Health Reforms
Health Rearms
For a long time, the Health Care concern has been a centre of discussion in the society as well as among the representatives in a bid to find out which would be the best way to cushion Americans from the ever increasing burden of having to take care of themselves medically. Efforts have been made but still there is no single solution to the issue hence a combined effort between the citizens and the government is very essential in ensuring that the ultimate goal is achieved and each American has adequate Health care assurance. This is the aim of the Health Reforms that was passed into law at the behest of the current president, Obama.
Provisions of the Health Reform
There are several benefits that the Health Reforms are expected to bring to the American population in general. One of the central changes is the fact that the Health Reforms prohibit health insurers from denying coverage or charging based on patients' medical histories or gender. This will ensure that there is adequate cover for everyone without the insurers having loop holes to concentrate on the covers that only benefit them yet leaving out the significant population that requires its services, in effect it will minimize discrimination in health care.
The other significant provision is the repeal of insurance companies' exemption from anti-trust laws, this will again guard against insurers colluding and coming up with covers and conditions that are not client focused but meant to protect themselves.
The other benefit of the reform was the setting of minimum standards for qualified health benefit plans, most employers to provide insurance cover for their employees or pay a surtax on the workers' wages up to 8%, all this aimed at ensuring that each American citizen who puts his efforts into the building of the nation has enough health cover backing whenever they need it.
The reform also aimed at an expansion of Medical aid to include more low-income Americans by heightening Medicaid eligibility limits to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level and by covering adults without dependents. It also fronts a subsidy to low- and middle-income Americans to help buy insurance. This is a central health insurance exchange where the public is able to evaluate policies and rates, a government-run insurance plan.
Americans will also be required to carry or obtain qualifying health insurance coverage or possibly face surtax for non-compliance. A 5.4% surtax on individuals whose adjusted gross income exceeds $500,000 ($1 million for married couples filing joint returns), and 2.5% excise duty on medical devices. Obama plan also projects spending on Medicare of $400 billion over a ten-year period, imposing a $2,500 limit on contributions to flexible spending accounts (FSAs), which allows for payment of health costs with pre-tax funds.
The Emergency Medical Services is also up to benefit from the various reforms that are expected in the Health reform package. There is going to be reduction of strain on the EMS since the reform plan aims at reducing the cost of health care and expand as well aces to insurance service, the patients who were hitherto reliant on EMS as their primary health care providers will drastically reduce. This is a trend that was very predominant among the fire fighters and they were always on call. On March 23, 2010 Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which is intended to alleviate the situation. With this solved, the EMS and fire fighters in particular will have less and less strain on their service hence perfect their service to the very needy cases (International Association of Fire Fighters, 2011).
There will be better Health Cover for EMS staff. The EMS staff are the first hand consumers and primary providers of the much needed emergency services, they are then in the best position to detect and suffer the shortcomings of the health care system. This has gone on over the years until the introduction of the health care reforms. The cost of health care has risen over the years dramatically and the EMS staff, fire fighters in particular has had to give up their wage increment and other supplementary benefits for the sake of retaining their health care coverage. The saddest part is that they see and experience on a daily basis the...
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