Premium Essay

Key Components of Affordable Care Act

In: Business and Management

Submitted By mkleest79
Words 838
Pages 4
Key Components of Affordable Care Act

HCS/455

Key Components of Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) came into federal law in March 2010 and was drafted by the Obama Administration. ACA is often referred to as “Obamacare” and one of the major objectives of the Affordable Care Act is to provide Americans with health care insurance. There are many types of individuals that will be seeking coverage through Obamacare. There are many types of benefits and drawbacks to any new health care policy and ACA has many of both. The Affordable Care Act has made a substantial impact on Medicaid and Medicare programs and well as health care in general. All of these will be discusses in this paper.
Who Will Use the ACA? With private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance through employers there are many Americans still left without healthcare coverage. Many of these people were younger adults that could not afford health care coverage after being dropped from their parents health insurance after age 19. the ACA is expected to provide financing to increase the proportion of legal, nonelderly residents with insurance from about 83 percent to about 94 percent, resulting in a reduction of 32 million nonelderly individuals without insurance by 2019 (Shi, 2014). Young adults without health care coverage are faced with outrageous bills when facing emergency medical treatments. Under the Affordable Care Act, young adults ages 19-25 are able to retain health insurance under their parent’s private plan. This does not apply to those who work offers health coverage. The ACA benefits those who cannot afford health insurance and those who have pre-existing conditions the most.

Benefits and Drawbacks of ACA There are many benefits to the ACA such as free preventative care, prescription discounts for seniors, protection against health

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Components of Health Care

...Key Components of Affordable Care Act Justin Knox HCS/455 June 11, 2015 Reginald Bernard Key Components of Affordable Care Act 1. Prohibiting denying coverage of children based on pre-existing conditions- This law prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to children under the age of 19 with pre-existing conditions (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2015). 2. Providing Free Preventive Care- This law allows preventative services such as mammograms to be done with a deductible charge (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2015). 3. Cracking Down on Healthcare Fraud- Under these law resources are provided, and new screening measures are in place to reduce fraud (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2015). 4. Extending Coverage for Young Adults- Under this young adult up to the age of 26 can remain on their parents insurance coverage (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2015). 5. Bringing down Healthcare Premiums- This healthcare law requires 85% of the money collected by large corporations are spent on health services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2015). 6. Linking Payment to Quality- Under this health care law incentives are offered to hospitals to improve the quality of care being provided (U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, 2015). 7. Making Care more Affordable- This law wants to make it easier for those families or individuals who are considered middle class the opportunity...

Words: 382 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Impacto of the Affordable Care Act

...Running head: THE IMPACT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 1 THE IMPACT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 2 The Impact of the Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010 by President Obama and has reformed the way health care is handled in the United States. The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from denying coverage for preexisting health conditions making it a landmark movement by trying to improve and control costs in health care. A significant impact has been made on the provision of health coverage to Americans, and is the most far-reaching law affecting managed care and insurance since the enactment of Medicaid and Medicare (Kongstvedt, 2013). By ensuring that all Americans have access to health care and are covered under some kind of policy, the Affordable Care Act is expected to give 30 million more Americans health insurance putting an increased demand on an already taxed workforce. According to Anderson (2014) the ACA breaks the promises of access and quality of care for all Americans by escalating the shortage and increasing the burden and stress on an already fragile system. Although there are many kinks to work out, health care reform is not only necessary, but it must happen in order to keep moving forward. Before reform our health care system was truly in crisis. The Impact of the ACA on Current Practices in Health Insurance The ACA has changed a lot in health insurance...

Words: 2089 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Health Care Admin

...2014 Short Paper on Health Care Reform Elimination of Preexisting Conditions: Implications of Health Care Administrators After many years of debate over health care in the United States of America, in the year 2010 something happened. The House of Representatives, Congress and the President of the United States were all Democrats and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 was passed. The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, promised American with great changes and hope for a better health care of the United States as a whole. “An estimated 30 million Americans are expected to gain health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA)” ( Anderson, 2014) After years of struggle with a failing health care in place, the President was finally able to approve a health reform, that test ran in the state of Massachusetts, and proved to be a great success. Lots of parts of the Affordable Care Act seem to be headed in the right direction if your ideology is that basic health care is one of the basic human rights. On the counter part, when big changes are promised to the nation about health care, all components that make up that health care must be evaluated and changed to meet those promises and fully satisfy the people being promised. One of the parties that is facing the implications of the Affordable Care Act are those Health Administrators and health care managers that are trying to fit the promises of the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 brought some big...

