Rationale Of Health Insurance Expansion

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010. This law puts in place widespread health insurance reforms that expanded out over the last 4 years and continues to change the lives of many Americans today. Health care reform has been an extensively debated topic for multiple years, and the ACA is the first effective attempt at passing a law aiming to make health care not only affordable, but accessible for all individuals. The law impacts many Americans including, children, employers, government programs which includes federal and state, health plans and private insurers, health care coverage, health care cost, and the quality of care received. The main goal of the law is to expand health care coverage, broaden Medicaid eligibility, minimize and regulate health care cost, and improve the health care delivery system. In order to improve the health care delivery there have been new consumer protections established and an increase access to affordable care.

It is estimated that the ACA will provide new services to 64 million Americans, providing health care coverage to 32 million previously uninsured. In addition to providing new health insurance coverage, the ACA implemented several components that can expand access to health care. One policy

The ACA is meant to be an affordable coverage to 30 million Americans by making having affordable insurance for employers from middle to low income Americans and expanding Medicaid and Medicare. The main goal is to lower the healthcare cost and give better healthcare. ObamaCare is also meant to lower premiums and insurance costs. All Americans are required to have insurance and gives

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law on March 23rd of 2010, with hopes of helping make sure every American have access to quality and affordable health care. Having health care coverage is really a big deal, whether you are a parent with private insurance, a senior with Medicare or a single woman with a pre-existing condition, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can save you money and help you get better coverage.

The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare or ACA, is the health reform law enacted in 2010 by Congress. The official name of this reform is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Many provisions of the law are already in effect and the rest are going to continue to develop until 2022. After a year of intense political wrangling, the health reform initiative was passed by Congress. Even though it falls short of providing universal coverage, it is unlike the Clinton proposal. The Affordable Care Act was intended to expand US citizens’ and legal residents’ access to health insurance coverage, control future costs, and improve the functioning of the healthcare delivery system. It improves access to care and balances spending through regulations and taxes. Healthcare has always been a crisis in the US and the Affordable Care Act contains hundreds of different provisions that address these aspects. The Affordable Care Act increases the quality of health insurance at an affordable price so all Americans can have access to it. In exchange, most people who can afford to obtain health coverage must by 2014 or pay a per month fee. The ACA offers Americans a number of new benefits. It sets up a Health Insurance Marketplace where we can purchase federally regulated and subsidized Health Insurance during open enrollment. It expands Medicaid to all adults in many states, as well as improving Medicare for seniors and those with long term disabilities. Obamacare expands

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the new health care reform law in America, which is often called Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a short for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). According to the Affordable Care Act summary, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is made up of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the Patient Protection Act, and the health care related sections of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act and the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. It also includes amendments to other laws like the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act and the Health and Public Services Act.”(2015). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made sure that access to health care is increased, and it

While the Affordable Care Act was implemented in 2010, the most significant changes in the healthcare system began in 2013 with the expansion of Medicaid. According to the ACA’s official website, the law’s main goals are to create cost efficient health insurance and medical services, as well as expand Medicaid so that the stated programs will be available to more Americans. (“Affordable Care Act (ACA)”). To do so, the ACA imposed many requirements on both sides of the health care system. The ACA has expanded federal regulations on private insurance providers by requiring that these companies cannot deny coverage based on the health of the beneficiary. The ACA has also established a marketplace for health insurance to be purchased by small businesses and individuals. Finally, the most noteworthy reform is the requirement for all Americans to purchase minimum coverage, or pay a penalty. However, those who cannot afford coverage and have “an income below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level eligible for Medicaid” will be paid for by the government (“The Affordable Care Act in the US”).

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the biggest milestone to date in American health care policy (Saldin, 2011). There is nothing more complex or controversial in recent history than the passing of the ACA in 2010 (Davidson, 2016). The three goals of the ACA are to expand access to quality care with affordable insurance for all, work with innovation to lower health care cost, and shift focus from treatment to prevention (Rosenbaum, 2011).

In 2010 President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. ACA is pivotal legislation that had rippling effects throughout the healthcare system. The Affordable Care Act was drafted with the sole intention of expanding healthcare access across the country. Under the ACA, Americans are now mandated to purchase health insurance or face a penalty. Americans without insurance are able to get coverage by purchasing through the insurance exchange or by qualifying for Medicaid. The poverty level was raised for Medicaid and new provisions allowed single men to also qualify. Anyone that does not qualify for Medicaid would need to purchase a plan on the insurance exchange and various subsidies are available based on income level.

Dr. Donald A. Barr in Introduction to US Health Policy discusses the different methods in which states attempt to expand health care coverage throughout his book. In chapter eight, The Uninsured, Barr focusses on one such successful expansion. Massachusetts increases the number of people insured in their state through individual mandate, a term used to describe when a government requires individuals to obtain health care (240). After the success of Massachusetts, the federal government attempted a similar system through a policy called the Affordable Care Act (ACA). How does the ACA compare to the Massachusetts’s policy? Though the ACA was made to reflect the Massachusetts’s individual mandate policy, they also have some key differences.

This act contains a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” granting Americans both stability and flexibility needed in order for them to make educated decisions regarding their own health care [4]. Thus, the ACA makes health care a possibility for everyone no matter what their race, religion, income or sex. It allows approximately 32 million uninsured Americans to be able to get some type of insurance coverage through a public program such as Medicaid or Medicare, through their employer or by purchasing coverage from their State's Health Insurance Marketplace [5]. It also allows young Americans to stay on their parent’s health insurance plan until the age of 26 [5]. It improves the care for seniors through expanding free preventive services programs [6] and affords crucial changes to women’s health by mandating coverage of preventive health care measures at no cost to the patient (e.g., breastfeeding supplies, pre- and post-natal care, mammograms, etc.) [7]. In addition, the ACA puts an end to abuses of insurance companies by putting into place new standards for commercial insurers, like the lifting of lifetime coverage limits and striking down pre-existing condition exclusion clauses

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010 by President Barack Obama. This radical health care law was a much-needed step in comprehensive health insurance reform. Three important features of the Affordable Care Act are 1. Improving quality and lowering health care costs 2. New consumer protections and 3. Increased access to healthcare. (Key Features. 2014). Under the umbrella of these three key features additional benefits include free preventive care, drug discounts for senior citizens, increased protection against health care fraud, small business tax credits, increased access to health care through the health insurance marketplace, consumer assistance, and non-discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), was signed into law by President Obama on March 23rd 2010.  The ACA, better known as Obamacare, was put into place in hopes of reaching every American citizen with Medical Insurance. The ACA lowers the cost of insurance for all citizens. The ACA hopes to make affordable health care more accessible and reach all Americans. This goal can only happen over time through further legislative approval; the current plan for the ACA is to phase in expansions of the program over time periods in smaller chunks rather than all at once.  The reason the government so keen on having all citizens insured, is because when more people are insured the cost of health insurance is evened out across all who are covered.

The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as “Obamacare”, has drastically altered healthcare in America. The goal of this act was to give Americans access to affordable, high quality insurance while simultaneously decreasing overall healthcare spending. The ACA had intended to maximize health care coverage throughout the United States, but this lofty ambition resulted in staggeringly huge financial and human costs.

The affordable Care Act implemented in March of 2010 by president Obama reform the way health care was previously run in the United States. The law went into effect, which allowed many Americans who did not currently have insurance and health care coverage to the ability to purchase coverage and access to health care. “ According to the CDC “ the affordable care act of 2010 is designed to provide access to coverage for previously uninsured Americans “ Center of Disease Control (2014).