Part 1- Major Provisions

1. Guaranteed Issue- Health insurers can no longer deny health coverage to those with bad

health or a history of bad health.

2. Minimum Standards- Each policy must comply with “essential health benefits,” which dictate

minimum coverage.

3. Individual Mandate- Except for those who qualify for exemptions, everyone must purchase

health insurance.

4. Health Insurance Exchanges- If someone does not have health insurance through the

government or his or her employer, then it must be purchased through and Exchange.

5. Low Income Subsidies- Subsidies from the government are available for those who purchase

health insurance and have an income less than 400% of the federal poverty level.

6. Medicaid Expansion- The threshold for qualification was changed, increasing the amount of

people who are eligible for Medicaid.

7. Medicare Payment Reforms- Payments are “bundled” instead of paid on a “fee-for-service”

basis.

Part 2- Functionalist Perspective

The previous medical system had some serious problems that the ACA seeks to remedy, yet it

introduces its own set of issues. Many of the revisions are aimed at making healthcare more

affordable and accessible for the general population, which is highly functional. This is shown in the

provisions of subsidies, guaranteed issue, and Medicaid expansion. The ACA also tries to provide

better basic healthcare through constructing a set of guidelines for basic coverage and forbidding

providers from turning away high-risk individuals. These are all functional attributes. On the other

hand, nearly all of the provisions will place an even greater strain on the already overloaded federal

budget. The ACA also adds another complicated and expensive level of bureaucracy to the

healthcare equation. Insurance premiums are predicted to rise, and because of the individual
mandate, everyone must buy insurance anyway. These are some of the critical dysfunctions of the

ACA provisions.

Part 3- Conflict Theorist

The ACA seeks to level the playing field by providing healthcare to everyone. In fact, it requires

everyone to have healthcare, and even includes subsidies for those who have a hard time affording it.

The quality of healthcare might be lower, but everyone has access to it. One of the most essential

provisions of the ACA is the one about guaranteed issue. No longer are health insurance providers

allowed to turn away those with bad health or a history of bad health. Because of this, many people

have access to health insurance for the very first time. The ACA helps bring those from the “bottom”

of society upward, making everyone closer to equality.

Part 4- Symbolic Interactionist

I view basic healthcare as a right. Someone who ends up in the emergency room in a hospital

deserves the right to whatever treatment can save his or her life, regardless of patient income level. If

all healthcare is approached as a right, however, the system will be easily overloaded. There are

simply too many people to give everyone premium healthcare. As a possible solution to this, I think

that there should be two systems, one that’s public and a right and one that’s private and a privilege.

With the public system there would inevitably be long waits and limited treatment options, but

everyone would have access to it and it would be cheap. Just that little bit could make a major

difference to some people. The private system would allow people to buy the coverage they want or

need by paying for it themselves. This would remove the people who can afford better from the public

system, freeing up some resources and space. In addition, a portion of the money made by the

private system could be used to help support the public system, hopefully helping to raise the

standards there.

Sources: ​Forbes: Obamacare Provisions

Healthcare: Right or Privilege