Words: 1028 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Health Plans to Constrain Costs and Promote Wellness

...The healthcare system in the United States has been in a constant state of change throughout the 20th century due to rising costs, quality of care and unequal access. As there have been rapid changes in the landscape of managed care, there have also been exponential increases in the cost of national healthcare expenditures. In 2007 national healthcare costs had reached 16.2% of the GDP, an increase from 8.6% in 1977. The cost of rising healthcare has continued to become a focus of politics and the economic landscape due to the amount of government spending with Medicare and Medicaid and the increased costs and reduced affordability of private insurance. (Kongstvedt) Past cost control efforts have focused on changes from the payer and supplier side of healthcare, whereas current efforts place increased focus on patient preference and wellness. The most recent changes in the healthcare system have resulted from quality care measures and the guidelines within the Affordable Care Act. On a national level, increased focus on prevention and wellness has the ability to both improve overall health, but also control the rising costs of healthcare. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, chronic diseases – such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes – are responsible for 7 of 10 deaths among Americans each year and account for 75% of the nation’s health spending. Often due to economic, social, and physical factors, too many Americans engage in behaviors –...

Words: 1349 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Health Care

...Health care The United States is having major problems with crisis in health care such as high insurance cost, Medicaid and Medicare recipients, and uninsured people in America. The United States focus on Universal Health care or coverage. “The goal of universal health coverage is to ensure that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship when paying for them (WHO, 2014)”. The cost of health care is continuing to rise and millions of people are without medical insurance. Business and facilities are closing, loss of jobs, high unemployment rates have become major crisis in health care in the United States. People who are employed are face with the challenges of being uninsured or paying higher rates but receiving lesser coverage. In addition, I will read and analyze the two articles, “The Health Care Crisis and What to do about it, (Krugman & Robin, 2006)”, and “Health Care Special Issue: Creative Destruction, (Cohn, 2007)”. “THE HEALTH CARE CRISIS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT, (KRUGMAN & WELLS 2006)” The United States are continuing to have health care crisis such as high cost of insurance coverage, people who are uninsured, Medicaid and Medicare recipients, high unemployment rates and many other problems. The article “The Health Care Crisis and What to do about it, (Krugman & Wells, 2006)” discusses the crisis that America is experiencing and what solutions should be taking to improve the system of health care. The United...

Words: 1336 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Affordable Health Care Act

...The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina's Uninsured Population Wendy Patterson Walden University Policy & Advocacy for Population Health NURS 6050-13 Dr. Joan Moon June 30, 2015 The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina's Uninsured Population In a speech delivered in the Rose Garden, President Obama stated, “Five years ago, after nearly a century of talk, decades of trying, a year of bipartisan debate -- we finally declared that in America, healthcare is not a privilege for a few, but a right for all” (US News, 2015). This paper will discuss the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the population of North Carolina, the economic impact of providing care to patients from the provider’s point of view, how patients will be affected in relationship to cost, quality, and access to treatment, and what the ethical implications of ACA means for both the provider's and the patients. The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Population in North Carolina According to a fact sheet published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the ACA has the potential to extend coverage to many of the 47 million nonelderly uninsured people nationwide, including the 1.6 million uninsured in North Carolina (KFF, 2015). Although the ACA was signed into law declaring that it was a right for all to have health insurance, individual States had the option of whether to expand coverage for Medicaid recipients. “Being poor, unemployed, or homeless did not...

Words: 1826 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Analyzing the Healthcare.Gov Debacle

...HealthCare.gov Debacle Overview On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, putting in place a comprehensive reform designed to improve access to affordable health coverage for American citizens and to protect consumers from abusive insurance company practices (The White House, 2013). To achieve their goal of providing affordable health care to citizens worldwide, the government set up a Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as Healthcare.gov. Under the law, the online marketplace was to act as a centralized portal in which millions of uninsured Americans would have the ability to compare prices and shop for a variety of quality, affordable plans that best met their health care needs (Lee, 2013). In order for the marketplace to be successful, it needed to carry out a slew of tasks including: verify a person’s identity, legal residence, and income; check eligibility status; calculate subsidy; and allow enrollment (Carmody, 2013). In addition, the site would have to interact with a large number of databases operated by various federal and state agencies. Therefore, the website needed to be interfaced with various entities including IRS, Social Security Administrations, and the Department of Homeland Security and credit bureaus (Carmody, 2013). The government assigned Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency that has traditionally administered key aspects of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the role of project manager (Carmody...

