What the Act Offers
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act offers many healthcare benefits to a diverse group of American citizens. However, there are a few downsides as well. The major portions of the act deal with four primary issues:
1. Increasing the health care coverage of patients with pre-existing conditions
2. Expanding access to health care insurance to over 30 million uninsured Americans
3. Expanding Medicare/Medicaid Coverage
4. Mandating Health Insurance
History of the “Need” for PPACA
Before PPACA was enacted, insurers could discriminate against those with pre-existing medical conditions. The discrimination usually came in the form of denying coverage, striking patients from the coverage rolls when they got sick,
…show more content…
Relative to currently projected levels, the number of people purchasing individual coverage outside the exchanges would decline by about 5 million, and the number obtaining coverage through their employer would also decline by about 5 million. The number is fully rounded out by adding those who would previously be denied due to pre-existing conditions and newly eligible Medicaid recipients.
The PPACA also took steps to reform the Medicare System. Medicaid will be broadened to offer coverage to those families making up to 133% of the poverty line (Jacobson, 2011). It also phases out the Medicaid “doughnut hole” in the next few years. The “doughnut hole” is the gap in prescription drug coverage that the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program had in place. Seniors had to pay 100% of the costs of prescription drugs that were over $2250 but less than $4550 in annual costs. Under the new provisions these costs would be covered by 2019 (Jacobson, 2011).
Who Benefits the Most? Who Loses?
The PPACA benefits a broad array of Americans. As far as sheer numbers are concerned the act benefits the uninsured the most. A 2011 Gallup Poll, “In U.S., 16.4% of Adults Uninsured in 2010”, concluded that “Hispanic, low-income, and young adult Americans remain most uninsured” (Mendes, 2011).
* 37% of Hispanic Americans are uninsured.
* 26.4% of those earning less than $36,000 annually
* 27.2% of those aged 18-26
Under the new law most of these people would be eligible for health
rehend the PPACA, one must understand the history of the United States’ health care system. The most successful and known reform would be the passage of Medicare and Medicaid. President Johnson’s main objective with his program was to provide health insurance to those over 65 years old, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive coverage due to retirement or being financially unfit to purchase health insurance. It has since been expanded to cover those with disabilities, and lower income families (“Overview,” 2015). Brady (2015) examines President Clinton’s attempt to massively overhaul health care in the United States. His plan, the Health Security Act (HSA), required employers to offer health insurance to their employees, and mandated that every US citizen purchase health insurance. This plan would have most likely expand health insurance to many more Americans; however, many feared the large tax increases, restricted options for patients, and with the lack of general support for the bill, it failed in Congress and was never implemented (p. 628). President Clinton’s failed attempt at health care reform opened up the door to future reforms, and it even shared multiple similarities to the PPACA. Smith (2015) updates the history of the health care system in America stating that “In the mid-2000s, America’s uninsured population swelled to nearly 47 million, representing about 16 percent of the population” and how “16 million Americans […] were underinsured” (p. 2). People
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) was designed to decrease health care costs and require health care access to all U.S. citizens. The Act has the potential for reducing the cost of health care in the United States; however, with many risks which could possibly strain the health care system, increase debt, and decrease the quality of care many are concerned.
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 Affordable Care Act otherwise known as Obamacare or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law in March 2010 and it has not been without its share of problems, debates and controversies. One of the main points of the debates and controversies with the PPACA has been the legality of the individual mandate. The individual mandate “requires that most Americans obtain and maintain health insurance, or an exemption, each month or pay a tax penalty” . The whole purpose of creating PPACA was to “achieve near-universal coverage and to do so through shared responsibility among government, individuals, and employers” and to be able to “improve the fairness, quality, and affordability of health insurance coverage” also to be able to “improve health-care value, quality, and efficiency while reducing wasteful spending and making the health-care system more accountable to a diverse patient population” .Those were the top three goals that were the foundation when drawing up the policies for The Affordable Care Act to develop what was hoped to be universal healthcare system for the citizens of the United States. While The Affordable Care Act does have its benefits, such as it would cover pre-existing conditions where most private insurances do not do, more people have the ability to get what they call affordable medical insurance, costs of prescriptions are lower and it even offers tax credits for those that purchase the insurance but it also
“Obamacare”, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), was a law developed to help provide affordable, quality healthcare insurance to everyone and reduce spending on healthcare by the general public (ObamacareFacts, n.d., (5)). Healthcare costs and coverage has been an ongoing struggle in the United States. It came with many new sub-laws affecting healthcare insurance providers and consumers, as well as new benefits to affect current and future healthcare insurances. Obamacare is currently still in effect.
The PPACA was structured to accomplish insurance reform through several avenues (Vincent & Reed, 2014). Medicaid program expansion and the individual mandate are two of the primary elements of healthcare insurance and finance reform (Vincent & Reed, 2014). Additionally preventative health services delivered without cost, removal of health insurance exclusions for preexisting conditions, allowing children under the age of 26 to remain on their parent’s healthcare insurance, and gradually decreasing the out of pocket costs for Medicare Part D participants are mandated by the provisions of the PPACA (Vincent & Reed, 2014).
