Deciphering Obama Health Care Reforms in 2013

However, there are some benefits of the Affordable Care Act or the ACA that are universally applicable to all Americans and are rather easy-to-understand.

Some of these benefits are already underway, having been introduced in 2010 and some of these will take shape once the state Exchanges or health insurance marketplaces are established. It can be summarized that the ACA will ensure insurance coverage for the health requirements of a larger section of the society, aiming to provide health insurance to everybody, particularly the low and middle income families, the minorities and those who have been uninsured so far.

Some controversies regarding the ACA have emerged because the 2000-plus Bill that was passed as a law in 2010 hasn’t been translated into a simple format for the public. Even today, there are many objections and a continuous series of court rulings regarding how the different States of the US will adopt the law. With the beginning of 2013, it can be assured that the ACA will take its most definitive form.

This will happen with the creation of Exchanges where people will be able to buy insurance after easily comparing premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses across a large pool of enlisted health insurance providers along with the assurance of tax credits and subsidies. The exchanges will function in such a manner that information will be presented in a streamlined, standardized format.

It has been estimated that nearly 30 million out of the 44 million Americans who are not without insurance will eventually gain coverage under Obamacare. It should be understood that these people qualify neither for Medicare nor Medicaid.

 Coverage for young adults has been an issue for far too long with many youngsters being forced out of their parent’s coverage. With the Obamacare taking shape, these youngsters will sustain their coverage, i.e. until the age of 26 years.

Some of the health care reforms have already kicked-in. For instance, greater investments are being routed for improved primary care. The Health Care Law pays special attention to training and supporting new, primary care physicians and staff such as nurses by providing incentives like scholarship and bonuses that help them to repay loans and fast-track their progress into the actual clinical environment.

Some of the controversies regarding the health care reforms are baseless. For instance, much has been said about how the States are struggling to set-up their exchanges by October 2013. However, the ACA ensures that states have some degree of flexibility in this niche.

States can choose to set-up exchanges in collaboration with each other that are called regional exchanges or do so in assistance with the federal government. These are called federal-state or Hybrid Exchanges. There is also the provision of graduating towards a completing federal format where the state can default to a totally federal government-controlled Exchange for the moment, i.e. 2013, and develop its inherent state exchange later.

It would be an understatement to say that Obamacare has affected insurers who are now having a serious relook at their medical insurance software solutions. Until now, healthcare software systems used by the payers functioned in a manner that was best suited to each payer organization. However, in order to link their web-enabled insurance company software with the Exchanges, payers are now demanding healthcare software systems that offer features like insurance quote engine, Medicare quote engine and health care enrollment tips. This is being done to ensure that their healthcare software is easily adaptable to the Exchange marketplace governed by the state or federal governments.