Health care policy reform

HEALTH CARE POLICY REFORM IN U.S Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date:  Introduction In recent times, there have been discussions concerning the quality of health care systems in US when compared to other nations. For instance, a politically affiliated group termed as Physicians for a National Health program observed that the idea of a free market in health care has decreased the quality of healthcare services. This has subsequently lead to high rates of mortality in private health facilities in comparison to public health services. A study conducted by the World Health Organization in 2000 affirmed this concept when it found that public health systems in industrial countries spent less funds on the overall health care. In addition, their health services were high in quality (Gratzer, 2007). Statistics by the World Bank indicate that the health care cost in America is one of the highest in the world when compared to its GDP. Commentators have been arguing that the high health care cost had resulted into organizations to pay more for their worker’s health care and insurance. This subsequently made them unable to compete with similar firms in other countries. The constant increment of healthcare cost per individual is a burden to the federal government; this is more particular in Medicaid and Medicare costs. Health maintenance in American will depend on how the healthcare costs are controlled. Presently, America is however, experiencing speedy changes with regard to organization and financing of its health care delivery system in the nation. Researchers and other professional firms have identified various interrelated factors, which have come to influence the demand for healthcare reforms. These factors as identified by these researchers include Hospital consolidation, reengineering, and downsizing, as well as reducing the rates of hospitalization. Other factors include increasing the acuity of hospital patients, pressures related to cost containment within a health care setting that emanates from managed care and finally moving the outpatient care from hospitals to community environment setting. Many of these factors influence to some level or another, the US healthcare delivery system (Charlie, 2009). The aspect of health care policy reforms in American has long roots. In most cases, many of the reforms that have been introduced had been proposed at earlier times without success. The patient protection and affordable care act (PPACA) was passed through the prevalent status and enacted in March 2010. This act was amended during the same month of which it was enacted. The amendment resulted into the formation of the health care and education reconciliation act of 2010 (Donna et al, 2010). In essence, the vicious incentives in the prevalent structures whereby providers were a warded for the quantity of the services provided rather than the quality of services were the main reason for the soaring up of the healthcare costs. A Combination of fragmented health and incentives that were misaligned were the main factor why U.S experienced high per capita and health care expenditure in comparison to similar industrialized nations. It is also the reason as to why it has been counted as being among the lowest, concerning the main indicators of health such as obesity, infant mortality and performance of its general health systems. The patient protection and affordable care act anticipates to change these incentives as well as making health care sector strong (Discepolo and Kaplan, 2011). Debate concerning further health reforms still goes on with an emphasis to reduce the cost of medical care services, and introduction of a single payer system. The PPACA incorporated a new research agency, Center for Medicaid and Medicare development and innovation. This entity is mandated to conducting research reform concepts by use of pilot programs. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the affordable Care Act and its impact on access to healthcare, cost and health care quality in US perspective. The Affordable Care Act President Obama introduced the Affordable Care and Patient protection act in 2010. The major provisions in this act include the introduction of a compressive health insurance system reforms. These reforms were meant to curb some of the unfavorable practices, which many health insurance firms harbored. The act included but not limited to premium loadings, pre-condition screening, rescinding of policy on technicalities when the client falls sick, and caps in lifetime and annual coverage. In addition to these is the aspect of the minimum ratio when accessing direct care, which is set in line with the individual’s premium income. The act also created competition of prices bolstered by the establishment of coverage levels in three standards, according to the consumers’ expectations. In essence, the affordable care act upholds the private care and insurance systems alongside increased subsidies to make it possible for the poor to purchase their insurance (Dona, 2010). The enactment of the Affordable care and Patient protection act in 2010 was as Obama explained during a speech, a necessary step towards insuring American citizens against their own health. However, the legislation of this act has remained controversial since its enactment. Some states have gone even as far as challenging it in courts and some citizens have criticized it in public arenas. The final decision was reached by the U.S Supreme Court, which had found the act to be in line with the country’s constitution. However, it still continues to face legal challenges and opposition from voters who are not contented with it (Discepolo and Kaplan, 2011). Various provisions of the act were affected over a period. The most apparent provisions of this act, which are concerned on accessibility and insurance terms, are expected to be affected in early 2014. These aspects include a decreased cost of health care and improvement of Medicaid to individuals with no dependants. Changes that have yet to be affected include allowing a maximum of 20 dependants to be included in the plan, dropping of those insured in a situation when they fall sick, taking away of lifespan limits of coverage , subsequently mandating insurers to cover specific preventative services. The act also offer risk pool for those not insured, collect tax credits from firms to offer insurance to their workers and mandating insurance organizations to rate minimum loss ratio and reviews (Dona, 2010). As CMS 2(012) noted, the affordable care act will degenerate into reduced cost for Medicare as well as improve the quality of care which the beneficiaries would obtain. The act has guarantee that the medical beneficiaries would receive the stipulated benefits and services, which will assist them to stay health. In addition to these is the provision of health care improvement, health care innovations, cost reduction measures, modernization of the health system, and reduction of corruption, abuse, fraud and fighting waste. Affordable Care Act and Reduction of Health Care Cost The enactment of the patient protection and affordable care act came at a better time. During 2010, the American government used more than 16% of its GDP on provision of health. If the health care reform had not been enacted, it means that the spending on health care would have reached to a point, which could not be sustained just within few years. According to the projections of the congressional budget office (CBO), the spending by the federal government on health care would have been 31% of GDP by the year 2035 and 47% of the country’s GDP by the year 2080. On their part, the Medicare trustees explains that the hospital insurance fund, an entity responsible for paying Medicare fees for inpatients, provision of skilled nurses, home health services and hospice would have become bankrupt by the year 2017. Apart from the health care cost impacting heavily on the federal government’s budget, it is the American citizens who suffers most from the increased health care costs. Owing to the requirement of the deficit control and balanced health budget act of 1985, there were some specific reductions that occurred as per march 1, 2013 enacting of the affordable care act. These included a decrease in the refundable amount by small-scale health care tax credit for particular employers who were exempted from paying small tax (CMS, 2013). Enactment of the affordable care has been significant especially with the reduction of health care cost, as well as improvement of the health care system. Before this act was a...