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a legislation designed to extend coverage to the uninsured, eliminate practices that include rescission and denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions, and lower health care costs. Moreover, the PPACA provides incentives to businesses to offer health insurance or impose penalties on business that do not provide coverage, and require individuals without health insurance to purchase reasonably priced polices through health insurance exchanges (Martocchio, 2014, p. 143). This health reform legislation was taken into effect in 2010, and is expected to complete implementation over the next few years.
Not all of the aspects of the PPACA are viewed as positive however. Several portions of this act will make cuts to necessary programs in order to finance the Act as whole. For example, the PPACA will cut $575 billion from the Medicare budget in order to pay for the subsidies and tax breaks that the program offers and many experts argue that this could not come at a worse time (Weinstein 2010). The baby boomers are starting to come of age for Medicare and the program is going to be under more stress than it has ever experienced before. To put it into perspective, 77 million individuals were born during the “baby boom” between 1946-1965 and now with people projected to live up to 9 years longer than when Medicare was instituted, there will be a higher demand for Medicare that will continue to grow as more and more people become eligible (Keehan 2008). Furthermore, with this much money being cut from Medicare, the money to fund it will have to come from other sources such as taxes. Unfortunately, these taxes will be placed on the individuals too young to receive Medicare and these will be added on to the new taxes that will come as a result of the PPACA. Even though the cuts made by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are trying to save money, they are made in the wrong places and to the wrong programs causing more problems than benefits.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or Affordable Care Act (ACA), is far–reaching enactment that will change how a large number of Americans access health care. The intent of the ACA was to increase the number of insured, increase quality of care and making it affordable for everyone by reducing the costs and expanding coverage. Under the act medical providers such as hospitals and primary care physicians will have to change their practice financially, clinically and technologically in order to have better outcomes, lower costs and have better methods of providing care. The ACA also includes provisions that require all Americas to secure medical coverage or pay fines and it requires insurance companies to accept all applicants.
When Obamacare was taken into effect, a significant change allowed those with pre-existing health conditions, to now be covered by health insurance. Prior to this, many people with these conditions were unable to receive the coverage they needed in order to get the proper treatment. However, this changed with the ACA. Insurance companies are now forbidden from charging buyers too much, terminating coverage, or rejecting individuals with pre-existing conditions. Though this is a positive for several people suffering from illnesses that were previously denied treatment, adding this provision to the ACA also meant increasing premiums. Since health insurance companies could not offset the costs of taking on the population with pre-existing conditions by collecting from
My understanding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) is average to above average and specifically how it affects me and other individuals. According to Kaiser (2013) the main component of PPACA is most individuals and legal residents are required to have health insurance. To accomplish the goal of reducing the 40 million uninsured is for Medicaid expands to 133% of the federal poverty level (Lammers, n.d.). Next, adult individuals whom are 26 years of age or younger can be covered under their parents’ insurance plan and children and adults can’t be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
In March of 2010, President Barack Obama signed into effect the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or widely known as “Obamacare.” The changes that the act is making with all of health care will slowly be implemented throughout the years, and should be completed by 2022 (Obamacare Facts: Dispelling the Myths). In the Affordable Care Act it changes or alters almost all programs that we have today and creates new programs to assist people and properly state what type if care is expected and required of health care professionals. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes all of the following departments of health care, Affordable Health Care for America Act, the Patient Protection Act, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, and effects the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act and the Health and Public Services Act (Obamacare Facts: Dispelling the Myths). The Affordable Care Act will make many changes, but some of the big changes that will occur involve the patients quality of care, the benefits that all of America will receive with the prevention measures it will be taking, the total availability and access of health care for all Americans, and how all Americans health care finances will be altered.
The framework of the PPACA allowed many individuals to receive better care. Implementing the PPACA was designed to profoundly enhance access to mental health services and expand coverage for uninsured Americans for federal agencies, businesses, states, and individuals. Health insurance corporations are unable to refuse coverage to anyone who has a pre-existing condition. When President Obama signed the PPACA into law, it was first and foremost intended to decrease the number of uninsured individuals in this nation. A vast proportion of Americans are covered through private insurances with an increase of 6.7 million newly enrolled citizens since 2014. In 2014, there was about 64% of Americans who was already covered through private insurances (Horgan et al., 2016). The PPACA provides an opportunity to bolster a broken mental health system that disproportionately ignores the needs of older adults.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) also known as Obama Care has been put into place to transfer the cost of healthcare from employers to the government. Employer provided insurance is common place in America. Nearly 60% of the American public utilizes insurance provided by their employer (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Since the proposal of the PPACA it has been surrounded by much controversy concerning the constitutionality of the bill.
The PPACA imposes an individual mandate requiring most U.S. citizens and legal residents to have health insurance coverage or pay a penalty. There are exceptions to this requirement for financial hardship, religious objections, American Indians, those without coverage for less than three months, incarcerated individuals, and certain low–income