The Affordable Care Act (ACA)
While the U.S. healthcare system has undergone extensive changes since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law, in some respects the system remains consistent with pre ACA-models. U.S. healthcare is still divided into varying levels of insurance, all of which provide a unique set of benefits and all of which also illustrate associative strengths and weaknesses. Some of the compromises associated with the ACA`s passage in 2010 reflects this latter trend. While this law ultimately expanded Medicaid benefits to non-elderly adults, it also retained the employer-driven models of healthcare that have been a staple feature of U.S. healthcare law for decades. The purpose of this essay is to explore the various levels of healthcare that the Henry J.
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Kaiser Family Foundation discusses. Ultimately it will argue that while each type addresses the needs of individual populations that they also exhibit gaps and deficiencies in terms of providing optimal coverage for all patients.
Health Insurance: Differing Types In its investigation of current types of health insurance coverage in the U.S., the Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation (2017) relied upon an analysis of census-driven data to understand the types of insurance coverage available and how each type corresponded to different sub-populations and socioeconomic groups. But while the organization`s analysis utilized economic-driven data for this analysis it also utilized a measurement known as “health insurance units”: factors which included economics but also calculated household eligibility by noting the size of the household in conjunction with employment and other identifiers (paragraph 1). Ultimately, the organization`s analysis revealed that the U.S. healthcare system is comprised of both private and public sources: those deriving from the government and those that are either privately purchased or acquired through an employer. Specifically, the Foundation (2017) identified five classifications of health insurance coverage: employer, private (non-group), Medicaid, Medicare, and Other Public. The Foundation also noted a sixth category—Uninsured—to identify the percentage of people who are still without insurance. The group organized this information by state and included in percentage form to make the data manageable and …show more content…
decipherable.
Understanding the Categories The Foundation`s (2017) analysis then proceeded to evaluate each category based upon the type of coverage it provided. These findings were largely consistent with public understandings of the insurance coverage. At the same time, however, The Foundation (2017) also supplied information that is not commonly known among the broader public. The categories defined by this data can be subdivided into two general types: private, or that which is acquired through private funds, and public, publicly-driven models given by the Federal government and/or state-level institutions. Modes of private insurance coverage include employer-provided healthcare, and private (non-public) insurance purchased by the individual consumer. Employer-driven healthcare provides group insurance through specific employers and companies who then provide coverage to worthy employees: typically, full-time staff who have worked at least six months for the employer. Non-group, individual insurance is purchased by the individual. However, provisions within ACA, notably provision 1.1, have made individual insurance cheaper to purchase. Modes of public insurance include Medicare, Medicaid, and other unspecified varieties: the latter are typically provided at the state level and usually coincide with federally-provided Medicaid. Medicare is a fixture from the New Deal of the 1930s and provides coverage for elderly adults over the age of 65. Medicaid, in contrast, now provides federally-based insurance to non-elderly adults following the expansions dictated by the ACA in 2014. This type of coverage is usually income based and given to those who live at least 400% under the poverty line.
Evaluating Each Category Information for Kaiser (2017) also illustrates that each type of insurance coverage features strengths and drawbacks. While employer-provided healthcare, for example, often represents one of the most optimal forms of coverage available it is often heavily restricted and difficult to obtain. A report from Gallen Insurance (2016) notes that employers are often reluctant to provide healthcare given the costs. Similarly, privately obtained insurance often provides recipients excellent coverage. And given the changes initiated by the ACA in 2014, private insurance is less restrictive and cheaper to obtain. At the same time, insurance premiums have slowly increased each year since 2014 as have copays and related fees (Amradelo, 2017). Public-based models also possess a range of benefits and drawbacks.
Medicare, for example, works well for elderly patients who have other forms of coverage but often does not provide adequate coverage as a stand-alone source (“Redesigning Medicare Benefits,” 2013). Similarly, Medicaid provides coverage to those living under the poverty line and now includes a larger base of economically-eligible, non-elderly adults. However, it is less helpful in covering younger people below the age of 26 who are similarly disadvantaged. Amraadelo (2017) notes that while coverage for this group has not increased at a rate consistent with other populations since 2014. Because other forms of public insurance are often dependent upon Medicaid, these systems often feature the same types of advantages and disadvantages. They provide coverage to a larger population but cannot always accommodate the neediest. Immigrants, for example, represent a group that is often underserviced in terms of health
insurance.
