Impacts of National Healthcare Reform Essay example

The rapidly rising cost of health care in the United States has made access to medical care difficult for many citizens. Additionally, the number of uninsured is increasing because of job loss and reduction of employee benefits. This trend is projected to continue. The negative effect of reduced access to health care may have alarming effects on the economic well-being of the nation. The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) marks the beginning of significant transformation in the United States’ health care systems. After multiple attempts to reform health care over the years, the nation’s leaders have succeeded in pushing through this landmark legislation that will ensure most Americans will have access to

The United States (US) is distinguished for its medical advances, leading technology and astonishing discoveries in various science fields. These advancements in the health care ground have impacted and improved the health care delivery of several in the nation. The US is found among the wealthiest, most developed countries around the world; however, it is the only developed country that fails to provide universal health care to its people. Health care in the US is described as fragmented, inaccessible, and expensive. Diebel (2015) compared the health system in the US to other nations and supported that it is extremely overpriced, yet the end result does not always support its cost. Lack of coverage, high copayments plus deductibles force Americans to postpone seeking medical attention resulting in undiagnosed health conditions and complications of current diseases. In 2010, under President Obama’s mandate, Americans witnessed the birth of a controversial legislation, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The goal of the PPACA is to improve just about every aspect of the system such the health of Americans, health care access and quality, while reversing the health care expenditure (Hahn and Sheingold, 2014). The aim of this paper is to discuss the PPACA and the Medicaid Expansion under the PPACA including its risks and benefits; as well as, the impact of the expansion in the healthcare delivery

In the first quarter of 2016 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) legislation has lead to 20 million Americans gaining healthcare coverage, and a record low uninsured rate of 8.6 percent (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services [DHHS], 2016). Yet the verdict is out on whether the PPACA has been an improvement or a liability holding back the United States (US) healthcare system’s potential. The legislation was first integrated as a guide to the US healthcare system when it was signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 (Rosenbaum, 2011). It planned to fulfill goals of improving access, affordability, and quality in healthcare (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services [DHHS], 2015). Full implementation of the healthcare reform was established on January 1, 2014, marking the start of individual and employer responsibility provisions, state health insurance exchanges, Medicaid expansions, and individual and small-employer group subsidies (Rosenbaum, 2011). As a whole the PPACA intended to “reframe the financial relationship between Americans and the health-care system to stem the health insurance crisis that has enveloped individuals, families, communities, the health-care system, and the national economy” (Rosenbaum, p. 131, para. 2). While the legislation has not fully

‘Over 105 million people living in America today no longer have to worry about having their health benefits cut off’ (Secretary WH) . Since enacted, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been able to provide for millions of lower and middle class Americans a secure and reasonable healthcare plan that best suits their medical needs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also commonly refer to as ‘Obamacare’ was a solution implemented in 2010 to help reform the precarious healthcare system in the United States. The ACA imposed three key reforms adopted from the successful Massachusetts system of healthcare. First, the ACA established a “guaranteed issue and community rating requirements” which essential barred healthcare insurances

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), health care spending in the United States has grown at a rate of 3.7 percent since 2012 to $2.8 trillion, costing the U.S. 17.9 percent of total its GDP and ranking it number one spending on health care (Martin et al 67; world bank). Despite having the most expensive healthcare per capita, according to The Commonwealth Fund - a private American foundation dedicated to the promotion of a high performance healthcare system - the U.S. ranks at the bottom of the top ten wealthiest nations in terms of “access, efficiency, and equity” (Davis

The purpose of this paper is to present a brief overview and timeline of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 and to discuss its potential impact on healthcare access, costs and quality, and insurance companies. .

There are currently 44 million Americans who were unable to obtain health insurance before the reforms because they could not afford the premiums or because they had a pre-existing condition. “Obama Care” is a tax funded government program which helps these individuals obtain insurance by expanding Medicare and Medicaid and offering cost assistance through health insurance market places. It also provides reforms to the health care industry iin order to cut health care costs and provide affordable health insurance to all. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (or PPACA) originated as a Massachusetts law signed into effect

According to data presented by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the US health care cost exceeded $ 8,000 per capita, in 2010, comparing to the next most expensive system (Norway) $5,000 per capita (OECD Health Data, 2012). Despite being the most expensive system in the word, US healthcare system has failed on many areas of performance and quality. According to OECD data, US has much lower life expectancy than other industrialized countries, also the infant mortality rate is higher than those countries. Moreover, the US is the only industrialized country that does not provide its citizens a protection of a universal health care coverage.

