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Valerie Quintana
Professor Devin
English 1010
April 20, 2014
Mandatory HealthCare
Healthcare, everyone will need it at some point within their life. There are several pros and cons
to the mandatory healthcare that the government is wanting everyone to have. The young adults
are really the ones that feel that they wont be benefiting from it because many do not have any
dependents, many say they just dont need it, and several cannot afford to pay for it. Reasons
why ObamaCare came about because several families were without any insurance. Many were
not able to pay the whole bill at the hospitals and clinics. Others were turned away because they
didnt have a healthcare plan that was not accepted or that could not cover the doctors fees.
Are you aware, Health Insurance will be mandatory beginning 2014- The Supreme
Court has upheld the linchpin of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act: The requirement
that each individual carry at least a minimum level of health insurance or face a tax penalty
beginning in 2014. However, as with nearly every other law, the actual requirements can be
complex and the rhetoric surrounding this provision makes it even more difficult to decipher
what the impact will be. This article attempts to provide a straightforward analysis of who will
be affected by the requirement to purchase insurance. (bizfilings)
This year, 2014 the Health market was opened for people to shop for the insurance that
they qualified for. There are specific qualification that you will need to meet to be able to gain
the insurance. The Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare has provided several types of
reforms for people to have the health care services that they deserve.
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As of 2014, you will be required to have health insurance and may choose to have the
help of the Marketplace to apply for the insurance. But if you dont have one, you will be faced
to pay a fee that will make up for it. This is specifically targeted toward young adults who do not
have any dependents, who are basically not married and dont have any kids and who just live
alone. Theres a debate on, the young adults should not be forced to have to pay for health
insurance and should not have to pay a fine just because they are not a part of a health care
program. Yes, mandatory health insurance is extremely needed. People who are healthy do not
have urgent need for having health insurance. Just like that some people may die without
receiving as much benefit from health insurance as the paid for their health insurances. But an
important thing is people do not visit doctors until they have emergent situation without health
insurance, which may cost a lot. And that expense is covered by taxpayers money. Money
disappears worthlessly. With all the people having health insurance, the money from healthy
people will be used to treat other. And when they become sick they will receive benefit from
other healthy people. Therefore, money will be circulated for the good purpose.(Online Debate)
Health Care Costs Cause Hardship, But Mandatory Insurance Not Necessary The federal
government shouldn't force its ideals on anyone. When alcohol was banned during Prohibition,
that measure was repealed. The same is true with forcing Americans to have health insurance or
pay a penalty. Not everyone who should have health insurance needs such financial backing.
Healthy Americans may not even want to get health insurance in the first place. Subsidies for
those who don't have health care are expensive enough--American taxpayers don't need to foot
the bill for everyone. Instead of mandatory health care, how about mandatory jobs?(Online
Debate)
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The mandatory healthcare today began with the reform in 2010. PBS reports that 44
million American are currently without health insurance. Part of this is due to extraordinary costs
of quality health insurance in the US. HealthCare reform ensures these Americans have accessed
to health care. Millions of people are too poor to afford health insurance, yet make too much to
qualify for Medicaid. The ACA expands Medicaid and CHIP to over 15 million men, women
and children who fell through the cracks. Many State's chose to opt-out of expanding Medicaid
coverage. Some of America's largest firms don't offer health benefits. The 2015 employer
mandate ensures that full-time workers at large firms have access to health benefits. Small firms
are exempted. (obamacarefacts)
The Health Insurance Marketplace is also sometimes known as the health
insurance exchange. This is what helps uninsured people find health coverage. Its an
application that tells you what you are able to qualify for. You may fall under private health
insurance which cover essential health benefits, preventive care, and pre-existing conditions.
You could qualify for lower cost depending on the size of your household and income. Its said
that most who apply qualify for lower costs. Then theres the Medicaid and the CHIP. These two
programs cover millions of families with their limited income. Not all states are choosing to
expand Medicaid in 2014 to cover more people.
Everyone is able to use the Market place. But if you are not a citizen of the United
States you will have to read up on the immigration status and eligibility. The majority of the
people must have health care coverage as of this year or they will have to pay a penalty. If you
dont have the correct coverage recognized by the government you will find yourself paying a
fee of 1% of your income or $95 per adult and $47.50 per child. You will pay this fee on your
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2015 income taxes. You could qualify to be exempt from the fee depending on income and
several other factors.
You are basically considered covered if you have Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, or
any plan you bought yourself. If you have any of these you wont have to make any major
changes. But if you have Medicare you wont be able to use the Marketplace to buy a
supplemental plan or dental plan.
The benefits to having health insurance through the Marketplace, provides
preventive care such as vaccines, screenings, and also check-ups. Having health insurance will
protect you from paying high unexpected costs. It also protects you in two ways, protection form
out-of-pocket maximums, which is the amount that you have to personally pay, it also protects
you from no yearly or life time limitations. These are health plans within the Marketplace that
cant put dollar limits on how much they themselves send every year or for your life time to
cover the necessary health benefits. People without health insurance are making themselves
victims to theses detriments. It will lead people to great debt and later eventually bankruptcy.
Those are the reasons to why ObamaCare was formed.
The governments likes to think that the people will embrace the idea of applying
for health insurance through the Marketplace. But as usually the Nation has its rebels. Meaning
that the young adults, the ones that say, Nothing can ever happen to me, will be the ones that
will have to end up paying the fee out of pocket when filing their taxes.
The good thing about all this is that everyone will be able to go the hospital/ clinic
to get the help that they need and be able to pay for it, instead on leaving the hospital with the
bill. We should look at it like care insurance. Everyone must or at least should have it to be a part
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of the automobile transportation. Think of the body as your own vehicle and the other cars are
diseases, injuries, and disabilities.
