Obamacare

The elements of a truly productive nation require certain things; equality in health, education, protection under the law, economics, and social. All these things make for a strong yet flexible middle class. The Constitution was written to be strong, yet flexible, so there's room for most everything else; including health care for the nation. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (what you call Obamacare) was designed to fix gaping holes in the American nation health care system. Through these holes, billions of dollars flowed to the pockets of insurance companies and hospital administrations. That money is paid by American taxpayers. You have a choice, you can pay what you already pay, which is a lot, or you can pay less. If you like the idea of paying less, then the ACA is the only option on the table that can make that happen. Either way, you're gonna pay. I'd prefer to pay less. The current medical system isn't even close to perfect or efficient. The ACA also isn't perfect or efficient, but it will move us close to efficiency if it's allowed to work without being sabotaged. The argument against the ACA and talk of "socialism" is really a veiled argument for continuing the excessive profits for insurance companies and hospital administrations. When someone goes to the emergency room, it is the law that the hospital treats the medical issue. Hospitals are required to provide after care and therapy, but what they are required to provide in an emergency costs a lot. We taxpayers pay that cost. Those without health insurance, that can't afford preventative care, end up going to the emergency room when they get too sick. No one wants to be sick. No one wants to go to the emergency room for a tooth ache. No one wants to miss work, thus loosing money. No one wants to go bankrupt because of high medical bills. No one wants to have to make a choice between paying paying medical bills and their rent/mortgage. Since every is born, eventually requires medical care, and dies, the medical system should be a system of cradle to grave care, and not excessive profit. The notion of America having the best health care system in an illusion. Insurance companies were, and still are, in the business of making money. There isn't anything illegal about that, but where the rubber meets the road, they weren't promoting health care, they were promoting profits. Those people that lost their insurance coverage were paying for junk insurance. There are insurance policies that don't provide any actual medical coverage. The ACA raised the bar on medical care and coverage to meet a more universal standard of care that some of insurance companies , only interested in making money, couldn't meet. So these sub par profit minded companies, either raised the price of their service many fold, or they simply canceled the insurance policies. Many people got very upset at "loosing" their insurance coverage, but in reality, they weren't truly covered in the even they actually got sick. They were paying for something that wasn't really going to cover them if they actually got sick. They were paying for something that was an illusion. Mean while, the insurance company got paid. Those policies that did pay for some level of medical care paid money to cover hospital admin fees and not actual care to the patient. In the current system, not everyone pays their fair share for medical coverage. Since it's illegal and immoral to deny medical service at emergency rooms, those that do pay taxes have to foot the bill for those that don't. Under the ACA, everyone has to contribute to the medical system that everyone will eventually use at some point in their lives. If you couldn't get insurance before, the market would be opened up to address that issue. If you refuse to secure your own insurance, then you will get little or no tax refund. That money will go towards paying into the national medical care system that will eventually lower the excessive costs of medical care.