response 1

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I believe that the Affordable Care Act was a key component in achieving affordable health care for individuals with pre-existing conditions that could not afford certain services and medications before. The affordable care act set up the idea that the law should provide the consumer with subsidies, or federal tax credits, that lower the costs of insurance for those who’s income falls between 100-400% of the federal poverty level. In my opinion, this was a good way expand patient care to more than just those who could afford it and more individuals can receive medication, therapy, visits to a health care provider, and screenings to help reduce the effects of chronic conditions. This would overall decrease the trend of conditions leading to further complications in the future, which overall leads to a healthier population who are more aware of health risks and can have more resources readily available. In addition to this, the Affordable Care Act introduced a vital concept of not allowing people with pre-existing conditions to be denied coverage. Before, most insurance companies would have strict guidelines of what treatments they would cover and say that they cannot help pay for treatments from illness that occurred before you were covered by their plans. It was also detailed that there could be no time limits placed on care; insurance companies used to set limits on the amount of money they would spend on an individual customer. These requirements are especially beneficial for individuals undergoing extensive therapy such as chemotherapy or those that must take daily medications to keep their symptoms at bay. Moreover, preventative screenings were also covered under Obamacare and the copays were at a lower rate than that of other insurances.