Introduction
This paper will take into account the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Law and how all three branches of government are involved with the creation and analyze issues associated with the ACA. Subsequently the paper will describe the role of public opinion and lobbying groups. Thirdly this paper will evaluate the concepts of equity, efficiency, and effectiveness showcasing their role in the law and its passage. This paper will take into consideration the anticipated effects on cost, quality, and access, including discussing the balance of markets and the government.
“President Obama made this telling claim about his signature health-care law: Americans are “Going to the able to sign up for affordable, quality health insurance at a significantly cheaper rate than what they can get right now in the individual market.” (Roy p.1) Since President Obama introduced the legislation bill of the Affordable Care Act, there has been mixed feelings, as a nation, on how it can possibly affect their lives, but more importantly, the economy that is already in chaos. It is interesting to see that even though the nation as a whole is not in favor of the Affordable Care Act, the population will still be in favor of what the Democratic party proposes for health care reform more than the Republican party They show little to no interest in health care reform. Socializing health care in the United States can have its positive and negatives depending on how they are implementing it. The way the Affordable Care Act is written at the moment will not only hurt the patient, by making them wait even longer for care and forcing them to buy health care, but it will also hurt the economy by making the nation dependent on the government and their services. The United States has been going through an economic crisis for a while now and it is evident that health care reform is one of the top issues that this country is currently facing. “The unsustainability of Medicare. The number of uninsured. The rising costs. The uneven quality. Health-care reform is the biggest domestic issue of this year because people are anxious.” (Gratzer p. 28) It is clear that one of the main reasons that so many Americans are uninsured is because of the rising costs of health care, ...
The Affordable Care Act has been at the center of political debate within the United States for the since current President Barack Obama signed it into law in 2010. The act represents the most significant regulatory healthcare overhaul of the United States healthcare system since the passage of both Medicaid and Medicare collectively Initially, the ACA was enacted with the goals of increasing the availability of affordable health insurance, lowering the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance and reducing cost of healthcare for individuals and the government (Robert, 2012). Proponents of the act’s passage have articulated that the ACA provides service for free, such as preventative health coverage for those registered, it requires that insurance companies can no longer deny person’s or children with pre-existing conditions and will close the Medicare “Donut Hole” for prescription drugs. While the Act has the potential to provide better quality of healthcare for the American populace, opponents argue that the ACA is flawed and could create a quagmire of cost and confusion with its implementation. Arguments against it hold the belief that it would force employers with religious affiliation to provide services to employees through their health plans that directly contradict their values. As a result of cost, companies may void out of their employer health insurance and pay a penalty as opposed to pay for employee insurance. Lastly, the act is said to focus more on registration the actually addressing cost of healthcare. While these issues are pertinent, the overall accessibility to healthcare created by the ACA and outweighs the negating arguments.
This paper discusses the Affordable Care Act and questions that were given to us by our instructor. The Affordable Care Act, or ACA, is a health care system reform that was implemented in 2010 by Obama, the current, and then president. There was a great deal of debate when the reform came about, and what it would mean for companies, individuals, and medical care providers. Ultimately, it was designed to bring a reform to the nation’s broken health care system ((Manchikanti, Caraway, Parr, Fellows, & Hirsch, 2010). There were so many individuals without health insurance who did not get the care they needed, and this reform came about to try and create a more equal and fair system that gives everybody a sort of equal chance at insurance and health care. Like any change, it’s frightening when something new and unknown comes about, and that is exactly what this did. There were many who were unhappy with it getting passed, as well as many who were pleased with it. This didn’t just fall onto Republicans or Democrats, but individuals who were in the health care systems, like medical care providers and certain insurance companies, which it would affect. In this paper we aim to examine some background information about the Affordable Care Act, key questions that relate to it, and explore some new information learned about the ACA through this course and its readings.
A power struggle over the defunding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare, caused the government to go into a partial shutdown for sixteen days beginning on the first of October two-thousand thirteen. The ACA, Affordable Care Act, was originally signed on March twenty-third of two thousand ten to offer new benefits, rights, and protections regarding health care. President Obama (3/23/10) declared that the ACA reflects “the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their healthcare.” I believe the intentions of ObamaCare is to expand affordable health insurance to all Americans while improving the quality and reducing health care spending in the United States (Hamblin, 4/2/13). However, according to a CBS news poll (10/3/13), about fifty-five percent of Americans disapprove of this new law and, myself included, feel that not all of the pending results of ObamaCare are in their best interest. These negative responses are a primary result of the demands brought forth by the ACA. This new health care act requires all Americans to possess a health insurance policy that meets a long list of mandatory standards by March twenty-third of two-thousand fourteen or a pay a fee of one percent of their total income (Amadeo, 12/13/13). Although there are some exceptions to these demands, they are scarce and very expensive. The Democratic Party appears to favor the plan, claiming that it will save Americans two thousand five hundred dollars per person while offering exceptional new benefits such as revoking health insurance companies right’s to deny a patient or increase charges based on pre-existing conditions, age, or gender (ObamaCare facts, 2013). In opposition to t...
In the United States, there are more than 45 million people without health insurance. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to provide health care access to all Americans regardless of age, gender or morbidity. The goal of the ACA is to assist people in reducing the financial obstacles currently in place, provide quality care and improve coordination between physicians and patients.
The Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, is a new health policy created by the American federal government. Its purpose is to make healthcare more affordable and friendly for the people. Unfortunately in some way that does not prove to be the case. It is becoming apparent that Obama may have made some misleading statements to help get the ACA put into action. The ACA is sprinkled with many flaws that call for a reform such as people’s current plans being terminated, high costs, and at minimum some people’s hours being cut by their employers.
Introduction
In 2010, the United States took the first tangible step toward universal health care coverage, with the legalization of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent report the total population of the United States is nearly 309 million people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). In 2009, it was estimated 49 % of the population was covered under an employer sponsored insurance plan (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2009). The same 2009 data reported an additional 29 % of the population was covered under some form of government or public program (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2009).
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
In 2012, over 47 million Americans were uninsured. Due to the rising costs of health care, decreases in employer sponsored health care, and ineligibility gaps for public programs, the number of insured people has steadily increased (KFF, 2013). In an effort to overhaul the broken, fragmented system, massive health care reform has been launched. The most far-reaching law affecting managed care since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act “ACA” was signed into law on March 23, 2010 (Kongstvedt, 2013). This controversial and comprehensive piece of legislation focuses on provisions to expand coverage improves health care delivery systems, increase consumer protection, and control health care costs (KFF, 2013).
In America the affordability and equality of access to healthcare is a crucial topic of debate when it comes to one's understanding of healthcare reform. The ability for a sick individual to attain proper treatment for their ailments has reached the upper echelons of government. Public outcry for a change in the handling of health insurance laws has aided in the establishment of the Affordable Healthcare Law (AHCL) to ensure the people of America will be able to get the medical attention they deserve as well as making that attention more affordable, as the name states. Since its creation, the AHCL has undergone scrutiny towards its effects on the government and its people; nevertheless, the new law must not be dismantled due to its function as a cornerstone of equal-opportunity healthcare, and if such a removal is allowed, there will be possibly detrimental effects on taxes, the economy, and poor people.