Words: 2944 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Hlt 314v Complete Course Latest

...HLT 314V COMPLETE COURSE LATEST To Purchase this tutorial visit following link: http://wiseamerican.us/product/hlt-314v-complete-course-latest/ Contact us at: SUPPORT@WISEAMERICAN.US HLT 314V Week 1 Discussion 1 Select an allied health care profession and provide a description of the jobs and services provided by that profession. Research regulatory or professional organizations that serve the profession you chose, and describe an area in which the profession seeks to improve or expand. In what other ways might the profession grow to better serve the ever-changing health care population? HLT 314V Week 1 Discussion 2 Select and describe one of the key factors that influenced the evolution of the U.S. health care delivery system to what it is today. What challenges and opportunities are still relevant? How is the selected key factor affecting health care delivery today? How might it affect future health care delivery? HLT 314V Week 1 Assignment Health Care Timeline Details: Review the Topic Material, “Timeline for the History of Public Health and Epidemiology” to complete this assignment. Using this resource as an example, create your own timeline in a Word document with significant dates that influenced and changed the health care delivery systems. 1. Your timeline should begin where the timeline in the topic material above ends (1988). 2. Your timeline should end with the most current and significant information that you can find. You are required to add a minimum...

Words: 2149 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

The American Healthcare System and Access to Mental Health Services

...Services Abstract Within the American Healthcare system there are three key components. The key components include access, cost, and quality. Access to healthcare is the ability to obtain healthcare services in a timely manner when one needs it. Cost refers to many things in healthcare. It depends upon the individual, national, or provider’s perspective of costs. Quality is the desired healthcare outcomes of an individual or the healthcare outcomes of the population. Access to mental health services is a major issue in the United States. Children are greatly affected by this and often fall through the cracks in the system. Less than half of all children receive the mental health services they need. The Affordable Care Act initiated by President Obama is setting strides to improve the availability of mental health services within communities. This law requires that all health insurance providers cover mental health services. Congress has also increased funding to improve access of child mental health services. Improvements with access include, but are not limited to, integrating primary care physicians with mental health providers and the expansion of child mental health services. These improvements will educate primary care physicians on the available mental health services in their surrounding communities, allowing them to refer their patients as needed while providing a continuum of care. The expansion of child mental health services will decrease the time it...

Words: 2439 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Afforadable Health Care

...Affordable Care Act For the first time in U.S. history, every American will have access to quality, affordable health care under the updated health insurance reform legislation passed by the House. "The Affordable Health Care for America Act or H.R. 3962, blends and updates the three versions of previous bills passed by the House committees. "(Kruger, M. 2010) This bill is expected to ease the out-of-control costs of health insurance, introduce competition into the health care marketplace that will help maintain coverage affordability, protect people’s choices of doctors and health plans, and guarantee all Americans access to quality, consistent , affordable health care. The Association of American Medical Colleges stated in a Mar. 21, 2010 article; "we have taken the first step towards truly transforming health care in this country. This historic vote by the House of Representatives sets into motion long-overdue efforts to cover 32 million uninsured Americans and to assure their access to high-quality care. The nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals have expressed their full support for this bill to President Obama, and now stand ready to work with the administration and Congress to carry out these significant changes to our health care delivery system." (AAMC, 2010) The health care reform bill creates a shared responsibility for health care among individuals, employers and the government to ensure that all Americans have affordable essential health benefits. Two of...

Words: 2594 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Policy Process- the Affordable Care Act

...Policy Process: The Affordable Care Act Dinah Riveron HCS/455 May 18, 2015 John Cutspec Policy Process: The Affordable Care Act The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010 as the means to enforce Health Insurance reform. Its main object is to make Health Insurance and Preventive care accessible and affordable to the American population. The Affordable Care Act The ACA major components include: Medicaid expansion, allowing states the opportunity to expand their existing Medicaid programs to include, (OPA, 1015) “individuals under 65 years of age with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level… (as well as) certain low-income adults without children” (Medicaid Expansion). Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM), available for access to individuals and small businesses enabling them to compare a variety of plans on the basis of price, quality and benefits and to choose the most affordable option according to their needs. The proposed three models are State Operated, State and Government Operated, and Federal Government Operated, for States that choose not to establish a program. Under the ACA, health services provided by all Insurance companies (participating or not on the HIM) are required to offer individuals and small businesses, affordable health Insurance plans that allow access to ten services identified as Essential Health Benefits (EHB). EHB services include, Ambulatory and Emergency services, Hospitalization...