Thanks to the reform legislation on healthcare the nation is seeing a great decrease in the
percentage of the young adult population that was 21million in 2010. Which was, accounting
for approximately one third of the total uninsured population. (younginvincibles) Some like to
think that there were so many healthy young people. The statement is said to be totally false,
About 3.1 million young Americans have gained coverage thanks to a provision of the law that
lets young adults stay on their parents plan until age 26. (younginvincibles)
There have been several reasons to why the young adults either chooses or finds
themselves without health insurance. Just like the name of the website that I have cited is called
the Young Invincibles. Many of these young ones find pros and cons to the new reform
laws. Even though several have it, they still think that they dont really need it. Yong adults
make up a large number of our population and the government believes that everyone should be
able to qualify for health insurance not matter what.
The young adults have the highest percentage for getting sick and finding
themselves in injury related emergencies. As society has witnessed there are several with mental
conditions. No one knows just whats going to happen. It can never happen to me or It wont
are the words often said by these not so fully developed frontal lobes. Again thanks to the new
regulation of the Affordable Care Act, some of the kids are able to stay on their parents
insurance in till the age of 26.
Because of this the government is safe to think that hospital bills are being paid
because insurance is being purchased by the parents and that the young adults are able to be on it
and use it for their physical and mental health. The young adult will notice the difference
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between their benefits and their friend who pays the individual mandate and doesnt really
receive anything to benefit from paying the fine. The penalty in 2014 is calculated one of 2
ways. If you or your dependents dont have insurance that qualifies as minimum essential
coverage you'll pay whichever of these amounts is higher, (healthcare.gov) one percent of your
yearly house hold income. The maximum penalty is the national average premium for a bronze
plan. The Bronze plan is the minimum essential coverage lowest type and the lowest level of
standard qualification. Bronze plans split covered expense 60- 40%, the insurers pay the sixty
percent of the covered health expenses while you the policy holder pays the forty to equal the
sum of 100%. The other penalty is, $95 per person for the year ($47.50 per child under 18). The
maximum penalty per family using this method is $285. (healthcare.gov) Sad to say that the
penalty will increase every year, which hopefully will make you want to buy a plan. Its safe to
say that the types of insurance one can qualify for is secured and that they dont have to worry
about anything devastating happening.
An individual who decides to pay the fine needs to keep in mind that they are still not
covered and will be required to pay the hospital bill in full 100%. It would be best to try to
qualify for a minimum essential coverage to help you pay for the bills and to avoid paying the
penalty. Because when someone without insurance is faced with expensive unexpected
medical care the people of the nation are the ones who end up having to pay for it. Obamacare is
supposed to lessen the amount of abandoned medical bills. The health care laws are trying to
enforce responsible citizens to be accountable for their bills by applying for their qualified health
insurance.
What is ObamaCare?: ObamaCare is the unofficial name for The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act which was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Obamacare's health care
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reform does a number of important things including offering Americans a number of new
benefits, rights, and protections in regards to their healthcare and setting up a Health Insurance
Marketplace where Americans can purchase federally regulated and subsidized health
insurance. (obamacarefacts) Even though Obama was the one who had signed the Affordable
Care Act the idea was formed within decades among the health care industry. ObamaCare itself
was in fact modeled after "Romney Care", which is the nickname for the health care reform law
implemented in the State of Massachusetts by then Governor Mitt Romney. (obamacarefacts)
Many of the young adults are able to qualify for their own health insurance. But still
dont like the idea of having to have it. Some dont have the luxury of being put on to moms and
pops insurance. Several face this challenge and will have to make the decision to either pay the
fine that makes up for not carrying insurance or put in the time to see if they qualify through the
Marketplace to find a health care plan that works for them. Many will have a hard time keeping
up with the bills and either or cant afford to pay the fine. If you are a young adult you will
either crash and burn or hopefully see that you can benefit from the reform laws.
A personal perspective on all this is that the healthcare should not be mandatory. It
should just be open to those who want and need it. If I were to leave my parents house, I could
still be on my fathers healthcare plan that this company provides, only if I dont claim myself as
independent when it comes time for taxes. I really would not have to pay for a fee or for a plan
because I rarely ever go use the medical facilities. But then again if something did happen to me
I would be hurting a great deal to pay off the bill. I can see both sides to being for and against
because I am a young adult and will have to face this issue in a few years when I do decided to
get off my parents plan or when I just reach the age of no qualification.
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Looking at ourselves as a nation and then the individual will being different perspectives.
As a nation we really need this mandatory health care, to make sure that the costs are being paid
and that people are receiving medical care. As individuals we may not need it but again at some
point in life we will need it. Is it really better for everyone just to have it? Like how everyone
should have car insurance. Or think they need house insurance and any kind of insurance in
general. We can all say that it does come in handy.

















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Work Cited
"Health Care Reform Timeline." Health Care Reform Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
<http://obamacarefacts.com/health-care-reform-timeline.php>.
Marcia Richards Suelzer. "Health Insurance Will Be Mandatory Beginning in 2014." LLC &
Incorporation. Business Owner's Toolkit, 17 July 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.bizfilings.com/toolkit/news/tax-info/health-insurance-mandatory-beginning-
2014.aspx>.
"Should Health Insurance Be Mandatory?" The Premier Online Debate Website. N.p., n.d. Web.
02 Apr. 2014. <http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-health-insurance-be-mandatory>.
"Types of Health Insurance Plans." Types of Health Insurance Plans. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr.
2014. <http://obamacarefacts.com/insurance-exchange/health-insurance-plans.php>.
"What If I Don't Have Health Coverage?" HealthCare.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
<https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-i-dont-have-health-coverage/>.
"Why It Matters." Young Invincibles. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
<http://younginvincibles.org/issues/health-care/why-it-matters/>.