The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) vastly improves the health care system and should not be repealed.

• Millions more Americans will now be covered.
• Insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage or charge higher rates on the basis of most pre-existing conditions.
• The amount of coverage received will no longer be capped.
• Medicaid eligibility is being expanded.
• Children can now remain on their parents’ plans through the age of 26.

These were all necessary overhauls to the system. As President Obama acknowledges, the law is not perfect and could use some adjustments. In a capitalist society, people should be free to buy private insurance if they could afford it. However, the public option, which is essentially the availability of Medicare for all, should also be on the table.

While the PPACA provides necessary health insurance reforms, health itself should be a focal point. If people were healthier, health care costs would be lower. I support programs that encourage healthy lifestyles (e.g., tax credits for providing gym memberships to employees).