¶ … Affordable Care Act
Since its enactment in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has transformed the way in which healthcare is provided in America. With its primary aim being to address "long-standing challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system related to access, affordability, and quality of care," the ACA has increased healthcare coverage for more Americans by mandating that health insurance be purchased and that insurance providers not discriminate against applicants (Obama, 2016). When considering the ACA, however, it is important to realize that this piece of healthcare legislation is far more impactful on the lives of Americans than simply in a healthcare context: in fact, the ACA affects lawmakers at both state and federal levels, workers, politicians and voters tasked with electing officials who will either pledge to carry the mantle of the ACA -- or repeal and replace it, as President-Elect Donald Trump has pledged to do. This paper will take examine the current progress of the ACA, its future, issues facing it, a state's policies regarding it and two career opportunities the ACA created.
Progress, Future and Issues Regarding the ACA
The current progress of the ACA is evident in the statistics associated with its aims: as Obama (2016) indicates, uninsured rates have decreased by 43% to below 10% of Americans in the 5 years that ACA has been in
Accessibility has also improved for nonelderly adults, fewer bills have been sent to collections as a result of the expansion of Medicaid, and the percentage Americans reporting better health has risen by more than 3 points (Obama, 2016). Legal reforms have been adopted: for example, "30% of traditional Medicare payments [are] now flowing through alternative payment models like bundled payments or accountable care organizations" (Obama, 2016).
The future of the ACA, however, is uncertain -- as President-Elect Donald Trump has pledged to dismantle it by repealing and replacing. Whether any aspects of the law are retained, such as the ability of at-risk patients to find affordable coverage, remains to be seen. For now, the ACA's future is unclear. Goals and objectives that remain currently are for it to expand health insurance marketplaces by making marketplaces more competitive so that insurance is more affordable, and continue to reform the delivery system (Obama, 2016).
Issues facing the ACA currently are that while fewer are now uninsured, premiums and deductibles have risen over the years as insurance companies have taken on more risk without the projected number of young, healthy persons buying into the system. In other words, the penalty for not purchasing health insurance has not served as an adequate deterrent and insurance…
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