Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Pros and Cons
explanatory Essay
1398 words
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
To begin, one of the common reasons cited in support of Obamacare is a decrease in health and gender-based discrimination by insurance companies. The changes in requiring all Americans to have affordable coverage, as well as changes in how insurers can set premiums, will allow those with medical conditions and disabilities, as well as women who need pregnancy care the ability to have healthcare insurance without having to potentially be denied coverage or forced to pay a much higher than average price (The Pros and Cons of ObamaCare 1).
In addition, it provides a host of other benefits for women. Oba...
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...re options, and the penalization of millions of Americans who are already on private healthcare plans. Time will reveal whether or not the Affordable Care Act proves a success or a failure.
Works Cited
Amadeo, Kimberly. "Obamacare Pros and Cons." About.com. N.p., 14 Dec 2013. Web. 14 Apr
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United States. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Closing the Coverage Gap –
Medicare Prescription Drugs are Becoming More Affordable. Web.
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"ObamaCare: Pros and Cons of ObamaCare." Obamacare Facts. N.p.. Web. 14 Apr 2014.
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"The Pros and Cons of ObamaCare." UPMC. N.p., 6 Nov 2013. Web. 14 Apr 2014.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that the affordable care act provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the state health insurance marketplace.
- Explains that obamacare's changes in requiring all americans to have affordable coverage will allow those with medical conditions and disabilities, as well as women who need pregnancy care, to be insured without having to potentially be denied coverage or forced to pay a much higher than average price.
- Explains that obamacare requires maternity care to be a part of all new insurance plans. the practice of "gender rating", which allowed insurers to charge women higher premiums, is no longer allowed.
- Explains that obamacare brings affordable healthcare coverage to over 32 million americans who are currently uninsured. the affordable care act expands medicaid and the children’s health insurance program, as well as improving the quality of medicare.
- Explains that obamacare addresses the 'donut hole' in medicare, which is planned to be closed by 2020 under the current affordable care act.
- Explains that 54% of americans are opposed to the affordable care act, despite it being approved four years ago. the opposition has given a number of supporting key points for their position.
- Explains that the addition of more major governmental programs such as healthcare subsidies has many worried that it will only plunge the united states further into debt.
- Explains that pharmaceutical companies will be paying for obamacare to close the coverage gap in medicare.
- Explains the disadvantages of reduced coverage options from employers and the penalization of those who are already on private healthcare plans.
- Opines that the opposition to obamacare raises some good points, especially in our current economic climate, but the supporters are also correct in saying the current system is not sustainable in the long-term.
- Analyzes the pros and cons of the affordable care act, including reduced discrimination by insurance companies, increased regulation of their practices, and affordable healthcare for the large quantities of uninsured americans.
- Cites kimberly amadeo's article, "obamacare pros and cons." about.com, 14 dec 2013.
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- Explains that the affordable care act represents the most significant regulatory healthcare overhaul of the united states healthcare system since the passage of both medicaid and medicare collectively.
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- States that the aca seeks to preserve a well-established quality of life for the elderly by closing the medicare "donut hole" for prescription drugs.
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- Explains that opponents of the aca believe that it only focuses on registering people for health insurance as opposed to helping diminish the cost of health care.
- Explains that the aca continues the trend of placing more power in the enrollee's hand by holding insurance companies more accountable.
- Opines that the aca is far from perfect, but improvements can be made to fix the holes within the law.
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2130 wordsRead More - The Affordable Care Actexplanatory essayThis 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.
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- Explains that the affordable care act became law on march 23, 2010, but some provisions didn't go into effect until june 21, 2010, with the majority not taking hold until 2014 and later dates.
- States that the aca requires virtually all us citizens and legal residents to have insurance coverage meeting a federally determined "essential benefits" standard.
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- Explains that the aca eliminates the categorical eligibility requirement and requires that states make all us citizens and legal residents below 133% of the federal poverty level eligible for their medicaid programs.
- Explains that the aca also imposes new rules on private insurance, including a requirement that private health plans allow young adults up to age 26 to remain covered as dependents under their parents’ health insurance policies.
- States that the funding would come from direct tax penalties if citizens have no health plan through their job or have not purchased one on their own, and indirect expenses for job-based plans.
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- Opines that it will be interesting to see what comes from the affordable care act in the future and what happens when obama is no longer president and there is a new individual.
- Explains that bodenheimer, s., and grumbach, k. (2012). understanding health policy: a clinical approach. mcgraw hill publishing.
- Cites manchikanti, caraway, parr, a. t., fellows, bert, and hirsch, j.
- Explains mann, e., & ornstein, n. j. intensive care: how congress shapes health policy.
1784 wordsRead More - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Actanalytical essayA 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 this essay, the author
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- Explains that the house of representatives and senate must agree upon a federal budget and have it approved by congress and signed by the president by september thirtieth.
