Over a week has passed since the opening of the Healthcare Marketplace. The technical glitches and system overload continued to influence public support of the highly controversial subject. A stark review of news feeds and commentaries prove that “healthcare” seems to be the least important variable in the political mud-slinging arena. The American public and private sectors faced crippling economic wounds as the federal government shutdown for the first time since the Clinton Administration. The chokehold between the GOP and the Tea Party seemed as strong as ever, and in his speech on Tuesday, President Obama reiterated that the he was willing to talk about a budget proposal that could potentially raise the debt ceiling. What he was not willing to do was defund the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in order for the Republicans to have exactly what they “wanted”. The government shut down gains continued leverage as the tug of war between economics and public health manifest
This week, the silo of political disarray confronted the public sector as state and local public entitlement programs where frozen. All around the nation, state regulated DHHS programs like WIC, SNAP (food stamps), childcare subsidies programs and transportation services were no longer available for eligible recipients. The aftermath of the government shut down exposed divides in political agendas. Instead of the focus of how the ACA could reduce healthcare costs in the future, the majority of American citizens have experienced more defeat and disappointment. Many Americans eagerly awaited the opportunity to finally gain access to healthcare, however many of those who frequented the Healthcare Marketplace were discouraged by the costs of premiums and plans. Yet, several social media sites reported that consumers in over 36 states like Florida were surprised at how affordable the premiums were.
Case in point, what are the intentions for the outcome and greater good of the American citizens? The vision of healthcare reform supports health promotion and the reduction of public health disparities. It seems to be a double-edged sword. While it aims to make America a healthy nation, if not handled carefully, healthcare reform can prove to be an economic burden. The week in review sheds light on many needs of the American nation. The most important need perhaps, is regulation. The ACA provides a framework to transform the health of the people of the United States. When federal regulations are bottle necked into complex state mandated systems, the need for transparency and direction become priorities.
Many questions and thoughts will arise over the coming weeks as the ACA becomes less of a crutch for policy makers and a more permanent factor of human rights. The integrity of ethics and morality will become more of a driving force for political influences as more of the American nation become subjects of political divide.