Heather Barlow

26 October 2016

Dear Future President,

There are many issues in the United States that need to be addressed. Healthcare is one of the issues that I feel needs to be addressed. Obamacare has helped many, but has left poor people uninsured. Many doctors are retiring and many people don't want to become doctors because they’re afraid or they’re too lazy. Many former foster youth will become uninsured if they move because their health insurance won't be covered.

Obamacare was established and many people were iffy about what it had to offer so people watched the first wave of applicants and asked questions about what it had to offer. Most people don't like making decisions until they see how it goes for others before them. The program was designed so that core provisions and benefits are shielded from annual budget battles. People are in a fog about what the law means for them. Nearly three-fourths of the uninsured were unaware of the new insurance markets opening to serve them. In states not expanding Medicaid, millions of uninsured people below the federal poverty level will likely be shut out of coverage. The poor won't have health insurance if the state they’re in isn't going to expand Medicaid.

There was a major shortage of doctors as Obamacare took hold. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), unless something changes rapidly, there will be a shortage of 45,000 primary care doctors in the United States by 2020. Many primary care doctors and dentists do not accept Medicaid patients because they get paid less to treat them. Medicaid is government-funded health insurance for poor people. The aging of the baby boomers increases the growing need for doctors because of the medical needs of that large group are creating a huge burden for health care workers. There are so many people in this age group that have increasing medical needs and many doctors were born in this era who are retiring. We have many many people who need treatment and not enough doctors. Negative attention has made medicine in general a far less attractive career choice than it once was. Insurance headaches, pricey technology, long hours and the risk of getting sued have scared off some talented students from going into medicine.

With all of this being said, another issue in healthcare and health insurance needs to be addressed. Former foster youth would like to move out of the state they had to be raised in, but that meant losing their health insurance because it doesn't follow them into the state they move to. They are guaranteed coverage only in the state where they were in foster care. Many former foster kids age out of the foster system and move on with their lives. Most won't have the money to pay for health insurance so since they pretty much belonged to the government, the government paid for their health insurance. Many former foster youth had no idea they would lose health insurance. First Focus had been receiving calls from young people who had no idea that they would lose health insurance when they move. These kids who have been through tragic and traumatic events are more likely than their peers to have physical and mental health needs. These youth should weigh their options before they move. But it is causing them to stay stuck in the state they were raised in. Some youth don't want to be stuck in the same state they were raised in because of the traumatic memories.

As you can see, I've only listed a few of the issues related to healthcare and health insurance, but it's huge when it comes to not having enough doctors to take care of loved ones. We need more people to step up and not be afraid to do what they know they can do best. When it comes to these foster kids who don't want to be in the state they had to be raised in, I completely understand why they would want to leave because I've been through the DHS system and bouncing around the state just to find a bed to sleep in for the night. It’s very overwhelming and heartbreaking. Many many youth don't want to be haunted by those memories for the rest of their lives. They are going to need assistance when it comes to a lot of things and I feel that the government should help in any way possible. So yes, these are major issues. 

Sincerely,

Heather