Even though there will be a slight increase to health insurance policies as a whole, it appears as though the Affordable Health Care Act set forth by President Barack Obama has been successful so far.

When the act was passed, it was heavily opposed. Part of the argument against ACA stemmed from a belief it would make health insurance less accessible and more expensive. 

But according to information released by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, premiums will remain low in the coming year. Additionally, more people have found that they have more access to affordable policies than the previous year, even with a projected increase in premiums. That increase is expected to be covered by tax incentives.

The intent of the ACA was to bring health 

insurance to more people, thereby ultimately lowering the cost of health care for everyone. 

There is a problem, however; tax incentives are the reason most policies are still affordable. This creates an issue in two areas.

First, taxpayers 

are the ones keeping their own policies low. Second, when and if these tax incentives are discontinued, those savings could also end, unless insurance companies are prompted to adjust their rates.

It makes sense to have everyone covered with the policy they can afford. And ultimately if everyone did have some sort of policy, then the American population would see the lowest rates in the history of healthcare.

Therefore there are a couple of things voters need to keep and eye on. First, we need to ensure a new president does not undo the progress made by the ACA. 

Second, we need to seek more options for healthcare policies. Competition in any market leads to savings for the consumer. That was one of the things the ACA was able to achieve, according to the report released this week, providing Mississippi residents with more than one option that they could compare to find the best coverage at the best price.