Words: 1809 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Hobby Lobby and the Afforable Care Act

...HOBBY LOBBY VS. THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Leonila Gonzalez oUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY HOBBY LOBBY VS. THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT Leonila Gonzalez oUR LADY OF THE LAKE UNIVERSITY Businesses can be affected by many laws and mandates that are set by the state or federal government. It can be difficult for a small firm to stay in business when such mandates are passed. The Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama on Mach 23, 2010. Key components to the law are improving quality and health care costs, new consumer protections and access to healthcare, and mandating that all firms provided insurance for their employees. Small Business Tax credits were also included as an incentive and a way to reduce cost for the smaller firms. (Human Health Services, 2014) In order for a firm to be exempt from providing insurance to its employees they had to be classified as a non-profit organization or a Church. A businesses classification will give them exemptions for example a non-profit organization. A non-profit organization can be defined as “an incorporated organization which exists for educational or charitable reasons, and from which its shareholders or trustees do not benefit financially” (Investor Words, 2014). Because of the mandates of the Affordable Care Act, it is now in the center of litigation in which a for-profit organization is asking for exemptions from providing women health care, contraceptives, due to the owner’s religious belief. (Reese...

Words: 2412 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Hospital Services Industry

...perspective and focus on potential points of improvement. Discussion The United States increased expenditures in the hospital services industry is growing at a concerning rate and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. According to the National Health Center for Statistics, the national health expenditure as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP) has grown from 12.1 percent in 1990 to 17.4 percent in 2013 (National Health Center for Statistics, 2014). Economic growth can be measured by using the GDP and the United States’ GDP ratio allocated to health care has continued to rise faster than most other developed nation (Hockenberry & Thorpe, 2014). The continuous growth and comparison to other developed nation is the primary concern for economists. In order to obtain a clear picture of the growth it is beneficial to analyze health care data over the course of several decades. In the table below several data components are analyzed including: the total health expenditures, per capita health expenditures, health as a percent of GDP, health sector employment, and average increase in employment percentage are shown to give an idea of the overall increase in this sector from 1970 to 2007. Table 1 Year | Total Health Expenditures ($Billions) | Per Capita Health Expenditures | Health as % of GDP | Health Sector Employment (000) | Avg. Increase in Employment % | 1970 | $74.9 | $356 | 7.2% | 3,052 | | 1980 | 253.4 | 1,100 | 9.1 |...

Words: 1542 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Health Care Utilization Hcs 235

...Health Care Utilization HCS 235 October 30, 2012 Health Care Utilization The Affordable Care Act was signed into law March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama; however, the constitutionality of the law remained in question. In a controversial 5-to-4 ruling, The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law on June 28, 2012. The ACA is thought by some as the United States health care rescue, and as its downfall by others. 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 change will allow single adults, who are in school to remain on their parents’ insurance until they are 26. Another policy prevents denying children health insurance due to pre-existing conditions, this same protection will be provided to adults beginning in 2014. Rural communities are now expected to have greater access to health care as a result of increased payments for physicians willing to relocate. Additionally, the National Health Service Corps expanded to provide more health care providers to underserved areas. Community health centers are also expanding to provide care to those with little or no income. As an incentive the government is also offering tax credits to small business owners in order to make health coverage more affordable for their employees. One aspect...

Words: 1461 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Affordable Health Care

...quality, affordable health care under the updated health insurance reform legislation passed by the House. "The Affordable Health Care for America Act or H.R. 3962, blends and updates the three versions of previous bills passed by the House committees. "(Kruger, M. 2010) This bill is expected to ease the out-of-control costs of health insurance, introduce competition into the health care marketplace that will help maintain coverage affordability, protect people’s choices of doctors and health plans, and guarantee all Americans access to quality, consistent , affordable health care. The Association of American Medical Colleges stated in a Mar. 21, 2010 article; "we have taken the first step towards truly transforming health care in this country. This historic vote by the House of Representatives sets into motion long-overdue efforts to cover 32 million uninsured Americans and to assure their access to high-quality care. The nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals have expressed their full support for this bill to President Obama, and now stand ready to work with the administration and Congress to carry out these significant changes to our health care delivery system." (AAMC, 2010) The health care reform bill creates a shared responsibility for health care among individuals, employers and the government to ensure that all Americans have affordable essential health benefits. Two of the key components, and possibly the most debated or criticized of the Affordable Health Care for...

Words: 2454 - Pages: 10