While people who work with these kinds of issues can present their best guesses, they cannot actually provide proof that the Obama Administration's health care plan is good or bad, or how much it will cost. The 'if only' propositions that are in much of the plan tend to make statisticians and fact-checkers nervous, simply because of the nature of these kinds of propositions -- they rely on the best-case scenario (D'Angelo & Winfree, 2008).
What would happen if the best-case scenario does not work out is something that cannot easily be answered, and that is what has people the most concerned. Everything is fine if things operate smoothly, but a simple problem could end up costing millions of dollars and/or leaving a lot of people without insurance (D'Angelo & Winfree, 2008). There is also the concern regarding government control, because many people are already voicing their concerns about the government attempting to interfere too much in their lives. If they are worried about that now, how much more will they be worried if this health plan and mandatory health insurance requirements are put into place? That is something else that the experts cannot yet answer. It remains to be seen as the potential of this plan comes to light and as the Obama Administration moves forward with it.
Highlighted Paragraph Summary
According to the President, people cannot afford health insurance, and that is the chief reason why they do not have it. The campaign made a promise that an average family would be able to lower their insurance premiums by around $2,500. They did this in order to make their plan seem real to people, so they would clearly understand what Obama was offering (Sack, 2008). The best-guess estimates of the advisors were used to come up with that number, as that would be the amount they would assume a family would save if the plan that Obama proposed was working exactly the way that it should. The Lewin Group, however, analyzed the Obama plan and stated that the actual savings to a family would only be $426 -- a significant difference.
Working Outline
I. Introduction
Thesis -- the Obama health care plan is confusing to a lot of people, and there are many conflicting opinions about its cost and perceived effectiveness; these must be sorted out so that the country can make an informed decision regarding the value of this plan for the country.
II. Healthcare in America
A. Past Healthcare
B. Current Problems
C. Future Concerns
III. The Obama Health Plan
A. Pros of the Plan
B. Cons of the Plan
C. Public Opinion
IV. Conclusion
Revision Summary
Revision strategies for this paper included doing more research than had been originally planned. There were so many conflicting options and ideas among laypeople, politicians, and companies and organizations that were studying the issue that it became very difficult to separate what was true from what was opinion. Because of that, digging deeper was required and still may be necessary. There are so many elements of the plan -- specific details -- that still are not clear, making it hard to form a solid opinion of the value and worth of the health care plan proposed by the Obama Administration.
Simplifying what was studied and addressed also became necessary, because talking about the plan in too much detail does not clarify anything. It only becomes more confusing because there is so much that can be looked at. For the length of the paper it made much more sense to focus on the biggest of the basics such as the cost, the implementation, and whether the public thinks that the plan is a good idea. With that in mind, reducing the outline to a more basic form and focusing on both sides of the health plan -- pros and cons based on what is currently verifiable and accurate -- seemed to be the most logical and rational solution.
Article Copy
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Healthcare/wm2114.cfm
October 24, 2008
The Obama Health Care Plan: A Closer Look at Cost and Coverage
by Greg D'Angelo and Paul L. Winfree
WebMemo #2114
Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has put forth an ambitious health care plan.[1] the plan proposes:
Expanding eligibility for existing public programs, including both Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP);
Creating a National Health Insurance Exchange to serve as a federal regulator of private insurance plans that would compete alongside a new National Health Plan;
Providing income-related subsidies for those without employer-sponsored health insurance while mandating that children have coverage; and Requiring that medium and large employers provide coverage or pay a tax, while extending tax credits to small businesses and creating a government reinsurance...
This huge amount of governmental expenses spread within a period of up to 10 years will result in a slower economic growth. The slow down in the economic growth of America's economy will also be due to the fact that the U.S. economy is currently heavily burdened. Burden to Healthy People: One of the major controversial portions of Obama's health care plan is the burden it places on healthy people since
President Obama's Health Care Plan The objective of this study is to conduct an analysis of President Obama's proposed health care reform plan. Included in the analysis will be a description of the major features of the proposed health care reform plan and how the plan will be funded. Also included will be an objective analysis of the pros and cons of the proposed plan in relation to the factors
This demonstrates the personal nature of the quest that Obama had for achieving healthcare reform in this country, ensuring that everyone had reliable access to quality care (Defrank 2010). The author cites many individuals and incidents that were likely influential in shaping Obama's vision regarding healthcare reform, but does not demonstrate a causal or substantiated link between these specific identified influences and Obama's actual decisions. This makes his claims
The most controversial aspect of the plan was the proposed national health insurance plan. In the November 19th address, President Truman called for the creation of a national health insurance fund, to be run by the federal government. This fund would be open to all Americans, but would remain optional. Participants would pay monthly fees into the plan, which would cover the cost of any and all medical expenses that
What this means is that the lifetime limits on most benefits are barred for all latest health insurance plans. Another interesting thing is the reviews premium increase (Wakefield, 2010). This is saying that insurance companies must now openly defend any type of unreasonable rate hikes. The last thing is that it helps a person get the most from all of their premium dollars. In other words, a person's premium
President Clinton's And Obama's Health Care Policies: Since the 1960's, universal health care has continued to be a major aspect of social reform to an extent that the right to health care for all Americans has been a central issue in political debates. The debate regarding universal health care was particularly fueled by the enactment of the Social Security Act in 1965 that guaranteed care services for the poor and elderly
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now