The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Obama on March 23rd, 2010. The ACA is colloquially known as Obamacare and focuses on helping the needs of United States citizens to obtain health care. Obamacare has slowed down our nation’s increasing health care spending. Furthermore, the percent of uninsured Americans has dropped from 18% in mid-2013 to 11.4% in early 2015. Put in absolute terms, this means approximately 17 million Americans have become insured as a result of Obamacare. That being said, Obamacare has many opponents as it costs almost two trillion and is funded through a variety of expensive mechanisms. Of course some were just about gaining efficiency and have no real downside. However, one of the most controversial was raising taxes for those whose income is over two hundred thousand dollars. In fact, it appears more citizens are negatively predisposed to Obamacare. Obamacare has flaws, as does any plan that attempts to achieve positive social justice on a massive scale. However, if fostered it could become an even more tremendous tool toward alleviating the burden placed on many due to lack of access to health care.

Health care is a huge problem in America as we are one of the only industrialized countries that does not have universal health coverage. Canada, Brazil, Bhutan, China, India, Israel, Macau, Austria, Denmark, Finland and many more have universal health coverage. This, was a largely understated topic and Obama brought it to the forefront in 2010. Obamacare is an instrument that has immense implications on Americans citizens. It has covered 17 million of us, and it is absolutely possible it will cover the remaining 29 million who do not have health care. However, in order for Obamacare to achieve its largest objective it needs support of the vast majority of Americans. And such support can not only come from mathematics. Rather it needs to be at the core of the belief system of most American citizens. This begs the question what is a fundamental right of being an American. Clearly the Constitution creates the precedent that Americans are born with certain rights. Do these right extend to healthcare? One can argue the Declaration of Independence hints at this given the statement “.... certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.  What does it mean to have Life as an unalienable right?  Of course there is no clear answer. However, in circumstances with no clear answer perhaps the tie breaker should be the humanitarian outcome. History teaches us that decisions based on humanitarian principles have the power to transcend time. Whereas decisions based on short term goals, money or other less principled purposes have a tendency to be revisited time and time again, often with conflict and pain.
Obamacare has three straightforward goals - to increase the number of Americans that have health insurance, to streamline the distribution of healthcare service, and reduce the cost of health care. Obamacare has accomplished each goal with impressive numbers. In 2014, the number of Americans without health insurance dropped 25 percent. In absolute terms this means between eight to eleven million people gained health insurance in 2014. Furthermore, since it’s inception Obamacare has allowed 17 million people to gain health insurance. Additionally, in 2013 the Medicare 30 day readmission fell 17.5 percent. This translates to about 150,000 fewer hospital readmissions. The price of healthcare has risen at the slowest rate in over 50 years. Therefore, Medicaid has paid about $360 billion less than they would have if trends continued. People can no longer be turned down due to past illnesses or be dropped by their insurance because they have to pay for care that we depend on such as prescriptions or emergency room visits. Finally, Obamacare keeps young adults under the age 26 covered by their parent’s plan.  
