Healthcare Policies and Laws
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Nov 24, 2024
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Healthcare Policies and Laws
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The Affordable Care Act
In the United States of America (U.S.), many healthcare policies have been formulated
and implemented to facilitate the improvement of access to various healthcare services.
Throughout history, policymakers have legislated different healthcare laws at both the state and
federal levels (Taylor et al., 2022). By focusing on the part that the government plays in
formulating policies, this paper aims to investigate the legislative process that led to the passage
of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, more popularly known as the Affordable Care
Act (ACA). This paper will also analyze the effects of the Affordable Care Act and the law on
public health and the consequences of public health. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has brought
about a significant shift by improving people's access to high-quality medical care.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed into law in March 2010, is an overall healthcare
policy. It was approved by both houses of Congress, with the House of Representatives voting
219 to 212 to approve the Senate's version of the legislation. A prolonged and controversial
parliamentary process resulted in multiple revisions and concessions being made to pass the
legislation (Taylor et al., 2022). Republicans have opposed the ACA ever since it was passed and
have attempted to repeal it, claiming that it is an example of government overreach and has
increased healthcare costs for both people and organizations. However, thousands of formerly
uncovered Americans now have access to healthcare primarily due to the ACA, which has
received credit for this achievement.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) went through a lengthy policymaking process that
included participation from a number of different government branches and stages (Haeder &
Yackee, 2020. It is important to note the considerable part that the government played in the
process of formulating the ACA's policies. Listed below are the primary stages of the process:
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Proposal and Drafting: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was initially envisioned within
the legislative body of the United States government, more significantly within the House of
Representatives.
Committees and Amendments: The House Ways and Means Committee and the House
Energy and Commerce Committee examined and revised the bill. After many months of
negotiations, the House of Representatives finally approved the bill in 2009.
Senate Process: After that, the bill was taken up by the Senate, where it was subsequently
examined and amended by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)
Committee as well as the Senate Finance Committee (Haeder & Yackee, 2020. The proposals
that the two committees in the Senate were considering were consolidated into a single piece of
legislation that is now known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Vote and Reconciliation: The Senate approved the bill in December 2009, but it was not
similar to the House version. A conference committee was set up to resolve the discrepancies
between the two bills, and it developed the final legislation.
Approval and Implementation: In March 2010, the House of Representatives and the
Senate approved the final bill, and President Obama signed it into law. The Affordable Care Act
(ACA) was put into effect over many years, during which the federal government published
various laws and regulations.
The government's role in formulating and carrying out the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
was essential throughout the whole policymaking process. The legislative branch was
responsible for the bill's introduction and drafting, while the executive branch was actively
involved in implementing it into effect (Gostin, 2018). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) also
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counted on the participation of the judicial system, with the United States Supreme Court finally
deciding whether or not the law was constitutional.
The healthcare policy and law established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have had a
tremendous impact on the overall healthcare and public well-being of people and the nation as a
whole. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has had the following effects on healthcare and public
health:
Accessibility to Healthcare Insurance Has Been Improved through affordability: The
Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been instrumental in expanding health insurance availability for
millions of Americans who lacked coverage or had inadequate coverage (Taylor et al., 2022).
This has resulted in improved population health and reduced the stress that individuals and
households experience due to financial concerns.
Enhanced Preventative Care: The Affordable Care Act mandates that health insurance
providers pay the total cost of preventative care, including cancer screenings and vaccines, for its
clients (Taylor et al., 2022). As a result of this, people have been urged to seek preventive care,
which can assist in the early detection and treatment of health disorders, as well as the prevention
of more significant health issues in the future.
Increased Medicaid Coverage: Due to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) expansion of
Medicaid coverage, thousands of individuals with low incomes have seen an improvement in
their access to medical treatment and a reduction in health inequities (Taylor et al., 2022).
Increased Emphasis on the Delivery of High-Quality Care: The Affordable Care Act
(ACA) has introduced new benefits for healthcare providers, resulting in an increased emphasis
on delivering high-quality treatment (Taylor et al., 2022). The safety of patients, the coordination
of their treatment, and their overall health have all improved as a result of this.
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Improved Efficiency in Healthcare: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has adopted cost-
saving initiatives, including payment reforms and the development of managed care
organizations, which have contributed to the reduction of the rise of healthcare expenses (Taylor
et al., 2022). This has resulted in cost savings in healthcare.
In conclusion, the Affordable Care Act's healthcare legislation was passed into law
through a drawn-out procedure involving several government agencies. These policies'
development and implementation show how significant the government's involvement is in
formulating public policy. Generally, the ACA has had a favorable effect on people's access to
healthcare and general health.
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References
Gostin, L. (2018, April).
The formulation of health policy by the three branches of government -
Society's choices - NCBI bookshelf
. National Center for Biotechnology
Information.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231979/
Haeder, S. F., & Yackee, S. W. (2020). A look under the hood: Regulatory policy making and the
Affordable Care Act.
Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
,
45
(5), 771-
786.
https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-8543250
Taylor, J., Bernstein, A., Waldrop, T., & Smith, V. (2022, April 26).
The ACA improved access
to health insurance for marginalized communities, but more work is needed to ensure
universal coverage
. The Century Foundation.
https://tcf.org/content/commentary/the-
aca-improved-access-to-health-insurance-for-marginalized-communities-but-more-work-
is-needed-to-ensure-universal-coverage/
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