There are many processes that shape the way health care programs go into effect in the United States. One of the key issues is that the states have the ability to decide who gets what from a specific health care program, which leads to many different determinations (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). Another thing that affects the way health care systems are formed is that we have a fragmented governing institution that often disagrees on a lot of issues, and makes it a lot harder to pass legislation. Many of these legislative administrators impede the movement towards universal health care by tying up proposals and dragging things out (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). No one in the government can seem to agree on what they want done with our health care …show more content…
The United States seems to be unable to come together to form one large market in health care, if they were able to do this they could demand reasonable health care costs, but it seems we are a ways away from that occurring (Saper, 2015).
Benefits of Improving Health Care While reforming health care in the United States, we give more people access to health care benefits. Before the PPACA, the number of people that were uninsured has decreased from 16% to 9%, or to put it into a better perspective, the number has gone from 49 million individuals without insurance to 29 million (Obama, 2016). Instead of utilizing health care services for emergency purposes only, individuals can utilize health care for preventative services and screenings (Kilgour, 2015). Moreover, this improves the general health of the population because diseases are caught early on, reducing mortality in patients. Also, more low income families have access to health care services as well and can utilize services they could not afford before such as specialty care (Obama, 2016). I have witnessed firsthand when I have asked my patients why they did not come to the hospital sooner and many of them tell me because they cannot afford it. With the enactment of the PPACA we have started to see healthier young adults that are not only utilizing their health care but leading healthier lives. In an article by
Many people are seriously ill when they seek treatment because they lacked enough money in their insurance for treatment (Bush, 2015). Although people have reported general satisfaction with their health plans under PPACA, a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey has revealed that affordability is a concern for those who buy their own health insurance. 46% of those with both ACA-compliant and noncompliant plans reported it was “very” or “somewhat” difficult for them to afford their monthly health insurance premium (Medical Economics, 2015). Cost of care has been a longstanding barrier to care for minority groups. The survey did not find an improvement in Blacks and Asians skipping care due to cost concerns. (Pallarito, 2015).
rehend the PPACA, one must understand the history of the United States’ health care system. The most successful and known reform would be the passage of Medicare and Medicaid. President Johnson’s main objective with his program was to provide health insurance to those over 65 years old, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive coverage due to retirement or being financially unfit to purchase health insurance. It has since been expanded to cover those with disabilities, and lower income families (“Overview,” 2015). Brady (2015) examines President Clinton’s attempt to massively overhaul health care in the United States. His plan, the Health Security Act (HSA), required employers to offer health insurance to their employees, and mandated that every US citizen purchase health insurance. This plan would have most likely expand health insurance to many more Americans; however, many feared the large tax increases, restricted options for patients, and with the lack of general support for the bill, it failed in Congress and was never implemented (p. 628). President Clinton’s failed attempt at health care reform opened up the door to future reforms, and it even shared multiple similarities to the PPACA. Smith (2015) updates the history of the health care system in America stating that “In the mid-2000s, America’s uninsured population swelled to nearly 47 million, representing about 16 percent of the population” and how “16 million Americans […] were underinsured” (p. 2). People
The current health care system in the United States is in turmoil for many years because of two major problems which continues to be: patient access to care and the cost of care. There are well over 50 million Americans who continue to be uninsured today and a national health care tax called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 has been passed and challenged and upheld by the United States Supreme Court, as a tax not a law, here recently which is suppose to be an answer to most of our health care insurance issues. Even though most Americans may agree that our health care system is in turmoil and needs to be reformed, not everyone agrees that a national health care tax is the
According to research done by Westover et. al (2013), the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) created a greater future role for state Medicaid health plans and necessitates more efficient health care coverage. Low-income individuals have the need for more frequent medical attention than previously insured patients. Gaps in health care coverage, whether partial or full year gaps, have been linked to adults with serious, chronic health conditions. According to research done by Gulley, Rasch, and Chan (2011), among all working-aged adults, 28 million (16%) remained uninsured for all 12 months, and an additional 21 million (12%) reported part year coverage. The goal of the health care reform was to eventually provide equal care coverage and quality to all Americans.
In the first quarter of 2016 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) legislation has lead to 20 million Americans gaining healthcare coverage, and a record low uninsured rate of 8.6 percent (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services [DHHS], 2016). Yet the verdict is out on whether the PPACA has been an improvement or a liability holding back the United States (US) healthcare system’s potential. The legislation was first integrated as a guide to the US healthcare system when it was signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 (Rosenbaum, 2011). It planned to fulfill goals of improving access, affordability, and quality in healthcare (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services [DHHS], 2015). Full implementation of the healthcare reform was established on January 1, 2014, marking the start of individual and employer responsibility provisions, state health insurance exchanges, Medicaid expansions, and individual and small-employer group subsidies (Rosenbaum, 2011). As a whole the PPACA intended to “reframe the financial relationship between Americans and the health-care system to stem the health insurance crisis that has enveloped individuals, families, communities, the health-care system, and the national economy” (Rosenbaum, p. 131, para. 2). While the legislation has not fully
Due to the growing numbers of uninsured people, growth in medical debt and growing profit in healthcare corporations etc.., the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was enacted in 2010 to reform the health care system. To increase quality and affordable health care for all Americans, Title I of the PPACA strives to reform the health care system by giving more Americans access to quality, affordable health insurance, and helps to curb the growth of healthcare spending in the United States (“Affordable Care”, n.d.).
