The SpringHillian Volume 112, Issue 3
Thursday,October 22, 2020
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
ACA Challenge Could Affect Screenings Grace Crapps
bankruptcy.” Second would be the follow up care. For someone who is uninsured Reporter they would have a difficult Scheduled a week later af- time visiting and paying to ter the election, the Supreme see a private physician. One visit to the doctor’s office Court will hear a case that has the potential to eliminate without insurance can cost anywhere between $300the Affordable Care Act. $600 (Plushcare). When the ACA was first Needless to say, those enacted in 2010 it gave without health insurance almost 20 million people are place in a difficult posiaccess to health care and tion. They are faced with the the fear of it possibly being choices of destroying one’s overturned leaves people thinking: what will happen to credit, attempt to pay a hefty bill, or ignore their medical those who are uninsured? conditions. John Eads, a professor for While Eads said that one Spring Hill’s Division in Busicould argue everyone has ness, and who has a Master’s in Healthcare Administration access to healthcare, Dr. Harold Dorton disagrees. offered some insight on the healthcare system. “Not everyone has “Healthcare is extremeaccess to conventionly complicated and people al healthcare. Many don’t know much about it,” people rely on oversaid Eads. Heexplained how technically one could argue the-counter remethat everyone has access to dies and folk medihealthcare. “If I show up to cine, but that is not emergency room right now, they’re going to see me even the same as having access to anything if I’m uninsured.” He mentioned a friend of his that comprehensive. The had to be sent to the emerreal issue is millions gency room for an infection. of people in the U.S. Although Eads’ friend was uninsured he was still able do not have access to receive treatment. “It’s to healthcare that against the law to turn somemeets the standards one away from the hospital because they receive funding of an industrialized from the government,” said nation,” Eads. So, then why is health said Dorton. He did mention insurance so important? that what uninsured people The difference can be seen had “at best” was access to in two ways. One, is the bill. emergency rooms, but he An uninsured person who referred this as a “relatively is treated at the hospital inadequate option limited by costs on average $900 (USA geography and transportaToday). Although Eads made tion.” the remark, With the ACA granting 20 million people access to health insurance, the idea “I would say about that it could be overturned 95% of those who seems daunting. “Tens are uninsured and of millions of people lose receive treatment coverage within weeks,” said Dorton, don’t have to pay.
Eventually a hospital will write off the bill “this assumes that Medicare expansion and not collect it.” will collapse without He did acknowledge though, the 90% federal conthe ability to not pay one’s tribution to states, medical bill would “hurt one’s and that the excredit and possibly force changes will fold.” someone to have to file for
Communication Arts Department posing in a Pink Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Dorton also brought up the fear that close to 10 million people would be in danger of losing coverage because of the protections for pre-existing conditions, which is something currently provided by the ACA. All in all, Dorton believes that if the ACA were to be repealed without a strong plan waiting in the wings to take its place, the consequence would be negative. This year it is estimated that a little over 300,000 women in the United States
will be diagnosed with breast cancer (Cancer.net). The ACA, the law whose existence is reportedly “hanging by a thread” helps many of those who are diagnosed with cancer receive affordable treatment in several ways (NPR). The law helps provide preventative care, such as mammograms, at no cost to patients as well help low and middle-income people afford health insurance.
One of the most important things for breast cancer is timely diagnosis and treatment. Low-income women without insurance have lower rates of mammography screening and often face additional roadblocks to receiving treatment (NCBI).