Despite the well-intentioned ideas of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it has received a mixed response ever since it was signed back in 2010. However, one of the many questions that have been raised is whether or not health insurance is worth it for the average American.
The Affordable Care Act: Understanding Health Insurance
ACA, also known as Obamacare, is a set of comprehensive healthcare reforms that were signed into law by then-President of the United States Barack Obama in 2010. The law includes several healthcare policies that are designed to extend health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans.
In short, the ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility and developed health insurance exchanges. More importantly, it mandated that all Americans should obtain health insurance. Moreover, it also prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage or charging extra for pre-existing conditions.
Has The ACA Been Effective In Increasing Health Insurance?
There’s no denying that Obamacare or ACA has been effective in reducing the percentage of uninsured persons. 18.2% of Americans were uninsured back in 2010 which dropped down to 9.2% in 2015. However, the rate increased between 2016 and 2019 from 10.4% to 12.1%.
During the second quarter of 2020, however, the rate was recorded at 10.8%. In short, between 2010 and 2020, the overall rate has decreased from 18.2 to 10.8%, a total decrement of 6.8%.
Nevertheless, more than 10 percent of the population being uninsured is a concern as that makes for millions of people without healthcare coverage. Moreover, the majority of these people are from the working class (i.e. they have at least one working member in the family).
Why Is Uninsured Population Still High?
Uninsured people are mostly low-income families as premiums are out of their budget, i.e. simply unaffordable. It is estimated that each year more than 26,000 Americans die simply due to not having health coverage.
Moreover, the number of deaths due to lack of insurance has been increasing sharply, which can most likely be attributed to the pandemic. Therefore, it’s undeniable that health coverage should be available for everyone but at the same time, it’s not within everyone’s reach.
There are many Americans who would qualify for Obamacare based on their income but simply cannot afford the monthly premiums. For such working-class Americans, insurance simply isn’t worth the cost.
How Can the Rx Helper Aid the Uninsured?
Nevertheless, just because you’re uninsured doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for you, especially if you’re suffering from a chronic illness that requires continuous medication.
The Rx Helper is a patient prescription assistance company that offers patient assistance programs for medications. With the help of these programs, you can get your prescription medicines at little to no expense.
Check out how the enrollment process works and get in touch with us to learn more.
