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 did the state of Massachusetts do to reduce the number of uninsured and control medical costs? Is it working?
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.