Throughout history, the US government has been implementing health insurance programs that would guarantee each person is insured to receive primary health care. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one of the programs. ACA was passed into law, consequently generating fundamental forces that have been driving new models of care. Conversely, the new models changed the manner in which healthcare providers practice and evaluate health care, including the way people pay for healthcare services (Bodenheimer & Grumbach, 2009). ACA brought about different mechanisms that could be used for taking care of medical costs. For instance, the contributions from the federal government cover expansion costs in the initial three years. The contributions have been beneficial to the healthcare providers as they generate economic activities in the healthcare facilities. This provision characterizes the budgetary effects of ACA.
Janet Weiner (2017) indicates that the coverage expansion by ACA in the year 2014 led to the increase in healthcare spending. The spike in healthcare spending made it possible for a considerable number of people to acquire health insurance through the expansion of Medicaid. This provision saw healthcare costs increase by more than 10% (Weiner, 2017). In spite of the increase in healthcare costs, an individual could argue that the increased access to insurance translated to an increase in access to medical care. Laurenz Waider (2017) reveals that the implementation of ACA led to the increase in healthcare insurance coverage by 20 million citizens. The increased access to healthcare could be used as a basis upon which one could argue that the provision of care has improved. For instance, Kavita Patel and Domitilla Masi (2015) indicate that the new payment models included in ACA have assisted in the promotion of team-based care. An example of the payment models identified by the authors is through the accountable care organizations.
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Since ACA allows for the promotion of team-based care, healthcare providers can provide high-quality care, which is one of the mechanisms that promote better patient outcomes (Patel & Masi, 2015). However, an assessment by Geyman (2015) indicates that the ACA was built upon the defects of the market-based system, which is a provision that led to its failure to contain healthcare costs and provide individuals with wide access to affordable and high-quality care. In this case, Geyman (2015) relies on the idea that ACA relied on private insurers, which is one of the elements that led to its ineffectiveness. Contrary to the argument by Geyman, Patel and Masi (2015) are of the opinion that ACA has encouraged wellness and prevention as constituents of ACA that have led to the improvement of the health status of a significant number of Americans.
In conclusion, it is essential to take note of the notion that ACA has contributed significantly to the access and acquisition of health insurance by Americans. Even though the cost of providing care might have increased with the introduction of this legislation, a considerable number of people in America can now access care at an affordable fee. An individual could argue that the contributions from the federal government have contributed to the affordability, consequently ensuring that individuals can afford medical care. Even though several critics of the legislation consider its implementation as a costly venture, the provisions contained in it enhanced the delivery of care, which is achieved through team-based care, and the promotion of wellness and prevention.
References
Bodenheimer, T. S. & Grumbach, K. (2009). Understanding Health Policy: A Clinical Approach. New York: McGraw Hill.
Geyman, J. (2015). A Five-Year Assessment of the Affordable Care Act. International Journal of Health Services , 45(2), 209-225. doi: 10.1177/0020731414568505
Patel, K., & Masi, D. (2015). Five Ways Obamacare Has Improved Your Health Care . Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/five-ways-obamacare-has-improved-your-health-care-315909
Waider, L. (2017). Repeal, Replace, Reform – Current Issues in U.S. Health Politics. Retrieved from https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/3445/1/Kap%202%20Waider%20-%20Repeal%20Replace%20Reform.pdf
Weiner, J. (2017). Effects of the ACA on Health Care Cost Containment. Retrieved from https://ldi.upenn.edu/brief/effects-aca-health-care-cost-containment
