Presently The United States Government In Conjunction With Both The
Presently, the United States government, in conjunction with both the public and private healthcare sectors, is working toward implementing the law. For this week, please review the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on page 193 of your textbook and formulate an initial post with the following criteria: Choose one provision that is most important and discuss why implementation will make congruent improvements to the current U.S. system. Discuss which provisions you believe will be difficult to achieve or implement because of the inherent challenges in the current U.S. healthcare landscape; please name and describe those challenges. Lastly, what has been left out of these major provisions? Had you been able to meet with congressional members, what would you have lobbied to include in the act? Must be 150 Words or more APA format Cite references in paragraphs and at the end.
Paper For Above instruction
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, marked a significant shift in the United States healthcare landscape by aiming to expand insurance coverage, improve healthcare quality, and reduce costs. Among its numerous provisions, the expansion of Medicaid stands out as the most impactful, primarily because it directly addresses the issue of insurance coverage gaps among vulnerable populations. The Medicaid expansion allows millions of low-income individuals to access necessary healthcare services, thus promoting health equity and reducing the financial burden of medical expenses on disadvantaged communities (Sommers et al., 2014). Implementing this provision is likely to yield substantial improvements by decreasing uncompensated care costs for hospitals and increasing preventive care, which ultimately leads to better health outcomes and reduced long-term costs (Long & Ricketts, 2017).
However, the implementation of Medicaid expansion faces significant challenges rooted in political resistance and state-level disparities. Some states have opted not to expand Medicaid due to ideological opposition, concerns about long-term fiscal responsibilities, and perceptions of increased federal government influence. These challenges hinder the nationwide uniform application of this provision, creating disparities in healthcare access across states (Mediha & Back, 2019). Additionally, administrative hurdles such as CMS regulations and infrastructure requirements pose logistical obstacles to expansion efforts.
Despite the extensive scope of the ACA, certain key issues remain unaddressed within its major
provisions. Notably, healthcare affordability for middle-income families remains limited, especially regarding out-of-pocket expenses and premium costs. Furthermore, the ACA did not sufficiently tackle the high administrative costs and inefficiencies prevalent in the healthcare system, which continue to drive up overall healthcare spending (KFF, 2020).
If I had the opportunity to meet with congressional members, I would advocate for the inclusion of a comprehensive plan to control prescription drug prices. High medication costs significantly affect affordability and compliance, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. Incorporating measures such as allowing the government to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies and promoting the use of generic medications could lower costs and improve access (Kesselheim et al., 2016). Overall, targeted legislative efforts to reinforce affordability and reduce disparities would greatly enhance the effectiveness of the ACA’s core objectives.
References
Kesselheim, A. S., Avorn, J., Sarpatwari, A. (2016). The high cost of prescription drugs in the United States: Origins and prospects for reform.
JAMA, 316 (8), 858–871. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.11237
KFF. (2020). The ACA's impact on healthcare costs and access. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org
Long, S. K., & Ricketts, T. C. (2017). The impact of Medicaid expansion on healthcare access and affordability.
Health Affairs, 36 (3), 417–425. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0935
Mediha, O., & Back, K. (2019). Political challenges to Medicaid expansion in the US.
Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 44 (5), 747–774. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-7548534
Sommers, B. D., Maylone, B., Nguyen, K., et al. (2014). Medicaid expansion and health insurance
coverage and access among low-income adults.
JAMA Internal Medicine, 174 (10), 1723–1731. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.4622