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For someone like me who isn't very well versed with US politics, could someone explain like I'm a layperson what Obama's universal healthcare is like and what i

For someone like me who isn't very well versed with US politics, could someone explain like I'm a layperson what Obama's universal healthcare is like and what it was meant to do. Was it anything like the universal free healthcare of Canada, UK, European countries? Or was it still paid healthcare but Obama wanted to integrate all of the healthcare in a universal system? Did it get implemented or is still in the works?

ctkhn 1y ago
It wasn't anything like any of those. It was based on a right wing think tank plan and the one bonus is that now insurance companies can't reject you for already having a "pre existing condition"
- ujkhsjkdhf234 1y ago
  It was based on Mitt Romney's healthcare plan that he created for Massachusetts when he was governor.
  - ctkhn 1y ago
    Yeah, and Mitt Romney is a Republican which is the right wing of American politics.
    - bee_rider 1y ago
      He’s certainly a Republican and he was their presidential candidate against Obama. But, it is also the most conservative plan he could get by the very-Democratic-leaning Massachusetts populace and legislature.
bee_rider 1y ago
From this layman’s point of view: It was a requirement for everybody to get insurance, along with some protections (I forget exactly the mechanism) to prevent insurance companies from excluding people who had preexisting conditions (this is a big deal in the US, private insurance companies don’t want to insure you if they think you’ll be expensive), and a marketplace website thingy that made it easy to sign up for insurance. There was a concern that if insurance companies can’t consider preexisting conditions, people might just wait until they get sick, and then sign up for insurance. So, there was a fine levied if you don’t get insurance. There are also some subsidies for people who can’t afford insurance, but anecdotally the definition of “subsidy” and “can’t afford” vary from state to state. Some states sued to try to get the uninsured fine removed. While the case was going through, the fine was set to $0. Ultimately, the fine was found to be allowed (IIRC), but by the time that happened political leadership had changed a couple times and fines are unpopular anyway, so it wasn’t reimplemented (some states do have their own implementation of the fine, though). The system was implemented and remains. You can go to a government run portal and buy insurance in the US. Whether or not it is a good deal depends on what your state decided to do around subsidies and all that. In conclusion, it was a market-driven compromise plan which still exists and is, in fact, highly compromised.

ctkhn 1y ago

It wasn't anything like any of those. It was based on a right wing think tank plan and the one bonus is that now insurance companies can't reject you for already having a "pre existing condition"

ujkhsjkdhf234 1y ago
It was based on Mitt Romney's healthcare plan that he created for Massachusetts when he was governor.
- ctkhn 1y ago
  Yeah, and Mitt Romney is a Republican which is the right wing of American politics.
  - bee_rider 1y ago
    He’s certainly a Republican and he was their presidential candidate against Obama. But, it is also the most conservative plan he could get by the very-Democratic-leaning Massachusetts populace and legislature.

bee_rider 1y ago

From this layman’s point of view: It was a requirement for everybody to get insurance, along with some protections (I forget exactly the mechanism) to prevent insurance companies from excluding people who had preexisting conditions (this is a big deal in the US, private insurance companies don’t want to insure you if they think you’ll be expensive), and a marketplace website thingy that made it easy to sign up for insurance. There was a concern that if insurance companies can’t consider preexisting conditions, people might just wait until they get sick, and then sign up for insurance. So, there was a fine levied if you don’t get insurance. There are also some subsidies for people who can’t afford insurance, but anecdotally the definition of “subsidy” and “can’t afford” vary from state to state. Some states sued to try to get the uninsured fine removed. While the case was going through, the fine was set to $0. Ultimately, the fine was found to be allowed (IIRC), but by the time that happened political leadership had changed a couple times and fines are unpopular anyway, so it wasn’t reimplemented (some states do have their own implementation of the fine, though). The system was implemented and remains. You can go to a government run portal and buy insurance in the US. Whether or not it is a good deal depends on what your state decided to do around subsidies and all that. In conclusion, it was a market-driven compromise plan which still exists and is, in fact, highly compromised.