Affordable Care Act and high cost of health care word
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Dec 6, 2023
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Anphomy Pham
Dr. Lightfoot
POS 2041, American National Government
November 06,2023
Affordable Care Act and high cost of health care
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare, has been an important
piece of legislation that has impacted the areas of American politics and medical care. The ACA
is the catalyst behind ongoing attempts to create a more affordable, accessible, and sustainable
healthcare system in the US. The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 to address many
critical problems in the United States' healthcare system, One of its primary objectives was to
address the challenge of high healthcare costs while expanding access to affordable and quality
care. While the ACA has made tremendous progress toward achieving its goals, one ongoing
difficulty it seeks to address is the high cost of health care in the United States. The paper looks
into the complex link between the Affordable Care Act and the high cost of healthcare, reviewing
the influence of the ACA on many aspects of the healthcare system, addressing the continued
difficulty in adopting complete cost control measures and the ongoing efforts to address this
complex issue
.
The Affordable Care Act marks an important step toward a more equitable health care
system in the United States, including consumer rights and provisions for pre-existing
conditions. The ACA attempted to end insurance companies' discriminatory practice of denying
coverage or charging high prices based on existing medical conditions. As well Additionally, the
bill eliminates lifetime limits on key benefits, ensuring people with chronic or pre-existing
conditions can get the treatment they need without risking financial loss. Sommers, Gunja, and
Finegold conducted a research that highlights the effect of the ACA's consumer protects on the
availability of healthcare. The study discovered that removing pre-existing condition restrictions
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resulted in a significant increase in coverage for those with such diseases, providing tangible
evidence of the beneficial results of the ACA's commitment to consumer protections
.
One of the another primary goals of the Affordable Care Act was the expansion of
Medicaid, a combined federal-state program meant to provide healthcare coverage to low-
income people. Millions of low-income uninsured individuals who had previously been denied
coverage now had the option to obtain health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which
extended Medicaid eligibility to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) in participating states in
2014. Sommers, Baicker, and Epstein researched the effect of Medicaid expansion on death rates
as well as access to medical care. The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine,
discovered a solid evidence that Medicaid expansion was linked to significant reductions in the
number of people without health insurance. The expansion increased Medicaid eligibility
standards, making coverage available to a larger section of the population. Consequently, not
only did this expansion provide improved access to basic healthcare services for low-income
people, but it also led to a decrease in death rates in the enlarged population. The results
highlight the significant impact Medicaid expansion had in increasing access to treatment and
health outcomes, confirming the Affordable treatment Act's attempts to address the problem of
healthcare accessibility for vulnerable populations. However, while Medicaid expansion
improves access to treatment, it is important to highlight that it is only one part of the
complicated task of decreasing medical costs in the United States
.
The development
of health insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act was
aimed to established health insurance marketplaces to provide individuals and families with a
centralized platform improve affordability and accessibility to health insurance policies,
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particularly for low-income households. Sommers conducted a thorough research in Health
Affairs that studied the influence of state policy on ACA applications and enrollment among low-
income individuals, with a particular focus on three states: Arkansas, Kentucky, and Texas. The
study found solid evidence that supporting state policies, along with ACA subsidies, had a
critical role in extending coverage and improving affordability for those with limited financial
means. According to the study, states that implemented Medicaid expansion and other supportive
measures experienced increased rates of application and enrollment among those with low
incomes. This suggests that the interaction between federal policies, such as the Affordable Care
Act, and state-level efforts are important in shaping the effectiveness of health insurance
exchanges. The findings not only highlight the relevance of state-specific methods in improving
affordability, but also highlight the linked nature of policies in attaining the ACA's broader aims.
Sommers and colleagues' findings emphasizes the importance of a multifaceted strategy
incorporating both federal and state-level initiatives to solve the complicated issue of healthcare
affordability in the United States
.
In the USA, young persons have been most vulnerable to having inadequate or no health
insurance. Recent legislative initiatives to increase all Americans' access to and quality of
healthcare have addressed this critical challenge. The
Affordable Care Act (ACA) recognizes the
important need for greater insurance coverage for this age group, and various components of the
ACA focus on insurance coverage and health care utilization among young people. The research
of Maureen Monaghan on "The Affordable Care Act and Implications for Young Adult Health"
provides an important analysis of the influence of the ACA on the health of young adults. The
research focuses on the provision that allows adolescents between the ages of 19 and 26 to
remain on their parents' health insurance coverage. Before the Affordable Care Act, losing health
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coverage from public or private sources when a young adult reached 18 or 19 was one of the
main causes of being uninsured during early adulthood. This expansion of coverage has
significant implications for young people navigating the transitional periods of higher education,
joining the employment, and dealing with changes in healthcare requirements. Monaghan's study
dives into the health outcomes, preventative care use, and general well-being of young adults
under this program, offering vital insights into the ACA's favourable impact. The study
emphasises the ACA's role in building a healthier and more resilient young adult population by
addressing possible gaps in healthcare coverage during a vital period of life transitions.
