Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation
What are the major positives that you see in the PPACA legislation? What are the major negatives that you see in the PPACA legislation? Provide rationale for your answer.Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation
The PPACA is a major healthcare reform that has been witnessed in the American healthcare system ever since the inception of Medicaid services. Its key purpose was to ensure that healthcare is made universally accessible through universal healthcare plans with the assurance of efficiency, quality and improved health outcomes.Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation
One of the most significant positive of the PPACS legislation is the advent of ACO (Accountable Care Organizations) whose function is to manage cost savings shares and healthcare between organizations(US Senate, n.d.). Thus, the PPACA has helped to decrease the disintegration that has persistently been witnessed in the US healthcare system. The end result has been a shift in the approach to healthcare services from curative to preventive with a focus in the management of population health and primary care. ACO have promoted a reduction in healthcare spending with increased reimbursements to Primary care physicians through Medicaid.
Another positive is that of universal health insurance coverage where more than 30 million American citizens have newly enrolled for health insurances. Among these newly insured consumers, young adults and Black Americans make the largest percentage. Patients with underlying chronic illnesses can no longer be denied insurances since the Act eliminates such limits (Rosenbaum, 2013). Besides, patients can receive a wide range of options and services to choose from starting with mental health, screening, rehabilitation, emergency care among others. Lastly, the performance of healthcare organizations and doctors has improved due to the pay for performance incentives.
However, the PPACA legislation has some negatives which limit its effectiveness in ensuring universal health insurance coverage. The major negative of the PPACA legislation is an increase in premium taxes, costs and fines. The legislation requires that citizens who are not insured are fined 2% of the household income to ensure compliance with the stated regulation. Apart from the notable increment in the costs of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, monthly premiums have become more costly due to the additional enrollment and previous clauses that are no longer valid (Rosenbaum, 2013). Therefore, health consumers are obligated to cater for the healthcare costs of patients who are sicker and those from households with a low socio-economic status.Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation
References
Rosenbaum, S. (2013). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public
Health Policy and Practice. Public Health Reports, 126(1), 130–135.
US Senate (n.d.). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Available at
https://www.dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill04.pdf. Accessed on 20/9/2018
Walk into a room full of people and mention the Affordable Care Act and, before you can say “Obamacare,” you might hear more opinions and anecdotes than the hundreds of provisions in the act itself.
President Donald Trump based a large part of his election campaign on the promise to repeal and replace the healthcare program. Even before he took office, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate set the stage for rolling back Obamacare by voting in a budget strategy allowing them to make major changes. President Trump promises to unveil a plan that provides “insurance for everybody” with lower premiums and deductibles, according to a Jan.11, 2017, news conference with the Washington Post.
With repeal still weeks away at a minimum, here’s a look at the top immediate financial impacts on your wallet should the Affordable Care Act get repealed before Congress can agree and sign “Trumpcare” into law.
Pro: The Choice to Opt Out
Under Obamacare, all individuals must carry health insurance. Based on the need for healthy people to pay equally into the healthcare insurance market, the provision keeps healthcare costs down for sick people who otherwise would not be able to afford insurance and treatment.
If Obamacare is repealed, each individual could decide whether they want to buy into healthcare insurance or pay their own healthcare costs on a cash basis. This is ideal for people who already pay out-of-pocket for complementary or alternative healthcare or young, healthy people with little to no medical costs.Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation
Even with a $503 per month tax credit, a family of four making $51,853 per year — the median income according to the U.S. Census Bureau — can expect to pay a minimum of $86.16 a month for insurance they won’t even use after a $503 per month tax credit.
Pro: More Choices, More Savings
Repealing Obamacare lets each patient shop for plans with benefits that most closely fit their needs. Although states like California, Massachusetts and New York have five or more exchange carriers to choose from, healthcare exchange providers continue to pull out of the Obamacare market. Five states have only one carrier that offers coverage across all counties, leaving 18 percent of U.S. citizens with no choice.
President Trump’s vision for healthcare would let individuals shop for insurance across state lines, creating a strong national exchange with plenty of individual choices. One version of a Trump care plan promoted by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky allows individuals and business with few workers to create associations for maximum bargaining power.
Con: Cost of Lost Coverage for the Sick
Without healthy people paying into the healthcare system, insurance companies must raise rates for sick individuals to keep healthcare profitable. In many instances, patients undergoing treatment for serious health conditions would no longer be able to afford to continued treatment.
Monthly insurance costs for the fictional family of four could be as low as $433 monthly for a plan that has a $0 deductible if someone needs regular treatment and medications. Compared to $10,000 or more for a single course of chemotherapy, repealing the Affordable Care Act could leave sick patients and their family having to choose between imminent death or financial ruin.Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation
Con: Cost of Lost Coverage for Young Adults
Under Obamacare, young adults can stay on their parents’ coverage until age 26. This age group could end up losing coverage should insurance companies revert to removing young adults from their parents’ policies when they reach age 18 or 21.
College age kids typically enter the workforce as part-time employees, retail clerks or workers in the hospitality and restaurant industries making minimum wage with no insurance provided. A college student working a 25-hour work week at $10 per hour would have a gross income of only $13,000. Although Medicaid or college-based insurance can be a possibility for some, many would need to resort to medically underwritten health insurance if the AFA gets repealed, leaving Mom and Dad to pick up the cost.Positives and Negatives of the PPACA Legislation