Obamacare,” or its actual title of the Affordable Care Act, is a defining issue in the 2012 presidential election and deserves a second look from voters before heading to the polls.

In reading the law I have noticed many of the key provisions are not only beneficial, but make common sense.

First is the provision that covers preventative care at no cost to the consumer. This is a part of the law which everyone should take advantage.

Getting regular check-ups lowers costs for everyone, makes good health sense and doesn’t cost you a dime. So that old excuse of “I can’t afford it” doesn’t work anymore.

Second is the no lifetime limit/pre-existing condition provisions. We all know someone who has had his or her personal finances wrecked because of a prolonged illness.

The first of these provisions allows people with prolonged illnesses to keep their current insurance with no lifetime limits on coverage. The second provision allows people who have a pre-existing condition to obtain insurance without fear of denial.

Third is the elimination of the “donut hole” for senior citizens, or the Medicare Prescription Discount. This provision helps lower costs for brand-name and generic prescription drugs for those covered under Medicare (Part D).

The beginning of the elimination of the “donut-hole” has already taken effect, with seniors under the program getting a 50 percent discount on brand-name prescriptions and a 14 percent discount on generic prescriptions in 2012. The discount then increases each year until 2020, ending with a 75 percent discount on both.

While I have covered only three of the provisions contained in the Affordable Care Act, there are many more in the law. For example, it eliminates an arbitrary withdrawal of coverage, allows children to stay on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26, forces a review of unjustified insurance hikes by your provider and guarantees your right to appeal any denial of coverage, just to name a few.

One problem with the Affordable Care Act was the Obama Administration’s poor job of clarifying the provisions of the law.

Any of these provisions looked at on an individual basis would garner the approval of most Americans, and not making crystal clear the benefits with this law was an obvious mistake.

With that being said, the President and Congress took huge steps in guaranteeing healthcare is a basic human right for all citizens of our country.

So, for this reason, and many others, I will proudly cast my vote for President Barack Obama this November.

If you have questions of your own about the law please visit www.healthcare.gov and give “Obamacare” a second look. You might like what you see.

Tanner Heaberlin

Kitts Hill