The affordable care act (A C A) aims at increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance and lower the cost of healthcare for individuals and the government as well. This law requires group health plans and insurers to provide each participant with a written summary describing the plan’s benefits and scope. This law additionally, requires that insurance companies cover all new applicants regardless of the preexisting conditions or sex. Shifting of the system towards quality over quantity is also another aspect that the new law requires implemented. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act addresses these essentials of change
- Quality, affordable health care for all Americans
- The role of public programs
- Improving the quality and efficiency of health care
- chronic disease Prevention and improvement of public health
- Health care workforce
- Transparency and program integrity
- Improving access to innovative medical therapies
- Community living assistance services and supports
- Revenue provisions
The act has got provisions that affect the nursing profession in far reaching ways; this paper however, focuses on two aspects that the act affects the nursing practice in the United States.
Nursing Workforce Development
Provisions in the act contained in the act in title viii of the (PHSA) promote career development and improve care delivery. The affordable health care for America act improves on these programmes in various ways such as; increasing loan repayment benefits for nursing students and tutors; removing limit on loans for nursing students pursuing doctoral degrees; confirming that nurse managed health facilities qualify for state grants. “Section 2201 (page 1220) of the act increases loan repayment benefits for each National Health Service Corps members to a maximum of $50,000 per year.” (Kline, J. 2010)
The effect on my nursing practice will be the increment of available nurses seeking positions there which will raise competiveness in the practice and eventually improved healthcare to the public.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)
The act also provides for the support of health provision by advanced nurse practitioners who assume the role of physicians in the execution of their duties. This is due to the high demand for health care provision in the United States and the decline in the number of doctors available in the country to care for the demand. This is to be implemented through various community based multi disciplinary teams which support the primary health care provision system. An example in consideration in this regard is the matter of midwives where Section 1722 (page 1058) of the act establishes a 5-year pilot program to test the medical home concept with Medicaid beneficiaries including medically fragile children and high-risk pregnant women. (Kline, J. 2010)
This move will encourage me, through my nursing practice, to venture into reaching medical support to homes and remote areas as the government has pledged to support the initiative.
References
Dickson, G. L., & Flynn, L. (2009). Nursing policy research: Turning evidence-based research into health policy. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
Kline, J. A., & Walthall, J. D. (2010). Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Summary, Analysis, and Opportunities for Advocacy for the Academic Emergency Physician: HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2010. Academic Emergency Medicine. doi:10.1111/j.1553-2712.2010.00802.x
