Health Care Reform
Health Care Reform
Health Care Reform
1. In what ways have recent health care reform measures expanded or inhibited access to care?
The recent health care reforms-The Affordable Care Act has expanded access to health care. The Affordable Care Act usually make investments aimed at helping to raise the quality of care, as it gives Americans as well as their health care providers adequate control to the access of their health care. This act ensure that thousands of American people have access to cheap and affordable insurance hence giving millions of people better access to quality care. The current health care reform has been designed in such a manner that the health care system is made strong making it better for health care providers as well. Consumer protection and expanded coverage offers security where more than thirty two thousands million unsecured Individuals in America will have improved and increased access to quality and affordable health care coverage options. Having better and improved access to health coverage, more Americans are now seeking health problems immediately since they can afford it and hence reducing instances of More unhealthy/sick Americans. This also has lowered the burden of uncompensated care on hospitals, physicians and the general system. …show more content…
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act 2010 has increased the accessibility of health care in all income ranges hence reducing the number of uninsured and underinsured by 70%. With uninsured and underinsured occupying 44% of the US population by the year 2010, there has been a considerable challenge and urgency as insurance reforms were rolled out with the implementation of the Act. The health insurance erosion for the working population and stagnant family incomes in the past decade has seen the insured and uninsured alike where they have to spend a great amount of their incomes to service medical care hence resulting in negative outcomes in terms of medical debt and access(Schoen, Doty, Robertson &. Collins , 2011). The Act’s income-based provision for benefits and premiums addresses public concerns with regard to coverage adequacy and its expansion. The reforms target populations that are at risk of being underinsured or uninsured. It specifies the vital benefits and it establishes a guideline that addresses the ranges and variations that meet the actuarial value general standards. Starting 2014, the Act would offer medical aid to adults and elderly having their incomes below 133% on the poverty level scale. It will offer assistance that would limit the premium income shares to those having their incomes up to 400% on the poverty level scale. This will provide higher actuarial value for people with incomes of up to 250% on the poverty level scale that lowers their out-of-pocket servicing of medical care (Schoen et al, 2011).
2. How might changes to access influence utilization? The current health care reforms does not only affect individuals coverage but also forces changes in the health care utilization as well. The changes made to the access of health care influences the level of individuals spending in the health care field. Such rates of utilization of health care are direct signs of the type of care that every patient is seeking. Also, these rates define how services differ from region to region. Important issues that will be present involve limited access to primary and preventive care since Medicaid will only allow noon-routine visits. Health care reforms just as seen from above question will expand patient’s utilization of urgent care departments and offices seeking health care since the reform makes this affordable. Additionally to the expanded access to health care by the current reforms, the Affordable Care Act will give local communities and the state access and utilization of new resources for addressing the states mounting health issues such as rise in obesity conditions, chronic diseases and others.
This will therefore enable individuals have efforts in reducing health risks such quitting smoking and losing weight.
3. Explain the concept of what universal health care may be, and how current care reflects or contrasts with this. The term Universal Health Care gained popularity in the 1990s, especially in the United States of America and the European Union. It is used to mean a situation in which each and every legal citizen of a particular geographical area is covered for basic healthcare services, and without discrimination (Sherrow, 2009). The process of providing the universal health care differs with countries, but the general concept is that the government has the highest role to play, while the private sector as well as other organizations also contributes towards the achievement of the services (Sherrow, 2009). Although the world seems to be moving forward towards the achievement of health care services to all, the pace is still lagging, and especially due to social and political factors. It is therefore quite arguable that the achievement of a universal health care system is not easily achievable with the current measures. The current concept of providing universal health care services is characterized with a debate on who should have the greatest or the absolute role of providing the services. Should the government have the absolute obligation or should the private sector have a higher hand in the process? In most nations, both the private sector and government agencies have a crucial role to play towards achieving an affordable and available health services ranging from the actual medical care to old age and accident insurance services. The terms ‘single player’ and ‘universal’ or ‘partnerships’ have come into frequent use (Torrey, 2008). Single player is a term used to refer to a single entity with the absolute role of paying for the health care of the citizens. In all cases, this is used to refer to the government health care system in countries where the government, either directly or through agencies, has the absolute role of paying up for the healthcare of every citizen. On the other hand, universal or partnerships refer to a situation in which the public and private sectors have a certain and important role to play in provision of healthcare (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008). In most countries now, health care is provided under a system that can be described as being universal. For instance, most developed nations, with an exception of the United States, have well developed systems of healthcare (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008). For instance, Singapore is currently the country with the best and the most successful universal health care system in the world, while Germany and Netherlands can also be said to have achieved much in offering equal health care coverage. In most countries in the world today, the government has the highest role to play in the process of providing quality health care to the citizens. The current health care system of United States of America, the health care system is successful in one way; that citizens can afford to pay for a subsidized health care, but the goal of achieving a universal healthcare system is far away from being achieved (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008). This is so despite the fact that the nation is the world’s largest economy, with the largest GDP, healthcare infrastructure and the highest rate of technological development in medical services. The nation does not have a system that ensures that all the citizens have an access to the health care, and thus has not achieved the universal health care system. In fact, some less economically and industrialized nations like Cuba and Brazil have achieved more than the United States of America in this area of healthcare (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008).
