It’s difficult to think about affordable health insurance without thinking about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Affordable health insurance is all the buzz these days, mostly due to the Supreme Court’s upholding of ObamaCare. Despite the court’s decision, it is still a hot button issue, and people still square off into different corners over the issue. On one side are the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) advocates who think it is the biggest, possibly greatest thing since sliced bread. On the other side are PPACA naysayers, who abhor government interference in their lives and think this is an unforgiveable breach of the Constitution.
In the midst of this controversy, many Americans seem to be losing sight of the benefits they may reap when the Act brings its major features to life January 1, 2014. For instance, there will be a pre-existing condition insurance plan for those who have previously been deemed ineligible. There are roughly 25 million uninsured people in the U.S. today with pre-existing conditions. Once the Act takes effect, they will be covered.
There is also the issue of youth adult insurance coverage. Previously, health insurers would only let a child stay on their parent’s policy until they turned 19 years old. There was the odd exception or two. Under ObamaCare, insurance companies are not allowed to remove children from a plan until they are over the age of 26. This one change alone enables 2.5 million young adults to get insurance.
The biggest part of the Act deals with affordable health insurance exchanges, marketplaces where people have access to the same advantages large companies used to have on an exclusive basis. Large companies pack a powerful punch when it comes to buying in bulk. The more they buy, the lower the price of an insurance policy, resulting in lower premiums. The exchanges intend to offer a wide variety of options, leveling the playing field and offering more information and ultimately more affordable care to more Americans.
Another benefit of the Act is the creation of consumer operated and oriented insurance plans (CO-Ops). The plans are non-profit, which means what money they do make must be used to reduce customer’s premiums, improve member benefits or improve health care.
While many people are slow to embrace change, in this case, it’s wise to look at what changes will come about as a result of the PPACA. In the long term, most individuals will likely benefit from it.
Clelland Green is with Benepath.com, a leader in providing health insurance quotes. Benepath provides individuals, families, and businesses with affordable health insurance quotes in just a few mouse clicks. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.com.