The healthcare system in the United States has been under fire for the last several years, with the primary focus on radical reform of the fragile healthcare system. Legislators, the American people and the media all have differing opinions on the direction of such a reform. The following is an investigative review of the current Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is the latest attempt at reform and the most ambitious healthcare reform in the history of the United States. The core design of PPACA is to ultimately provide universal healthcare to the nation. The present review of literature addresses both the benefits/deficits, implementation and evaluation of the current and ever evolving healthcare

The enactment of the Patient Protection Affordable Act has radically changed healthcare policy since Medicare and Medicaid. The Patient Protection Affordable Act (PPACA) aims to address several challenges within the Healthcare system including rising cost of care, poor access to health insurance and health services for many Americans (Shaw, Asomugha, Conway & Rein, 2014). The law promotes facilitation in the collaboration between US healthcare and public system, thus improving population and community

The healthcare sector in the United States is a unique and complex when compared to other industrial countries. The government had spent $ 1 trillion on health programs; $600 billion for Medicare, $400 billion for Medicaid, and had a budget deficit of $486 billion in 2014. In an attempt to reform healthcare, there have been several initiatives throughout its history to improve care delivery, quality, and outcomes. A significant reform was enacted in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare. Despite the benefits included in the PPACA, there were several disadvantages, and eventually it was not comprehensive enough to fix all the healthcare issues. In order to achieve best healthcare policy in the U.S., it requires a better understanding of its stakeholders, components, and issues. A comprehensive policy should consider the following components: payment, access, health education, preventive care, and government-sponsored programs, to be effective and efficient.

The patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is the most debatable act which was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010 by President Obama ("Obamacare Bill: Full PPACA & Related Laws," n.d.). According to "Affordable Care Act and the IAFF" (2014), PPACA has three main objectives: expand access to healthcare coverage, shield patients against illogical actions by health insurance companies, and cut healthcare costs. The United States (U.S.) is the only advanced country that spend twice as much on patient care, yet still has greater rates of preventable deaths caused by curable illnesses. High healthcare spending, lack of access to healthcare services, and restrictions by health insurance companies to obtain crucial health services are the driving force behind the PPACA. PPACA was passed to benefit every citizen of America, but many view this law as problematic and challenging. Is PPACA constructive or destructive? This paper will discuss both advantages and disadvantages of PPACA.

Signage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010, proved a significant milestone in reshaping health insurance, healthcare delivery, and reducing the population of uninsured persons (Teitelbaum & Wilensky, 2017). Although the PPACA serves as a step in the right direction in protecting the health of all Americans some provisions under the ACA are too burdensome given they place a financial strain on the states. Thus, many governors across the country grapple with the decision to participate in the expansion of Medicaid eligibility (Sommers & Epstein, 2013). Important to note, the desire to advance the health of populations is not without cost. Thus, as federal and state governments push for and support advances in

The cost of care has been a growing problem throughout developed nations during the last 15 years. For example, across 34 nations that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average per capita health care expenditure increased by more than 70 percent between 2000 and 2010. However, the biggest spenders — such as

Since 1960 The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been gathering information and analyzing multiple healthcare systems that belong or are associated with the organization. There are 34 countries that belong to the organization and multiple other countries that closely collaborate with OECD. The OECD gathers statistics, tracks and compares results across countries to develop better public policies, assess areas of improvement and set standards for every country to follow. According to the statistics, the United States is leading over other countries in areas of research, innovations and technology. However, the spending per capital and also percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare in the US towers over other industrialized countries. “The U.S. spent 16 percent of its GDP on health care. This proportion was nearly double the OECD median (8.7%) and over 40 percent more than the country spending the second-largest share of GDP “(D. Squires, 2011).