4.
What has been your experience with health care expansion? Was it positive or negative? Explain.
My experience with health care expansion has been positive. It has helped me in enrolling in and using low-cost health insurance cover. Additionally, in the past decades the health insurance erosion of my incomes in the past decade as I had been uninsured had made me spend a great amount of my incomes to service medical care hence resulting in negative outcomes in terms of medical debt and access. This however has changed with the affordable health care that has made it easier for me to access affordable insurance hence giving me better access to quality
care.
References
Bardes, B. A., Shelley, M. C., & Schmidt, S. W. (2008). American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Schoen, C., Doty,M.M., Robertson, R. H. &. Collins, S. R. (2011).Affordable Care Act Reforms
Could Reduce the Number of Underinsured U.S. Adults by 70 Percent, Health Affairs 30(9), 1762–71.
Sherrow, V. (2009). Universal Healthcare. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.
Torrey, T. (2008). What is universal health care coverage? Retrieved from http://patients.about.com/od/healthcarereform/a/universal.htm
Health Care Reform
1. In what ways have recent health care reform measures expanded or inhibited access to care?
The recent health care reforms-The Affordable Care Act has expanded access to health care. The Affordable Care Act usually make investments aimed at helping to raise the quality of care, as it gives Americans as well as their health care providers adequate control to the access of their health care. This act ensure that thousands of American people have access to cheap and affordable insurance hence giving millions of people better access to quality care. The current health care reform has been designed in such a manner that the health care system is made strong making it better for health care providers as well. Consumer protection and expanded coverage offers security where more than thirty two thousands million unsecured Individuals in America will have improved and increased access to quality and affordable health care coverage options. Having better and improved access to health coverage, more Americans are now seeking health problems immediately since they can afford it and hence reducing instances of More unhealthy/sick Americans. This also has lowered the burden of uncompensated care on hospitals, physicians and the general system. …show more content…
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act 2010 has increased the accessibility of health care in all income ranges hence reducing the number of uninsured and underinsured by 70%. With uninsured and underinsured occupying 44% of the US population by the year 2010, there has been a considerable challenge and urgency as insurance reforms were rolled out with the implementation of the Act. The health insurance erosion for the working population and stagnant family incomes in the past decade has seen the insured and uninsured alike where they have to spend a great amount of their incomes to service medical care hence resulting in negative outcomes in terms of medical debt and access(Schoen, Doty, Robertson &. Collins , 2011). The Act’s income-based provision for benefits and premiums addresses public concerns with regard to coverage adequacy and its expansion. The reforms target populations that are at risk of being underinsured or uninsured. It specifies the vital benefits and it establishes a guideline that addresses the ranges and variations that meet the actuarial value general standards. Starting 2014, the Act would offer medical aid to adults and elderly having their incomes below 133% on the poverty level scale. It will offer assistance that would limit the premium income shares to those having their incomes up to 400% on the poverty level scale. This will provide higher actuarial value for people with incomes of up to 250% on the poverty level scale that lowers their out-of-pocket servicing of medical care (Schoen et al, 2011).
