Walking Through the Valley

One of the most important pieces of legislation to come along in decades is The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA), often called ObamaCare.  Most Americans have not read this act, or even read unbiased accounts of what it addresses.  Instead people listen to all the wrong voices that rail against this legislation for their own political agendas that have nothing to do with the merits or shortcomings of the act itself.

Currently I am taking a graduate level course called U.S. Healthcare Management that examines the history of healthcare in the United States including this most recent legislation.  As the class moves along, I will share with you some of what I learn in a way that I hope is readable and understandable.

For openers, PPACA requires that Insurance plans offer coverage for mental health conditions which has been lacking.  Mental illness can be just as debilitating as physical illness, and appropriate treatment may help to lessen the stigma that is attached to these conditions.  With attention being paid to the treatment of mental illness, hopefully we will work harder toward finding the cause of these kinds of mental aberrations and may someday be able to prevent many of them from happening.

PPACA also requires insurance coverage assistance for addiction and substance abuse.  I am personally horrified at the foolishness of individuals who knowingly abuse their bodies in any way for whatever reasons whether it is “to drown their sorrows” or “to experience a high” or “to go along with the crowd” or “to defy authority just because they can.”  Should these people finally come to their senses, PPACA gives them a chance to regain their health.  That is a good thing for them and for us.  Productive members of society are certainly better than self-destructive ones.

As I learn the incredible and very interesting history of health care in the United States, I am amazed at how recent much of its development is.  Only fifty years ago it was barely beginning to come onto the national scene.  Prior to that it had been available in certain situations only.

What I’d like you, the reader, to do is to ignore all the rhetoric against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. These politicians and Obama-haters (regardless of party) are using their platforms for their own selfish agendas, and they are quite aware of what they are doing and why.  Don’t fall for it.

I’ll try to bring you an unbiased summary of the history of health care in the United States and how this led to the PPACA of 2010.  Stay tuned.