Running head: AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 1

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 6

Affordable Care Act

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AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Introduction

Affordable care act (ACA) is a comprehensive health care reform law that was enacted in 2010. The law comprised of three primary goals. The goals were making health insurance affordable to the citizens, expansion of the Medicaid program, and the support of innovative health care delivery methods. The insurance cover will have to be accountable for hospitalization, prescription drugs, ambulatory patient care, and emergency services. The law consisted of several reforms that affected the practice and working conditions of nurses. The transition will positively and negatively affect the health care workforce. My document below contains a qualitative analysis of three ACA reforms and their potential impact on the nurses.

Repeal of Medical spending and beneficiaries

The ACA law deducted some of the payment levels to hospitals and the skilled nursing facilities. Also, the law has reduced the Medicare Disproportionate Share expenditures, which aid at compensating the hospitals for attending to the uninsured and low-income patients. This will imply that there will be an increase in the total Medicare spending as a result of the increased payments to Medicare advantage plans. There would be an implementation for the payments of Medicare advantage plans. This implies that an increase of 14% per enrollee, which will cover similar beneficiaries who were under traditional Medicare programs. The law is also aimed at Medicare benefits. The benefits will be improved through the provision of free coverage for some of the preventive benefits.

Several advantages will be as a result of repealing the ACA for medicating spending and beneficiaries. The nurses and the health care providers would benefit since the law advocates for their payments. The payment levels for hospice, home-based health providers, and skilled nursing facilities would also increase. American citizens will benefit from the elimination of out-of-pocket expenses for many of the preventive services. In addition, they will also benefit from the closure of the Part D coverage gap and tax for low-income earners. If the repeal is successful, the commercial health insurers will benefit. This is because the managed-care will be reimbursed for the taxes that that states will contract them with. They will be able to hold on the premiums flat and later reinvest in supplemental benefits. The subsidies will also offer financial help. The repeal will also lead to improved delivery systems and the formation of new quality incentives.

There are also several disadvantages of the full repeal of the Medicare provisions. The repeal would upsurge the overall payments in hospitals as well as associated health care providers. This would likely lead to higher premiums and deductibles. In addition, there could be an increase in the Medicare-covered services which people pay with Medicare.

Considerations for the aged and the middle-income earners

The ACA act has enacted health policies that will cover the dependent on covering for the insurance of children under the age of 26 years. The young adults have evaluated the point of concern, especially to the representation in the ranks of the uninsured. People aged under the age of 65 years will privately be insured. The act is as well as imposing major tax incomes on American middle-class earners. The tax will target the employees who are designated by the government as precious, and they will eventually be termed as middle class. The law has also prohibited insurance companies from offering limited benefits. This implies that the officials will either have to raise their rates to comply(“Federalism, the Affordable Care Act, and Health Reform in the 2020 Election | Commonwealth Fund,” n.d.)

The point holds on several advantages. The repeal of the law will benefit the aged and the middle-income earners. This will imply that the disadvantaged in society will be able to access affordable and sufficient medical care. The old will also benefit from underpriced insurance for the enrollees. Besides, the Medicaid program will also be inclusive to many American citizens. This is because the law covers 138% of the federal poverty level. The dependants will also be able to stay under the parent’s program for a long time because the health plan covers until the age of 26 years.

The considerations will also pose several disadvantages. This is because the ACA act will prohibit insurers from offering limited benefits. The prohibitions will force them to increase their rates to comply and adapt to the law. The increased rates will make insurance costs less affordable to the low-income earners(“Affordable Care Act Insurance Reforms: Where Are We Now, and What’s Next?” n.d.). In addition, the enrollees may opt to go out of the business, and this will deny access to the coverage. The mandate will also overprice the insurance cover for young people.

Essential health benefits

The law will require the formation of new health plans. The plans will be implemented among individuals as well as small market groups to cover for some of the essential health services. The act will cater to several categories of essential health services. These services include maternity and newborn care, emergency services, laboratory services, as well as pediatric services, which include vision and oral care. Other services may include mental health as well as substance use disorders. This will include behavioral health treatment.

This will be a crucial start in realigning the health care systems for long term benefits. It will also improve the organization and the overall design of the health care practice(“Affordable Care Act: A Brief Summary,” n.d.). The law will also require the health plan top cover for 10% of the essential health benefits. Additionally, the law will cover the cost of devices used to aid people with injuries, disabilities, and chronic conditions. Emergency room, hospitalization, and outpatient care will also be included. People with preexisting health conditions will not be left behind during the coverage. Additionally, there will also be no time limit that will exist during the care.

There will be several disadvantages, which will be a result of the provision of essential health services by the ACA act. The first disadvantage will be an increased rate of premiums. This will be a result of a broader range of benefits that insurance companies will have to cover. People will also be exposed to fine if they will not be eligible and in a position to have the insurance. Besides, the taxes will go up as a result of the enactment of the act. Businesses will also have to cut the employee’s hours in order to avoid covering employees.

Conclusion

The reforms enacted by ACA will have enormous positive and negative impacts on advanced practice nurses. Nursing will be a great career will be a productive career to pursue due to a range of opportunities. Nurses will also need to be aware of the additional and expounded duties assigned to them. They must be ready to offer a more comprehensive education to their clients. Besides, they will be required to expand their skills to meet the requirements of these laws.

References

The Affordable Care Act: A Brief Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/the-affordable-care-act-brief-summary.aspx

The Affordable Care Act Insurance Reforms: Where Are We Now, and What’s Next? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4714719/

Federalism, the Affordable Care Act, and Health Reform in the 2020 Election | Commonwealth Fund. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2019/jul/federalism-affordable-care-act-health-reform-2020-election