2. How might changes to access influence utilization? The current health care reforms does not only affect individuals coverage but also forces changes in the health care utilization as well. The changes made to the access of health care influences the level of individuals spending in the health care field. Such rates of utilization of health care are direct signs of the type of care that every patient is seeking. Also, these rates define how services differ from region to region. Important issues that will be present involve limited access to primary and preventive care since Medicaid will only allow noon-routine visits. Health care reforms just as seen from above question will expand patient’s utilization of urgent care departments and offices seeking health care since the reform makes this affordable. Additionally to the expanded access to health care by the current reforms, the Affordable Care Act will give local communities and the state access and utilization of new resources for addressing the states mounting health issues such as rise in obesity conditions, chronic diseases and others.
This will therefore enable individuals have efforts in reducing health risks such quitting smoking and losing weight.
3. Explain the concept of what universal health care may be, and how current care reflects or contrasts with this. The term Universal Health Care gained popularity in the 1990s, especially in the United States of America and the European Union. It is used to mean a situation in which each and every legal citizen of a particular geographical area is covered for basic healthcare services, and without discrimination (Sherrow, 2009). The process of providing the universal health care differs with countries, but the general concept is that the government has the highest role to play, while the private sector as well as other organizations also contributes towards the achievement of the services (Sherrow, 2009). Although the world seems to be moving forward towards the achievement of health care services to all, the pace is still lagging, and especially due to social and political factors. It is therefore quite arguable that the achievement of a universal health care system is not easily achievable with the current measures. The current concept of providing universal health care services is characterized with a debate on who should have the greatest or the absolute role of providing the services. Should the government have the absolute obligation or should the private sector have a higher hand in the process? In most nations, both the private sector and government agencies have a crucial role to play towards achieving an affordable and available health services ranging from the actual medical care to old age and accident insurance services. The terms ‘single player’ and ‘universal’ or ‘partnerships’ have come into frequent use (Torrey, 2008). Single player is a term used to refer to a single entity with the absolute role of paying for the health care of the citizens. In all cases, this is used to refer to the government health care system in countries where the government, either directly or through agencies, has the absolute role of paying up for the healthcare of every citizen. On the other hand, universal or partnerships refer to a situation in which the public and private sectors have a certain and important role to play in provision of healthcare (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008). In most countries now, health care is provided under a system that can be described as being universal. For instance, most developed nations, with an exception of the United States, have well developed systems of healthcare (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008). For instance, Singapore is currently the country with the best and the most successful universal health care system in the world, while Germany and Netherlands can also be said to have achieved much in offering equal health care coverage. In most countries in the world today, the government has the highest role to play in the process of providing quality health care to the citizens. The current health care system of United States of America, the health care system is successful in one way; that citizens can afford to pay for a subsidized health care, but the goal of achieving a universal healthcare system is far away from being achieved (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008). This is so despite the fact that the nation is the world’s largest economy, with the largest GDP, healthcare infrastructure and the highest rate of technological development in medical services. The nation does not have a system that ensures that all the citizens have an access to the health care, and thus has not achieved the universal health care system. In fact, some less economically and industrialized nations like Cuba and Brazil have achieved more than the United States of America in this area of healthcare (Bardes, Shelley & Schmidt, 2008).
4.
What has been your experience with health care expansion? Was it positive or negative? Explain.
My experience with health care expansion has been positive. It has helped me in enrolling in and using low-cost health insurance cover. Additionally, in the past decades the health insurance erosion of my incomes in the past decade as I had been uninsured had made me spend a great amount of my incomes to service medical care hence resulting in negative outcomes in terms of medical debt and access. This however has changed with the affordable health care that has made it easier for me to access affordable insurance hence giving me better access to quality
care.
References
Bardes, B. A., Shelley, M. C., & Schmidt, S. W. (2008). American Government and Politics Today: The Essentials. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Schoen, C., Doty,M.M., Robertson, R. H. &. Collins, S. R. (2011).Affordable Care Act Reforms
Could Reduce the Number of Underinsured U.S. Adults by 70 Percent, Health Affairs 30(9), 1762–71.
Sherrow, V. (2009). Universal Healthcare. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.
Torrey, T. (2008). What is universal health care coverage? Retrieved from http://patients.about.com/od/healthcarereform/a/universal.htm