HCA 305 Assignment 2
The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2010 The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, or P.P.A.C.A, was signed into law by President Obama in March 2014. The plan would not take effect until January 1, 2014. The act will expand health coverage to 25 million Americans by 2023 (apha.org). In this paper, I will describe the purpose, history, key features, and how the act will impact the U.S health care system. I will also compare and contrast the media reports to official government research, and provide pros and cons of the act as well as my personal opinion on the act. I will analyze the expected effect of the act in terms of cost, quality, access and services. Lastly, I will describe which features of the P.P.A.C.A. will have the biggest effect on our health care system. The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is intended to protect consumers, lower health care costs, hold insurance companies accountable, increase the quality of care and provide more choices and improved access to health care services for all Americans. National insurance or some sort of health care reform has been a long time goal of many presidents including Theodore Roosevelt in 1901-1909. Most every other developed country has had some sort of social insurance. The U.S left it up to the states and the states left it up to private and voluntary programs to provide insurance.
After the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt included compulsory health insurance in his Social Security Bill of 1935 but because of the millions of Americans out of work, the unemployment insurance and old age benefits took priority. In order to pass the social security legislation the national insurance was thrown out. President Truman was the next President to propose a compulsory health insurance. Truman’s proposal would provide medical care to all social classes of society not just the working class. Unfortunately, because his proposal was during the time of anti-communism
After the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt included compulsory health insurance in his Social Security Bill of 1935 but because of the millions of Americans out of work, the unemployment insurance and old age benefits took priority. In order to pass the social security legislation the national insurance was thrown out. President Truman was the next President to propose a compulsory health insurance. Truman’s proposal would provide medical care to all social classes of society not just the working class. Unfortunately, because his proposal was during the time of anti-communism
References: Apha.org. (2013). American Public Health Association. Retrieved from: http://www.apha.org/advocacy/Health+Reform/ACAbasics/ Palmer, K. (1999). A Brief History: Universal Health Care Efforts in the US. Retrieved from: http://www.pnhp.org/facts/a-brief-history-universal-health-care-efforts-in-the-us