Sociology

The new health care reform bill provides a new national approach to health care and initiates some important changes worth taking note of. The new bill is a good piece of health care legislation for a few very important reasons. For one, it provides health coverage for millions more people, whether they want it or not. This is good for society at large, and helps to improve the quality of life for everyone. Additionally, the bill is a good one because it is estimated to cut the national deficit by cleaning up some of the fraud and misappropriation that has been rampant in the health care industry. Additionally, the bill seeks to provide a higher standard of care and will include more people who might have been precluded because of pre-existing conditions. All of these factors combine to make the new health care reform bill one that will be positive for society over the next decade and beyond.

According to the New York Times, The landmark bill signed by Mr. Obama will provide coverage to an estimated 30 million people who currently lack it (New York Times, 2010). Additionally, the bill works because it provides a way for people without the means to purchase insurance to get a piece of the pie. Because requiring these people to get health care on their own accord would be an unrealistic request, the government has taken steps to establish credits for people who need them. The Times wrote that the bill would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people (New York Times, 2010). This is an important consideration, and had been one of the primary concerns of many as they approached this new bill with a sense of pessimism. By providing these people with a legitimate way to get health care insurance without having to break the bank, the new bill succeeds on a number of different levels.

Additionally, one cannot look at the health care bill without also looking at the impact that it might have on the economy. With the deficit soaring, this is a bill that is expected to cut more than one hundred fifty billion dollars off of the national deficit. That is a significant amount of money and it will help the government move forward with other initiatives. An article from the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business indicates that there is still some dissension over the bill and that the cost cutting measures are still somewhat uncertain (Wharton, 2010). Though many of the realities of the bill will not be known for many years to come, it is clear that this reform takes steps in the right direction, and at the very least begins a meaningful dialogue on the future of the nations medical system.

One final reason why this health care initiative is a good one has to do with the level of care provided. One of the chief considerations for Obama and company was making sure that people could still get affordable coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions. That has been written into the law and will be required of private insurance companies. Additionally, the bill establishes a minimum level of care that must be provided by these insurers, though it does not cap the amount of medical service provided. Increasing the level and proficiency of care is always a good thing and should prove to be meaningful in the not so distant future.

In all, the bill makes strides toward a solid destination. Though it is not perfect, the fact that it provides health insurance for more than thirty million Americans who did not have it is a definite plus. The cutting of health industry waste is another important step, as is the bills insistence on a higher medical standard. All of these changes may be shocking in the beginning, but they will prove to be beneficial as time goes by.