Q. 1 The health care reform brought by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has had a fundamental influence on the social, political, and economic environment of the U.S. According to Rosenbaum (2011), ACA has raised Medicaid enrollment by 15 million beneficiaries and reduced the number of uninsured by 31 million Americans. However, economically, it has led to increased healthcare costs for small business employers and politically, it has caused political differences between Republicans and Democrats, with the former vowing to repeal it.
Q. 2 According to Norris (2016), the state of Florida is one of the active resisters of the ACA-mandated health insurance exchanges. The aspect of the state’s choice that is political includes the opposition to the plan politically associated with Obama and Democrats under the ACA. Florida being a Red State, it has been argued that “many Republicans see little to gain [politically] by supporting their state’s exchange” (Jones & Greer, 2013, p. 14). The economic aspect is the health-care associated costs of creating a state-run health care exchange program.
Q. 3 Common law has played a significant role in ensuring increased access to, quality and equity of healthcare by the majority of Americans. It has also reigned on increasing healthcare costs. The level at which common law has impacted overall decisions related to healthcare policy is at the federal level through the work of the U.S. Supreme Court
Q. 4 The U.S. Supreme Court decisions in regards to the ACA have affected and shaped healthcare policy in my community in different ways. The decision in NIFB V Seleblius (2012), for example, has ensured that the ACA remains valid, and hence, ensuring increased health insurance coverage, low costs of care, and enhanced access to healthcare. Moreover, the decision in King v. Burwell (2015) on income-based subsidies on healthcare has affected healthcare in my community by making it more affordable besides reducing the number of uninsured Americans.
References
Jones, D.K., & Greer, S.L. (2013). State politics and the creation of health insurance exchanges. American Journal of Public Health, 103(8), 1-24
Norris, L. (2016). The state of your health insurance marketplace. Retrieved December 5, 2016, from https://www.healthinsurance.org/state-health-insurance-exchanges/
Rosenbaum, S. (2011). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for public health and practice. Public Health Reports, 128(1), 130-135
