the impact of ACA in North Carolina
The Impact of Affordable Care Act on North Carolina’s Uninsured Population
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was passed by Congress was implemented to improve the quality of health care and reduce the cost of health insurance in the United State. America spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation in the world. In North Carolina, the governor signed a bill to block the state from extending the ACA which will allow Medicaid to cover group of individuals that are uninsured. North Carolina rank 33rd of the 50 states in population measures in 2012 and rank 38th in health outcome (Siberman, 2013). In 2010-2011 approximately 1.7 million people were uninsured and had barriers to access health care in North Carolina as stated by Siberman, (2013). The North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA), estimated that the expansion of Medicaid will cover approximately 319, 000 new people during state fiscal year 2014 (Siberman, 2013), but since the refusal of the expansion, these individual are going to be left uninsured. Another group of people who will not qualify are those individuals whose income is below the Federal Poverty level of 138%, but people who make the federal Poverty level of 138% will be eligible for ACA. Individual who are paying more than 8% of their income on health insurance will be eligible for subsidies to purchase coverage (Siberman 2013). As stated in Milstead, (2013), with expansion of Medicaid, all subgroups will be eligible with the exception of the undocumented immigrants. But in North Carolina, this will have significant impact on about 51% coverage for working adult, 31% on nonworking parents and 0% childless adults. People with income above the limit for premium tax subsidies are not eligible for financial assistance (Siberman, 2013). The federal government will match payment for the newly eligible individuals but not those individual that were eligible under the state Medicaid in 2010. Currently childless, nondisabled,
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) which was passed by Congress was implemented to improve the quality of health care and reduce the cost of health insurance in the United State. America spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation in the world. In North Carolina, the governor signed a bill to block the state from extending the ACA which will allow Medicaid to cover group of individuals that are uninsured. North Carolina rank 33rd of the 50 states in population measures in 2012 and rank 38th in health outcome (Siberman, 2013). In 2010-2011 approximately 1.7 million people were uninsured and had barriers to access health care in North Carolina as stated by Siberman, (2013). The North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance (DMA), estimated that the expansion of Medicaid will cover approximately 319, 000 new people during state fiscal year 2014 (Siberman, 2013), but since the refusal of the expansion, these individual are going to be left uninsured. Another group of people who will not qualify are those individuals whose income is below the Federal Poverty level of 138%, but people who make the federal Poverty level of 138% will be eligible for ACA. Individual who are paying more than 8% of their income on health insurance will be eligible for subsidies to purchase coverage (Siberman 2013). As stated in Milstead, (2013), with expansion of Medicaid, all subgroups will be eligible with the exception of the undocumented immigrants. But in North Carolina, this will have significant impact on about 51% coverage for working adult, 31% on nonworking parents and 0% childless adults. People with income above the limit for premium tax subsidies are not eligible for financial assistance (Siberman, 2013). The federal government will match payment for the newly eligible individuals but not those individual that were eligible under the state Medicaid in 2010. Currently childless, nondisabled,
References: Milstead, J. A. (2013). The economics and finance of health care.(laureate Education, Inc., Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (p.202-203). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Baron, S. (2013). 10 frequently asked questions about Medicaid expansion. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2013/04/02/58922/10-frequently-questions-about-medicaid-expansion Zigmon, J.(2013). ‘Death by a thousand cuts’ Hospitals execs say Medicaid expansion needed. Modern Health. 43(34) Sibelius, K. (2013). The affordable care act at three: Paying for quality saves healthcare dollars [Weblog post]. Retrieved from http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2013/03/20/ Sorrell, J. (2012). Ethics The patient protection and affordable care act : Ethical perspective in 21st century health care. OJIN Journal of Issues in Nursing 18(1).doi: 10.3912/OJIN. Vol18No02EthCo101