Elements that influence State Government
Rebecca Bowyer
POL/215
October 29, 2013
Mariana Chew PhD

Elements that influence State Government
All across Florida, families are worried about what’s in store for them as far as having insurance for their family. Working families are taking a different approach to health insurance plans. Some are being offered high-deductable coverage and health savings accounts with low monthly payments that are expected to be more popular with younger consumers, but a lot are staying with HMO and PPO plans with higher monthly premiums, but have more value. Under Florida’s health law, insured families can only set prices for policies that begin in 2014 and according to their age, household, location of residence, and smoking status. According to an analysis, 1, 923 plans are being sold in 34 states where the Department of Human Services is running the marketplaces or they are working on certain partnerships in these states.
Insurers are offered plans with lower monthly payments, but with smaller network providers that hinder the insurer to choose their doctors or hospitals. For the uninsured many will have to purchase their own insurance which will be very costly to the individual especially if he or she has a family to support Some employers do not offer health insurance, forcing employees to obtain insurance on their own. Many insurance companies are offering coverage to families who have an income of $24,000 to $94,000 with a family of four. For many who live in Florida, they can choose from 100 health plans, nearly twice the national average. Families who are not insured, then Florida has the option of Medicaid or Medicare for those who qualify. These are not a part of Florida’s market system. They are fully insured through Florida’s government system. Lower income families will subsidies from the government to help cover the cost of their insurance. Many families are not able afford obtainable private insurance and that are forced into the government programs. Many families have to worry about feeding their families, and now they have to worry about getting themselves insured. What a dilemma for these people. Some are too proud to depend on governmental assistance that they will make ends meet and try and make it.
If a family decides to purchase individual insurance, the insurance provider can not turn away any family member due to their health or pre-existing conditions. They can not increase the premiums just because you’re purchasing the insurance without it being through your employer. In 2010 the President and Congress signed Obamacare into law. They did this because they wanted to make sure all Americans were able to get health insurance. What happens to those whose jobs don’t provide health insurance, and also people who don’t even have jobs? Those who are 65 and older usually will go on Medicare when it is time. Those who make too much money to be on Medicaid, and then there are the young people who can’t get on Medicare. Some of these can’t afford insurance at all. What are they going to do come 2014?
People who are currently paying for their own health insurance are more that likely to do whatever they can to remain covered. The White House said that they would fix the problem and in the mean time people are managing to sign up for health care. No one wants to be penalized for not having health insurance. Some say that there is a huge tax on excess profits and subsidy so that it doesn’t make sense to expend a lot of energy trying to get a better choice of patients. Obamacare insurance market reforms where not designated to stand on their own. They’re designed to work together, not against each other. As Congress openly found provision, they would create an adverse selection without a minimum coverage because healthy individuals would not obtain insurance until they needed health care. Obamacare wasn’t designed to help health people with average incomes get health insurance. It was to force those to pay more for coverage in order to subsidize insurance.