The patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a legislation that was enacted by president barrack Obama on March 2010.According to Pulcini (2013), the health bill was established by the US government so as improve the access to affordable and quality healthcare in the United States. The bill has been critical in reducing the government’s expenditure in the health sector through the development of public-private participation. Also, the expansion of the Medicaid mandate has been of great significance in enhancing the access to quality care services.
Advantages
A study by Smith (2014) portends that the Affordable Act has been phenomenal in ensuring that thousands of the thousands of the US citizens who were initially uninsured can now have access to affordable and quality health care through the expansion of the marketplace insurance and Medicaid mandate. Besides, the legislation has provisions that guarantee the American citizens low-cost health insurance policies and the use of out-of-pocket costs aided by the states insurance.
Furthermore, the Obama care Act has provisions that allow teenagers to stay on their parents’ insurance policy until when they are 26 years. The approach is critical in ensuring that Majority of the youths who were initially uninsured can have access to quality care. Medicaid expansion has also been of great significance in enhancing the health conditions of the disabled persons and the elderly since the legislation allows for the cutting down of the costs and wasteful spending in the health sector (Pulcini, 2013).
Through the bill, the US government has managed to reduce the government’s spending on the healthcare through the Public- private participation in the provision of care thus making the rate of inflation in the health sector to be at its lowest pick for the past 50 years (Smith,2014).Additionally, Pulcini (2013) contends that the expansion of the Medicaid mandate has over 15 million Americans who could not access medication especially the elderly,children,women and the disabled person have access to quality and affordable care. Furthermore, the bill is critical to ensuring equity in the access to medical services. Initially, these group of persons was alienated from accessing quality care services due to financial constraints.
Disadvantages
Some health commentators argue that the Affordable care Act is too costly.Fische (2013) opines that the sustainability of the bill calls for the US government to raise the taxes so as to provide health services to all the citizens. An increase in the taxes has an impact on the cost of the living and the overburdening of the employers.
The act has also restricted the payment of the Medicaid to the health institutions.Fische (2013) notes that controlling of the payment rates through compliance with the act has caused an increase in the cost of medication. Also, the cost of accessing medical services in the US has gone up as compared to other developed countries that provide universal care since most of the health institutions are concerned with the compliance so as to access Medicaid payments at the expense of the patients.
The Affordable Act has complicated the process of insurance in the US. This is because the act has provided many insurance options a fact that can make some Americans to lose out due to either under-buying or over-buying of the insurance cover. Also, the act seems to favor the youths as compared to other population since the law has provisions that allow the teenagers to use the insurance cover of their parents until when they reach 26 years. In addition, the legislation advocates for the provision that enables youths to pay low premiums.
Despite the fact that the Affordable care act seems to be expensive to sustain, the bill has been critical in enhancing the access to affordable and quality healthcare to the US citizens. Also, the act has been of significance in reducing discrimination in the access to healthcare services.
References
Fischer, A. K. (2013). Resolving Healthcare Issues In Compliance With the Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act. Journal of Business Case Studies (JBCS), 9(6), 449. doi:10.19030/jbcs.v9i6.8190
Pulcini, J. (2013). Update on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 113(4), 25-27. doi:10.1097/01.naj.0000428744.63675.26
Smith, K. J. (2014). Navigating the Minefields of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Employment Relations Today, 41(2), 75-80. doi:10.1002/ert.21457
