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Good health is among the most important things a man can possess. One’s health and one’s quality of life are connected. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to hear that most people want the best healthcare available. However, no one knows when a health disaster might strike, nor what form such a disaster might take. That’s where healthcare insurance comes in.

Healthcare insurance is both one of the most neglected and most important topics in our daily lives. Few people enjoy talking about health insurance, but everyone depends upon it. That means that nationwide changes in health insurance policies are everyone’s concern. That’s why today, we’re going to talk about the new Republican health care bill.

Why is Health insurance important?

Before we really dive down into recent changes, we should first discuss health insurance and why it’s important. The main purpose of health insurance is to shield the insured from difficulty. Simply making it through a healthcare crisis is difficult enough. Enduring a massive burden on top of that would make recovery impossible.

Of course, in the USA, most doctors will treat patients who cannot pay. However, this still saddles the patient with massive long-term debt. Moreover, the quality of treatment will be lower. As mentioned earlier, it never pays to cut corners with one’s health.

Health insurance is favorable in many ways. Uninsured people obtain the least medical care and have the worse health results.The lack of insurance is a financial burden for them and their families. Additionally, the advantages of widening coverage outweigh the costs for extra services. Safety-net care from hospitals and clinics enhances access to care but does not fully replace health insurance. These findings are backed up by much research although some cautions are relevant in using these results.

No one hopes to get sick. However, numerous people require medical care at some point in their lives. Health insurance pays for these costs and delivers many other significant benefits:

  • Health insurance pays for health benefits critical to maintaining your health and treating illness.
  • Health insurance guards you from unexpected and high medical costs.
  • You pay less for covered in-network health care before meeting your deductible.
  • You obtain free preventive care such as vaccines, screenings, and some check-ups prior to meeting your deductible.
  • You don’t need to the penalty that people with other coverage must pay. This is only if you have a marketplace plan or other qualifying health coverage.

What’s Changing?

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of health insurance, it’s time to talk about upcoming changes. Now, the upcoming bill will change health insurance in many ways. The most important changes, however, deal with preexisting medical conditions, the individual mandate, and essential health benefits.

A preexisting medical condition is any sort of permanent condition that is bad for an individual’s health. One example is diabetes. Another is heart arrhythmia. Right now, it is illegal for health insurance companies to discriminate against such individuals. The upcoming bill means to change that. This will make insurance more expensive for them.

Another likely change deals with the individual mandate law. This commands all Americans to purchase health coverage or suffer a yearly fine. This is supposed to ease the burden on American taxpayers. It does this by shifting the burden onto America’s poor. The new bill plans to eliminate the individual mandate.

There have been several proposals about what will take the place of the individual mandate. The most popular of said proposals is the insurance penalty proposal. This penalizes those on those that go without insurance for more than six months. This should lower the burden on the disenfranchised.

Universal coverage of essential health benefits was one of the most important aspects of Obamacare. The release of Obamacare has changed insurance. Right now, all forms of health insurance must provide these essential benefits. This comes from the idea said benefits are needed for the well being of every citizen.

While the upcoming bill will not stop the essential benefits law, it will open the door for it to change. The bill allows individual states to determine what these benefits are. The most important part of this plan is savings. The hope seems to be that states will lower the bar, allowing insurance providers to give less coverage and make more money.

What does this mean for me?

As with any type of governmental reform, the proposed changes feature both benefits and drawbacks. For instance, doing away with the individual mandate will lift a weight from the shoulders of the disenfranchised, making it easier for them to get back on their feet. On the other hand, it’s likely that those who are already in poor health will face increased difficulties. Once the bill passes, it will be nearly impossible for those with preexisting conditions to find affordable health insurance.

However, none of these changes are official yet. This means that we as citizens of the United States still have time to support or decry this bill. If you have issues you wish to be addressed, you shouldn’t hesitate to talk with your representative. It might also behoove you to take your issues to the public. Otherwise, it might be a good idea to prepare now for the changes to come.