Assignment- ACA Evaluation Paper: Evaluation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010

Contemporary Health Issues

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is also known as ACA, Health Care Reform, Reform Bill and Obamacare. Whatever you call it, this paper will be your evaluation of the new bill. Information sites that provide detailed summaries can be found in the textbook and on Moodle: HealthCare.gov, Oregon Health Authority and Kaiser Family Foundation. These sites have summaries of the ACA. You may use other sources of credible information for your report. This class has reviewed the US health care system and the Reform Bill that was signed into law. Use these questions to summarize and evaluate the ACA as you understand it.

1. How does the ACA address the uninsured in the US? What specific parts of the reform bill will impact the number of uninsured? Describe at least 5 ways the ACA will cover the uninsured in America.

2. How does the ACA address rising medical costs? What specific parts of the reform bill will control costs or help consumers pay for healthcare? Describe at least 5 ways the ACA will control costs and/or help consumers pay for healthcare.

3. What are the 10 Essential Health Benefits (EHB) provision of the ACA? Write a quick explanation of each.

4. What is Oregon doing to implement the ACA here in this state? How is Oregon addressing uninsured and rising costs? Give 3 facts and 3 examples each. Also explain CCO's.

5. What is the current "repeal and replace" plan proposing to do? How does the American Healthcare Act propose to help the uninsured? How does the American Healthcare Act propose to help rising costs?

6. What questions do you have about health care reform that are still unanswered? Are there any parts of the reform bill you think are good changes? Any parts you think are not helpful?

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate your understanding of the healthcare reform bill; how it is being phased in and what is going to be implemented in the future. Explain how the regulations in the ACA will change the US healthcare system (hopefully for the better). Use the information from your sources to cite facts and examples to answer each question.

Since you are now more informed than the average American, take time to analyze and evaluate parts of the health reform bill.

The article that I will discuss in this paper is "Improving Quality and Value in the U.S. Health Care System" by McKethan et al.

The article main statement is in the provision of reforms that will ensure the United State healthcare system is efficient and effective in the provision of services to the people (McKethan et al., 2009). The article provides a rationale and challenges of the number of American people who are uninsured, and for those who are insured, there is a significant increase in the premiums rates. The article further provided the feasibility and sustainability of the reforms and the platforms they can utilize fro effectiveness. The article provides that most American do not like the services they get in the healthcare, but the federal government is spending more on health leading to the need for urgent reforms.

The article provides ideas or a rationale that can be utilized in ensuring a smooth and effective reform in the country (McKethan et al., 2009). The author provides that intervention or treatment focused on a particular group of people tend to have a greater impact and effectiveness as compared to the broad perspectives. Also, they further maintain the provision of this reforms implementation process should be done simultaneously in order to improve their effectiveness.The author also provides that health care system reforms are more effective when they are integrated, and they ensure accountability from provider to patients. The author emphases that reforming our health care delivery system to advance the quality and value of care is essential to address rising costs, poor quality, and increasing numbers of Americans without health insurance coverage (McKethan et al., 2009).

If some of this recommendations and rationale are maintained, then they should keep people healthy and prevent common, avoidable complications of illnesses to the greatest extent possible. Also, this will ensure people are healthy as the health insurances and services are cheaper or affordable to even the low-income individuals.

The other implication is that the organization should ensure they maintain the advanced nursing practices to ensure their services are competitive and sustainable in the long run due to the massive customer base (McKethan et al., 2009). This article will ensure that the federal ensures that lower-income Americans and to members of diverse ethnic and demographic groups who often face great disparities in health and health care are provided as part of their promises to the community. I think the article will ensure proper competition in the healthcare which is a factor that facilitates reforms and embracement of new regulation for the best interest of the patients.

References

McKethan et al, (2009). Improving Quality and Value in the U.S. Health Care System.