Monaghan's research advances our knowledge of how focused policy interventions, like as those
included in the Affordable Care Act, may change the health trajectories of young people while
addressing inequities and building a more inclusive healthcare system
.
The final article, titled "The Effects of Medicaid Expansion Under the ACA: Studies from
January 2014 to January 2020," is a comprehensive examination of the outcomes of Medicaid
expansion under the Affordable Care Act over a large six-year period, authored by Madeline
Guth, Rachel Garfield, and Robin Rudowitz. This study compilation looks into the multifaceted
impact of Medicaid expansion, providing a comprehensive examination of important healthcare
attributes.
The authors give a longitudinal approach by combining studies ranging from 2014 to
2020, documenting the development and long-term consequences of Medicaid expansion on
access to care, health outcomes, and financial implications. This lengthy time frame enables for a
thorough examination of trends and variations across a wide range of populations and areas. The
research will certainly look on the effect of the expansion in lowering the uninsured rate,
enhancing preventative care use, and addressing healthcare inequities. The findings are a
significant resource for policymakers, academics, and healthcare practitioners because they
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provide insights based on evidence into the long-term consequences of Medicaid expansion on
vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Furthermore, the variety of papers included in this
compilation improves the generalizability of the results, resulting in a more thorough knowledge
of the larger consequences of Medicaid expansion. Guth, Garfield, and Rudowitz's research
provides crucial insights into the long-term impact of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable
Care Act, adding significantly to continuing debates over the program's success in improving
equal access to healthcare for those in the greatest need
.
Overall, the Affordable Care Act is an important piece of legislation that seeks to
transform the U.S. health care system, with the primary goal of improving access and cost. While
the Affordable Care Act has made tremendous progress in increasing health coverage and taking
steps to improve the overall efficiency and quality of health care delivery, the ongoing challenge
of excessive health care costs remains a complex and diverse issue. The bill includes game-
changing features such as health insurance marketplaces, Medicaid expansion, and provisions to
treat pre-existing conditions that have helped millions of Americans gain access to care. Yet the
fight against rising health care costs continues, underscoring the complexity of the situation
.
As the country continues to struggle with high health care costs, continued efforts to
amend and strengthen the Affordable Care Act and explore alternative paths for change are
critical. Politicians, medical professionals, and academics must engage in evidence-based debate
to create sustainable solutions that combine the need for innovation and quality care with the
need to make health care accessible and affordable for all Americans. The ongoing evolution of
the healthcare landscape highlights the need for a comprehensive, collaborative approach that
addresses the root causes of high healthcare costs, ensuring a healthcare system that prioritizes
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the well-being of individuals and communities while encouraging fiscal responsibility and
sustainability. In the meantime, the lessons acquired from the succeeds and challenges associated
with the Affordable Care Act serve as a foundation for creating the future of American
healthcare
.
Reference
Sommers, Benjamin
D., et al. “Mortality and Access to Care among Adults after State
Medicaid ...” The New England Journal of Medicine,
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1202099
.
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Sommers, B. D., B. Maylone, K. H. Nguyen, R. J. Blendon, and A. M. Epstein. “The Impact of
State Policies on ACA Applications and Enrollment Among …",
dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/25156070/Enrollment%20Experiences%20DASH
%201-2016.pdf?sequence=1
.
Sommers, Benjamin
D., Munira Z. Gunja, et al. “Insurance Coverage, Access to Care, and
Health under the ACA.” JAMA, JAMA Network, 28 July 2015,
jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2411283
.
Monaghan, Maureen. “The Affordable Care Act and Implications for Young Adult Health.”
Translational Behavioral Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2014,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4041926
./
Madeline Guth, Rachel Garfield. “The Effects of Medicaid Expansion under the ACA: Studies
from January 2014 to January 2020.” KFF, 17 Feb. 2023,
www.kff.org/medicaid/report/the-effects-of-medicaid-expansion-under-the-aca-updated-
findings-from-a-literature-review
./
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