Conclusion
The Foundation`s (2017) website allows the user to quickly find a complex variety of data related to varying aspects of health insurance coverage in the United States. The information provided identifies the varying types of insurance available, the benefits and drawbacks of each, and in-depth statistics pertaining to rates of coverage for each state.
Kaiser Family Foundation discusses. Ultimately it will argue that while each type addresses the needs of individual populations that they also exhibit gaps and deficiencies in terms of providing optimal coverage for all patients.
Health Insurance: Differing Types In its investigation of current types of health insurance coverage in the U.S., the Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation (2017) relied upon an analysis of census-driven data to understand the types of insurance coverage available and how each type corresponded to different sub-populations and socioeconomic groups. But while the organization`s analysis utilized economic-driven data for this analysis it also utilized a measurement known as “health insurance units”: factors which included economics but also calculated household eligibility by noting the size of the household in conjunction with employment and other identifiers (paragraph 1). Ultimately, the organization`s analysis revealed that the U.S. healthcare system is comprised of both private and public sources: those deriving from the government and those that are either privately purchased or acquired through an employer. Specifically, the Foundation (2017) identified five classifications of health insurance coverage: employer, private (non-group), Medicaid, Medicare, and Other Public. The Foundation also noted a sixth category—Uninsured—to identify the percentage of people who are still without insurance. The group organized this information by state and included in percentage form to make the data manageable and …show more content…
decipherable.
Understanding the Categories The Foundation`s (2017) analysis then proceeded to evaluate each category based upon the type of coverage it provided. These findings were largely consistent with public understandings of the insurance coverage. At the same time, however, The Foundation (2017) also supplied information that is not commonly known among the broader public. The categories defined by this data can be subdivided into two general types: private, or that which is acquired through private funds, and public, publicly-driven models given by the Federal government and/or state-level institutions. Modes of private insurance coverage include employer-provided healthcare, and private (non-public) insurance purchased by the individual consumer. Employer-driven healthcare provides group insurance through specific employers and companies who then provide coverage to worthy employees: typically, full-time staff who have worked at least six months for the employer. Non-group, individual insurance is purchased by the individual. However, provisions within ACA, notably provision 1.1, have made individual insurance cheaper to purchase. Modes of public insurance include Medicare, Medicaid, and other unspecified varieties: the latter are typically provided at the state level and usually coincide with federally-provided Medicaid. Medicare is a fixture from the New Deal of the 1930s and provides coverage for elderly adults over the age of 65. Medicaid, in contrast, now provides federally-based insurance to non-elderly adults following the expansions dictated by the ACA in 2014. This type of coverage is usually income based and given to those who live at least 400% under the poverty line.
Evaluating Each Category Information for Kaiser (2017) also illustrates that each type of insurance coverage features strengths and drawbacks. While employer-provided healthcare, for example, often represents one of the most optimal forms of coverage available it is often heavily restricted and difficult to obtain. A report from Gallen Insurance (2016) notes that employers are often reluctant to provide healthcare given the costs. Similarly, privately obtained insurance often provides recipients excellent coverage. And given the changes initiated by the ACA in 2014, private insurance is less restrictive and cheaper to obtain. At the same time, insurance premiums have slowly increased each year since 2014 as have copays and related fees (Amradelo, 2017). Public-based models also possess a range of benefits and drawbacks.
Medicare, for example, works well for elderly patients who have other forms of coverage but often does not provide adequate coverage as a stand-alone source (“Redesigning Medicare Benefits,” 2013). Similarly, Medicaid provides coverage to those living under the poverty line and now includes a larger base of economically-eligible, non-elderly adults. However, it is less helpful in covering younger people below the age of 26 who are similarly disadvantaged. Amraadelo (2017) notes that while coverage for this group has not increased at a rate consistent with other populations since 2014. Because other forms of public insurance are often dependent upon Medicaid, these systems often feature the same types of advantages and disadvantages. They provide coverage to a larger population but cannot always accommodate the neediest. Immigrants, for example, represent a group that is often underserviced in terms of health
insurance.
Conclusion
The Foundation`s (2017) website allows the user to quickly find a complex variety of data related to varying aspects of health insurance coverage in the United States. The information provided identifies the varying types of insurance available, the benefits and drawbacks of each, and in-depth statistics pertaining to rates of coverage for each state.