For ages, American healthcare as a whole has been criticized for being unaffordable compared to that of other first-world nations, most notably European nations. Since the United States is a bigger country than any in Europe, it means more people and more doctors are needed. This serves as a significant issue: how are we to guarantee that the millions of Americans living with chronic and fatal diseases get the care they need, especially if they are from a low-income background? Besides, it’s even written in the Declaration of Independence that all people in this country are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Medical professionals need to make money, too, so this all serves as a very complex problem. 

If you have lived in the United States at any time for the last decade or so, then you have heard about ObamaCare and former President Trump’s desire to repeal it. When discussing the pros and cons of ObamaCare, you have probably heard the claim that it was expensive for what is supposed to be an “affordable” care act, “If they’re gonna shove it down your throat, have something you can afford,” said one southern Kentucky man who was interviewed by Vox. Despite this, Trump’s proposed plans were still not well-received by most Americans, with only 17% approving of it according to a 2017 poll. What exactly is the difference between the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) and the American Health Care Act (TrumpCare)? Their formal names sound awfully similar, so it’s reasonable to have plenty of questions about it. 

Here are some important points about the American Health Care Act that you should know about:

• TrumpCare planned to make it so that employers do not have to provide health insurance for their employees. If one were to be laid off or terminated from their job, that would mean they wouldn’t lose their health insurance. On the other hand, some companies, especially small businesses, may not be able to afford to provide health insurance to their workers.

• No individual mandates or taxes for not signing up. The Republican Party is big on the concept of personal choice and that the government should not force you to do anything you don’t want to do, and that includes buying health insurance. When it comes down to the discussion of
  “how much does ObamaCare cost?”, many of them disliked ObamaCare for implementing taxes for people who chose not to be insured. 

• Former President Trump wanted to cut Medicaid expansion under ObamaCare. Many Republicans say that the price tag attached to expanding it is simply too high.

• TrumpCare would have included budget cuts to women’s health organizations such as Planned Parenthood due to Trump’s pro-life stance.

Despite all of the pros and cons of ObamaCare and most of Republicans’ countless attempts to get rid of it, it seemed that not enough members of the GOP were confident with President Trump’s proposed plan. Unless he manages to get back into the Oval Office in 2024, it is highly unlikely we will ever see a TrumpCare.