The United States health care system has its own unique way of delivery, unlike many other developed countries where health care is a right for all and almost all the citizens have access to basic health care services. In the United States, health care is market based. If you cannot afford it, then you shouldn’t expect to receive coverage. This causes a human right crisis and deprives millions of Americans from receiving the care they need. The privatization of the U.S. health care system results in a substantial number of Americans who are without health insurance. The health care system is constantly undergoing changes, in response to fears of access, quality and cost. Despite all of these changes, there are still significant disparities
The enactment of the Patient Protection Affordable Act has radically changed healthcare policy since Medicare and Medicaid. The Patient Protection Affordable Act (PPACA) aims to address several challenges within the Healthcare system including rising cost of care, poor access to health insurance and health services for many Americans (Shaw, Asomugha, Conway & Rein, 2014). The law promotes facilitation in the collaboration between US healthcare and public system, thus improving population and community
The healthcare sector in the United States is a unique and complex when compared to other industrial countries. The government had spent $ 1 trillion on health programs; $600 billion for Medicare, $400 billion for Medicaid, and had a budget deficit of $486 billion in 2014. In an attempt to reform healthcare, there have been several initiatives throughout its history to improve care delivery, quality, and outcomes. A significant reform was enacted in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare. Despite the benefits included in the PPACA, there were several disadvantages, and eventually it was not comprehensive enough to fix all the healthcare issues. In order to achieve best healthcare policy in the U.S., it requires a better understanding of its stakeholders, components, and issues. A comprehensive policy should consider the following components: payment, access, health education, preventive care, and government-sponsored programs, to be effective and efficient.
It is believed that PPACA will have many positive impacts on the health care system since it will cover uninsured American citizens and control soaring costs of health care system via programs like accountable care organizations (ACOs). The skyrocketing healthcare cost is a nationwide problem in the U.S. In 2009, the U.S. wasted an approximate $2.5 trillion on healthcare; per capita costs of $8,086, the highest in the world (Goldstein, 2011). The nation’s health care expenses cut down the
The U.S. is an industrialized nation that continues to be behind on providing health care coverage to all citizens. However, the German health care system came up with a plan that ensured all citizens are provided with some form of health care coverage; nevertheless, the U.S. continues to dispute health care reform and how to provide coverage to all citizens. “Health spending per capita in the United States is much higher than in other countries – at least $2,535 dollars, or 51%, higher than Norway, the next largest per capita spender. Furthermore, the United States spends nearly double the average $3,923 for the 15 countries ("Health Care Cost," 2011, table 1)”.
Signage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010, proved a significant milestone in reshaping health insurance, healthcare delivery, and reducing the population of uninsured persons (Teitelbaum & Wilensky, 2017). Although the PPACA serves as a step in the right direction in protecting the health of all Americans some provisions under the ACA are too burdensome given they place a financial strain on the states. Thus, many governors across the country grapple with the decision to participate in the expansion of Medicaid eligibility (Sommers & Epstein, 2013). Important to note, the desire to advance the health of populations is not without cost. Thus, as federal and state governments push for and support advances in
In the United States, health insurance expansion and market reforms have focused on increasing the access of healthcare. For instance the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 focuses on the expansion of affordable quality health care to millions of uninsured. The act requires that all Americans purchase a private health care plan or enroll in a government funded insurance program. The often repeated argument in favor of expanding health care coverage is that it will lower medical costs overall. Unfortunately, there is evidence that suggests that this may actually increase health care spending nationally and increase health care costs to the consumer. The purpose of this paper is to explain why and
There is an ongoing debate regarding the potency of the new health care reform—Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—from the outset of its proposal. Many attempts had been presented in the past years but the root of the issue remains prevalent today, that there is a lack of quality in its delivery and the cost of care is continuously increasing beyond national economic edges. In this manuscript, we will discuss several factors that can positively sway the long-term significance, impact, and structure of the United States health care system. Many are wondering whether the Universal Coverage, to which will give more control and
Health care is essential for all no matter which country they call theirs and the United States is no exception and provides a good example of how the creation of insurance has grown into a controversial subject for many reasons. Spikes in costs, illegal claims, insider trading, and various other factors contribute to many issues surrounding costs, risks, greed, and ill settled suits are just a few of the issues. Areas such as price ceilings, economical instabilities, and governances contribute to areas afore mentioned. Health care costs have risen steadily for years. “Health care expenditures reported in 2008 exceeded $2.3 trillion” (Miller, nd) this figure reportedly will increase throughout the