By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Effective Healthcare Requires a Social Approach
    June 15, 2015
    CCBHCs
    2016 Excellence in Behavioral Health Program Design
    February 23, 2016
    conducting Clinical Trial
    5 Tips for Conducting a Clinical Trial
    April 21, 2024
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: #ObamaCare and You: The Consumer and the ACA
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > #ObamaCare and You: The Consumer and the ACA
Policy & Law

#ObamaCare and You: The Consumer and the ACA

Steve Goldstein
Steve Goldstein
Share
5 Min Read
obamacare
SHARE

obamacare

(Editor’s Note: The following is the second in a series of four exclusive HealthWorks Collective interviews on Health Policy by our Washington DC reporter, Steven Goldstein) 

obamacare

(Editor’s Note: The following is the second in a series of four exclusive HealthWorks Collective interviews on Health Policy by our Washington DC reporter, Steven Goldstein) 

More Read

Intellect Neurosciences Files New Patent Applications for Immunotherapy Methods in Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
What’s Does a Counselor’s Role Involve?
Why the Individual Mandate Is Important
Action Item: We Need Open Access to Scholarly Research Now – A Petition to Sign
Advocating for Patients at ASCO, The “World Series” of Cancer

Ron Pollack is the Founding Executive Director of Families USA, the national organization for health care consumers. Families USA’s mission is to achieve high-quality, affordable health coverage for everyone in the U.S. Pollack is also the Founding Board Chairman of Enroll America, an organization supporting optimal enrollment of uninsured people through effective implementation of the ACA.

HWC: As ACA rolls out, are you anticipating a large number of consumers will switch from their present plans?

RP: Most people who have health coverage today receive it through an employer and those people are likely to continue getting coverage in the workplace. For those people who have purchased individual coverage, I think there’s a reasonable chance they will purchase coverage through the new marketplace because many of them will be eligible for tax credit premium subsidies that will significantly reduce their premium costs.

HWC: What is the biggest misimpression/misunderstanding about ACA?

RP: The biggest misunderstanding is some people believe this is a government takeover of America’s health care system and it clearly is not. The ACA provides opportunities for people to purchase private health insurance through a new marketplace that uses all the competitive advantages that exist in a system where insurance companies vie for optimal enrollment and thus have to offer the best price and the greatest care. Calling it a government-run system is very misleading.

HWC: How can we correct the gap in coverage for poor workers in states not expanding Medicaid?

RP: The way to provide help for the people who are below the poverty line is for the states that haven’t yet opted into the Medicaid expansion to make a decision to go forward with it. I believe this is going to happen in the not-too-distant future in all or virtually all of the states. When Medicaid was started in 1965 there were a number of states that did not immediately decide to implement the program but ultimately all came in. I think that will happen here, especially because the federal government’s generosity to the states is an offer that is hard to turn down.

HWC: What is challenging for consumers about the ACA thus far?

RP: There’s no question there have been glitches preventing people from getting into the website and getting enrolled. This is purely a temporary problem. This first enrollment period has 182 days and we’ve only experienced the first week.

HWC: What advice would you give a consumer who is self-employed and in good health? Health challenged?

RP: I would give the same advice to both. Insurance is there to protect you when you get sick or have an accident and it’s hard to predict when that might occur. Chronically ill people know they will need care. But even for those who are healthy, insurance is there to deal with the unpredictable. For the chronically sick, the ACA does some remarkable things: prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition; prohibits insurers from charging a discriminatory higher premium, and stops insurers from terminating health coverage when someone gets sick.

HWC: Why was the Obama plan ultimately approved while the Clinton plan failed? What did you learn from that effort in 1993-94?

RP: The fact that there have been numerous health reform efforts that did not succeed has enlightened stakeholders in the health care system. This time we had greater cooperation from major stakeholders … who knew we couldn’t afford to fail again on health reform. Insurers played a significant role in opposition in 1993-94. A number of small business groups also opposed health reform. This time, in the beginning of the debate, those interest groups either were in support or neutral as the process moved forward.

(health insurance exchanges / shutterstock)

TAGGED:Health Policy InterviewsRon Pollack
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Global HealthcareHospital AdministrationMedical Ethics

Corporate Social Responsibility in Healthcare

August 13, 2012
What are The Uses Of Delta 8 Hemp Tincture
Health care

What are The Most Important Benefits Of Delta 8 Hemp Tincture?

July 5, 2021
hillary clinton at HIMSS 2014
Health ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

Hillary Rocks HIMSS14

February 28, 2014
Global HealthcareNewsPublic Health

The Developing World Uses Social Media to Promote Safe Sex

May 4, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?