Amanda Thomas
Walden University
Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health, NURS 6050N-21
Dr. Allison Davis
October 01, 2014
Impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina's Uninsured
Health insurance is one of the most important benefits a citizen can have in America. Some Americans who work acquire health insurance through their employers. But then, there are Americas who do not work and therefore, are unable to have health insurance. The Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Obama and the United States Congress, (North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine, 2012). This paper will focus on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina’s uninsured.
With the rising cost in health care and high co-payments pertaining to medical conditions, some people cannot afford health insurance. With the loss of jobs and losing their livelihood, some people cannot afford insurance. Individuals who work with small businesses do not have health insurance because these small businesses cannot afford to provide health insurance benefits for their employees. Some people just do not work and therefore, do not have health insurance. This whole uninsured population is the ones who do not seek health care when they have health issues or have chronic medical conditions, and also do not practice preventative care.
According to the North Carolina’s Institute of Medicine (2012), there was 1.6 million (19%) uninsured people living in North Carolina in 2010 and According to Milstead (4th edition, 2013), this group of uninsured whose income was below federal poverty level included pregnant women, children 18 years old and under, parents who were employed or unemployed, adults without children, disabled and the elderly population.
By 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) offered much new coverage for the uninsured population. It required states to offer
References: North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM). Examining the Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in North Carolina, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.nciom.org The Affordable Care Act: Immediate Benefits for North Carolina. Retrieved www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/healthcare-facts Milstead, J. Health Policy and Politics, 2013.