Annabelle Goodman
Washington, DC
With sweeping victories in the midterm elections, Republicans are wasting no time in exercising their majority power in Congress. The first act of the new Congress is the immediate repeal of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
While Obama can try to veto the new legislation, with majority voting Congress will pass the bill and put it into effect in April 2015.
So what is the future of Obamacare? Washington insiders expect insurance laws will regress to the state in which they existed in 2008, before Obama took office.
There will be an immediate end to state and federal insurance exchanges. There will no longer be corporate penalties for companies whose employees do not opt-in for health insurance. Children will not be able to stay on their parent’s health insurance until the age of 26. This age will switch back to 22-years-of age as a cap for college students, and 18-years-of-age for non-college students.
Those who do not have children and live in poverty will not qualify for any federal or state health insurance. Only families with demonstrated need will be able to apply for their state’s limited Medicaid policies.
The Affordable Care Act, known in the public as Obamacare, currently insures millions of Americans. When new Republican legislation takes effect in 2016, every American who does not meed the Medicaid or Medicare conditions will not be eligible for any federally funded insurance.
“Affordable Care Acts benefits will cost an estimated $938 billion to the American people in fiscal year 2015,” revealed new House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “This is a price that our country simply cannot endure. Those who do not work and need health insurance should seek employment and insurance, just like all other hard working Americans. If they do that, then they have a path to private health insurance.”
Voting in the 2014 midterm elections is being used as evidence of American people being displeased with Obama’s policies, chief among those the Affordable Care Act.
Americans who do not have private health insurance will be warned to start seeking employment or other ways of acquiring healthcare after the April 2015 legislation goes into place.