Obamacare is clearly creating societal value. But at what cost? The good news here is that the vast majority of Obamacare is being paid for by gaining efficiencies in health care spending. That being said according to Real Clear Politics latest poll which took place January 16, 2016, 43.3% of the US citizens are for Obamacare while 51.7% are against.Why are people negatively predisposed to Obamacare if it is cost effective and accomplishing humanitarian objectives? There are two fundamental reasons driving this. The first is grounded in philosophy. Obamacare is a socialist plan sitting in a capitalist oriented country. Socialism is based on government ownership of the method of production. Obamacare is creating universal health coverage. This means the government is controlling the way in which we get our healthcare. This stokes fears of large government and is in fact socialist oriented thinking. The second reason is financial. A portion of Obamacare is being funded by tax increases on people making over $200,000/year. Of course when you take money out of people’s pockets you get backlash. It is important to recognize that people work hard to earn a living. Therefore, it is fair that there is frustration towards more being taken. Furthermore, the largest amount of taxes paid for in the United States are paid by those making over $200,000/year. Therefore, the argument is when is enough? Certain segments of the country feel that enough has been taken out of their pockets and a line must be drawn. While it is true that a line must be drawn we must also look at absolute dollar amounts. The average family income in the United States is $52,000/year. Therefore, those making over $200,000/year have it quite good even if 0.9% is taken away to provide health care for others. Furthermore, by looking at the numbers we can understand why the government would want to take control over health care. Before Obamacare was signed into law 46 million Americans did not have health care. Most of these people would likely delay seeking care when they fell sick and often end up in the emergency room with a condition that could have been treated easily at an earlier time. This cycle was a drain on resources and funds. Also, the uninsured are 25 percent more likely to die prematurely than those with insurance. Life for people like Meredith Clark pre-Obamacare was the, “? choice between insurance and food, [she] opted for food and hoped for the best. It was just bad luck that [she] got sick in January 2004…”(? Life Without Health Insurance).  Obamacare intended to create significant savings by covering uninsured and reducing or eliminating this vicious cycle. Ironically therefore saving the country billions of dollars with which we could, in part fund Obamacare.  Americans generally dislike taxation starting all the way back to the inception of America with such transgressions as the Tea Act and Townshend Acts. However, we can not make policy decisions based on emotions. We must focus on facts and humanitarian outcomes. A clear example of how this division is serving to harm citizens relates to online health insurance marketplaces. These marketplaces are online price comparison websites where someone can purchase insurance, receive subsidies, or be afforded exemptions. Thirty six states have not set up these marketplaces and according to a new Census Bureau report 59.4 percent of Americans who lack health insurance live within these states. That’s about 6 in every 10 uninsured Americans. Clearly there are solutions but we must come together to capitalize on the opportunities Obamacare has created.
Ayn Rand wrote Anthem in order to convey the importance of individual liberties while Obamacare conveys the importance of societal responsibilities. Throughout Anthem, Rand describes the monotonous life led by the individuals living in a society where all they're doing is working for their fellow man. However, she blindly implemented some favorable conditions of group work. Rand writes, “ The sleeping halls were white and clean...save one hundred beds”(Rand 21). Rand describes the society being awful but in a place that’s so “...cursed…”(Rand 101), everyone is cared for. Furthermore, she expresses that everyone has, “...breakfast in the dining hall, where there are five long tables with twenty clay plates and twenty clay cups on each table...and we eat our midday meal…[then] dinner lasts one hour”(Rand 27). This, is virtually like healthcare. Having universal food coverage and beds keeps everyone healthy. Throughout her story she tries to convey the significance of individual liberties, which, is quite important but she forgets all the things people can do for each other. She couldn't help but write that everyone gets beds, a home, and food because it’s a given when you are solely working with a purpose of societal responsibilities. Obamacare is mild societal responsibility. The subsidies that cover people's health care come from taxes that each American pays. Proving that Americans actually care about their neighbor. After all, the Declaration of Independence states that,“...it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it…[and] Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. If Americans were so unhappy about taxes and simply too perturbed about where their money's going to, they could just overthrow the government. That’s a bit drastic but, it is in the Declaration of Independence. Obamacare and Ayn Rand’s society alleviate the pain one might endure if they are not as fortunate as those above the poverty line. Her society was not quite there in terms of freedom as Prometheus, the protagonist felt in order “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers”(Rand 101). He was too confined however, Americans are not. Americans have a choice on how to live. Ultimately, only we decide whether or not everyone can achieve universal health care.     
  Social justice is extremely difficult to provide when your trying to balance individual liberties. However, by rallying around Obamacare, massive social justice can be attained. People want to believe it costs too much, or doesn’t help enough. However, these views are not supported by the facts. Furthermore, the people who now have health insurance say they feel, “...very blessed…[and want to send their] love to Obama and his family”(ObamaCare Stories: Real Life Stories on ObamaCare). Obamacare is helping American citizens, in a cost effective manner, striking a balance between individual freedom and broader humanitarian objectives. And perhaps as important, helping American citizens one at a time and can continue to do so until everyone is covered.