sides can agree with.
