Problem: Increase in Healthcare Access Inequality

PROBLEM:
Healthcare Access Inequality after the repeal of individual mandate under Affordable Care Act 2010
Social Justice Project, Part 1
Student Name
University of Maryland University College
Problem: Increase in Healthcare Access Inequality
Introduction
The United States has the highest socio-economic inequality levels compared to other developed nations. In particular, the U.S has the highest healthcare access inequality even though Obama care has significantly reduced healthcare access gap across different income bands (Sommers, 2017). This reduction has been largely occasioned by socio-economic factors that profoundly determine healthcare access and equality among Americans. The Act has also helped many people in the lower income brackets gain access to healthcare coverage through expansion of Medicaid eligibility (Willison, Charley & Singer, 2017). As a result, there has been a marked improvement in healthcare access and a proportionate decline in healthcare access inequality in most U.S States. However, the expansion states have realized more benefits than their non-expansion counterparts. This paper will examine the problem of healthcare access disparity that is set to increase following the recent repeal of individual mandate under Obama care.
Background of the Problem
The healthcare coverage gap in Medicaid expansion declined for households whose annual income was either below $25, 0000 or above $75,000 with a percentage rate of 31% and 17% respectively. However, non-expansion states reported a reduction of 8%, having dropped from 36% to 28%, representing an overall percentage reduction of 23% (Griffith, Evans & Bor, 2017). Evidently, socio-economic disparities in healthcare access dipped significantly following the full implementation of PPACA 2010. Furthermore, expansion states reported higher household income levels surpassing $50,000 and a lower incidence level for uninsured individuals as compared to non-expansion states (Blewett, Planalp & Alarcon, 2018).
Still, non-expansion states reported higher comorbidity and mortality levels as compared to their expansion counterparts. The recent repeal of individual mandate spells doom for the future of Affordable Care Act, as it will exacerbate healthcare access inequality among Americans (Blewett, Planalp & Alarcon, 2018). Moreover, the repeal of the entire legislation will leave thousands of Americans living below the federal poverty line, vulnerable and uninsured. This will adversely affect children, women, people with disability and the elderly.
Equity
All American citizens have been guaranteed healthcare access equality under the constitution. However, social-economic factors such as income disparity and healthcare coverage cost have hindered healthcare access (Griffith, Evans & Bor, 2017). As a result, a majority of low income households had no access to healthcare coverage thereby adversely affecting women, children and the elderly.
Access
There is a direct link between the repeal of individual mandate under Obama care and healthcare access inequality. Millions of Americans who had secured Medicaid coverage in the expansion states will now lack access to healthcare (Glied & Jackson, 2017). Worse still, if PPACA is completely repealed, many more people will lose access to health coverage in both expansion and non-expansion states.
Affordability and/or Social Justice
Healthcare access is a fundamental constitutional right for every American citizen. The Affordable Care Act has expanded healthcare coverage thus enabling the previously uninsured Americans to gain access to quality healthcare (Griffith, Evans & Bor, 2017). However, the Trump Administration’s proposal to repeal the Act is likely to increase the cost of insurance thus rendering it unaffordable to many low income households. Under PPACA 2010, many Americans could afford healthcare in both expansion and non-expansion states even though this is likely to change with the repeal of individual mandate (Sommers, 2017). Healthcare access disparity is directly linked to social justice since most Americans could not afford Medicaid in the pre-Obama care era. Social justice dictates that healthcare should be affordable and easily accessed by all citizens (Blewett, Planalp & Alarcon, 2018). Thus the repeal of the Act or sections of the Act will reverse all the social justice gains made under Obama care.
The Affected Population
The population that will be most affected by healthcare access disparity will be minority groups, women...