- Analyzes how the 16-day government shutdown affected individual people and businesses as well as the american economy as a whole. the office of management and budget recorded two billion dollar loss in productivity alone due to the eight hundred fifty thousand government employees that were furloughed or temporarily laid off.
- Analyzes the effects of the government shutdown on public services and daily essentials. the national institution of health continued treatment on current patients but did not accept new applications.
- Explains that president obama signed a temporary agreement re-opening the government and raising the debt ceiling. the bipartisan budget act of 2013 places the budget limit for the current fiscal year at one trillion twelve billion.
- Concludes that defenders of obamacare cannot claim to have a strong sense of democratic principle that the power rests in the hands of the people.
- Opines that obamacare is a federally mandated health care reform. about.com us economy. retrieved december 15, 2013.
- Cites bergmen, sealander, stocker, and zimmerman, in united states: lawmakers reach deal to end government shutdown, raise debt ceiling.
- Opines that republicans can win in 2014 if they go on offense against democrats over obamacare.
- Cites burwell, s. m., "impacts and costs of the government shutdown".
- Quotes docktermen, e. (2013, november 17). swampland heres how much the government shutdown cost the economy comments.
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- Explains that the federal government shutdown cost $2 billion in lost productivity, omb report finds.
- Cites ryan, p. (2013, december 18). house of representatives committee on the budget.
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1251 wordsRead More - Pros And Cons Of The Affordable Care Actanalytical essayIn 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.
In this essay, the author
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- Explains that the aca's provisions are intended to subsidize medical coverage, expand medicaid services, and remove annual and lifetime limits on coverage.
- Opines that the aca will allow physicians to organize themselves into larger groups that can invest appropriately in technological advancements and make providing health care more efficient and cheaper.
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- Explains that the affordable care act's goal is to ensure that all americans have health insurance and in doing so, there are positive and negative implications for certain population groups.
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In this essay, the author
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- Explains that the aca regulates and puts pressure on insurance agencies to offer more services to their customers. people that were happy with their plans found themselves without them, because of the changes to healthcare at the federal level.
- Opines that obamacare needs alteration because of the high cost for people, especially the healthy, buying their own coverage.
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- Explains that 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.
- Explains that the new legislation provides insurance coverage for all citizens ensuring access to medical care.
- Explains the cost of health care in the united states is financed through primary sources: corporations, a family or individual, private insurance companies and government programs.
- Argues that the patient protection and affordable care act of 2010 addresses the issues of quality in u.s. health care.
- Opines that the affordable care act is a good first step, but it's not the end of the road.
- Cites the kaiser commission on medicade and the uninsured and the difference health insurance makes.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the impact of the affordable care act on current and future practices of health insurance and managed care.
- Explains the key provisions of the affordable care act, which are designed to decrease obstacles for obtaining health care coverage and accessing care.
- Explains that states will have the potential to change how health plans are designed through the creation of their health insurance exchanges.
- Explains that the aca seeks to lower health care costs by encouraging providers to create integrated healthcare delivery systems. the centers for medicare and medicaid has become a strong advocate in the creation of acos.
- Argues that the new legislation affects many different types of health care providers, but one could argue that hospitals are being treated unfairly.
- Opines that expanded medicaid and newly insured will have an effect on hospitals as they struggle to meet the demand of insured patients and follow the aca's requirements to improve better quality measures.
- Cites bihari, tunis, and weiner, who have written about the affordable care act.
- Introduces kongstvedt, p.r., maniam, black, and leavell, h. the financial and economic effects of the patient protection and affordable care act.
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- Explains that the ahcl provides solutions for all of these problems. the law provides stability in the cost of healthcare to employers and employees.
- Analyzes harwood's argument that the health law is a legal enforcer for the redistribution of wealth and resources amongst the population.
- Analyzes how the opposition claims redistribution would affect the productivity of employees and healthcare, but the negative effects on business are negated by companies that support workplace health programs.
- Explains that repealing the ahcl has a pernicious effect on the economy and taxes and would inflate the deficiency of healthcare options for poor people.
- Analyzes how the opposition to the ahcl debates the law's role as a modern-day robin hood theory by stealing from the rich to give the poor.
- Explains that opposers to health reform fail to realize that the law is centered around making healthcare affordable for lower-income families and that investments are taxed based on the applicable bracket level.
- Opines that the greater good of the law outweighs the negative claims being attached to it. billions of dollars of tax revenue will be accessible to the government for improvements in healthcare, job establishment and security related to healthcare.
- Opines that obamacare is creating jobs in six fields. fox business.
- Opines that the affordable care act helps the u.s. economy. brodwin, david.
- Analyzes sahadi, jeanne, "health reform's tax bite." cnn money.
- Argues that the affordable healthcare law is a cornerstone of equal-opportunity healthcare and should not be dismantled.
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