Introduction
The topic of healthcare in the United States has been actively discussed in recent years. This is mainly due to health insurance and its features in the country. The United States occupies a leading position in the world regarding health care. The government invests massive capital in the development of the industry. Constant scientific research is being carried out; the latest innovative equipment is being created and implemented in the organization, high-quality medicines are being developed, and the level of service in hospitals and clinics is increasing.
Many talks about the exceptionally high price of insurance and the low quality of the services provided. Despite this, the US government is trying its best to cope with these problems. The current policy towards health insurance and health care can be expressed in the plan for the upcoming health insurance 2023. The above health insurance program, representing the government’s influence on health care, has specific pros and cons. The pros are lower costs on marketplace coverage and cost-sharing reductions, and the cons are an inability to buy a marketplace dental plan separately and the inability to claim savings, being tax dependent. The above facts require a deeper analysis to form a complete picture.
Lower Costs on Marketplace Coverage
The government responds to the people’s complaints and launches a program to reduce healthcare prices due to inflation. It is possible to get more savings and lower costs on marketplace health insurance coverage due to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022c). This act sets out critical measures to reduce the public’s cost of health care and Medicare prescription drugs. Thus, the adopted law created a precedent for curbing drug prices in the world’s most profitable pharmaceutical market. This reduction in the cost of medical insurance indicates understanding on the part of the US government because medical insurance can be considered one of the basic needs of a person; Since it determines the further fate of a person who has been injured or who has fallen ill with an unexpected illness.
Cost-sharing Reductions
Cost-sharing reductions are when the plan starts paying its share of medical expenses sooner. In an ordinary situation, if a particular Silver plan has a $750 deductible, one must pay the first $750 of medical care oneself before the insurance company pays anything (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022b). And in a situation where one uses cost-sharing reductions, the result will be different. Qualifying for cost-sharing reductions, one’s deductible for a Silver plan could be $300 or $500, depending on one’s income (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022b). Thus, a citizen can save an impressive amount, indicating this decision’s actual benefit. As in the previous paragraph, the state again adopts a resolution to support citizens in this challenging time of world inflation. This decision also ties back to the American Rescue Plan Act, and these actions make it the most effective healthcare regulation in the last decade.
Inability to Buy a Marketplace Dental Plan Separately
The first disadvantage of the program will be the inability to draw up an individual dental plan without specific nuances. One cannot buy a Marketplace dental plan unless one buys a health plan simultaneously (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022a). At the same time, the cases are not listed on the health website, but even in this case, one will have to pay for the premium on top of the payment for oneself. With all this, if one pays an additional fee on a health plan, one will have to pay two premiums. Such conditions create a sick contrast with the pleasant improvements cited above. Besides, dental health can sometimes be even more important than the health of the rest of the body, and its same separation can be cast into doubt.
Inability to Claim Savings, Being a Tax Dependent
At first glance, such a decision from the state regarding tax dependents seems appropriate. But in this situation, firstly, there are many conventions; secondly, all the same, healthcare should be a service available to every American, regardless of their duties. If someone claims one as a tax dependent, one can buy a plan through the Marketplace but won’t qualify for savings based on income (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2022d). Looking deeper, some people may depend against their will, and exceptions must be made in such or other cases. If the dependent is of sound mind, then they have the full right to receive savings in the same manner as other citizens.
Conclusion
The US government is vital in providing healthcare services to its citizens. In their work, progress is visible in a positive direction regarding the pricing policy of insurance. On the other hand, there are strange and hard-to-justify decisions in the example of a dental plan. However, it can be concluded that the government, for the most part, has a positive effect on health care and its accessibility. Public opinion is divided on this issue, but it is safe to say that there are no lags behind healthcare in other countries. A federal government provides decent healthcare that matches its price.
References
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022a). Dental coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace®. Web.
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022b). Extra savings on out-of-pocket health care costs. Web.
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022c). New, lower costs on marketplace coverage. Web.
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022d). People under 30. Web.