The Negative Side of Obamacare

There are many reasons that America has adopted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as something positive and sustainable. It allows citizens with low income to obtain health care affordably, hence the name of the act. Unfortunately, there is a darker side to Obamacare that seems to have been a bit overlooked. The Affordable Care Act may seem to have many benefits, but the cons of it are looming underneath the surface.

To begin, the act itself certainly helps American citizens out who cannot afford health care, but the citizens that can afford Obamacare, or any other type of health insurance are the ones who are making this act affordable. By initiating higher taxes on people who have higher incomes, the Affordable Care Act becomes just that, affordable. Naturally, this is going to cause quite a stir when it comes to those individuals who make more money. As Ebeling (2013) points out “if you hold more than one job or have a day job and self-employment income on the side, and that pushes your total income above the threshold. Couples where one spouse is over the threshold and one is under, or where both spouses are under the threshold but combined they are over it, can all face under-withholding problems too.” (1) It’s almost ridiculous the amount of money that hard-working individuals have to pool in to accomplish a goal for the greater good of healthcare. This tax is extremely high and costs men and women who work hard to give up a large sum of money, and with no adherence to their own personal lives. Perhaps they have other family who needs that money as well. The number of people who make enough money to be taxed for things like Obamacare is minimal compared to the number of people who cannot afford healthcare, or just meet the cutoff. It seems unfair to tax hard-working residents to ensure that everyone else is able to afford health care.

The other drawback of Obamacare is certainly the tax that must be paid if one does not obtain health insurance before a certain cut-off date in the year 2014. What is even scarier is explained by Healthcare.gov, stating “The fee increases every year. In 2015 it’s 2% of income or $325 per person. In 2016 and later years it’s 2.5% of income or $695 per person. After that, it is adjusted for inflation.” (Pg1) Many people cannot be expected to obtain healthcare and then, if they cannot, to pay higher taxes every single year. It is forcibly an unfair act. Though there are people who will be exempt from having to pay the tax, it is a minimal amount of people and the requirements for not having to pay are hard to attain. Obamacare was made to help those that cannot afford healthcare, the ability to have a plan that works for them and allows them the coverage they need without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, the poverty level that some people are at still does not allow for healthcare. Though some of the requirements that Medicaid and Medicare uses, helps to ensure poor families have health insurance, there are many others that will still be negatively affected.

Lastly, a major con is the fact that healthcare, in the long run, will increase. Premiums will increase as well as healthcare costs in general. As Amadeo (2013) states “Increased coverage may actually raise health care costs. That's because many people will receive preventive care and testing who, fortunately, find out they didn't have that critical illness. However, the CBO found that additional testing, such as cancer screening and cholesterol tests, will lead to higher net medical spending.”(Pg1) This is not a reassuring fact, as it is possible that people who have had a lack of health insurance, including dental insurance, in the past will likely discover ailments that will be expensive.

It seems that Obamacare is a necessity to many people right now, but no one is really paying attention to how it will play out in the future. The Affordable Care Act could be detrimental to the future of the United States, making something that many people could not afford, even less affordable in the long run. It is a scary issue to have to face, and one that should not be taken lightly.

Works Cited

Amadeo, Kimberly. "Obamacare Pros and Cons: Detailed Advantages and Disadvantages of the Affordable Care Act." US Economy n/a (2013): 1. Print.

Ebeling, Ashlea. "The 0.9% Obamacare Tax That's About To Hit You." Forbes n/a (2013): 1. Print.

"What if someone doesn't have health coverage in 2014?." HealthCare.gov. US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. <https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-someone-doesnt-have-health-coverage-in-2014/>.