Premium Essay

Problems with Ppaca

In:

Submitted By lindanelson
Words 1384
Pages 6
Higher Costs

PPACA has touted new benefits without measures to cut cost.1 One should know that in America there are already federal laws and programs to cover the elderly (Medicare), the poor (Medicaid), and uninsured children (CHIPs), In addition there is basically free or low cost care to anyone who needs it and it is available if one looks for it. Examples include: Shriner’s hospitals, free clinics, and providers who do pro bono work. In case that wasn’t enough, there are also laws in place that ban practices of charging more to people with pre-existing conditions in employer-based health insurance. The 60% of Americans who get their healthcare insurance from their employer may actually be hurt by PPACA. All one needs to do is make the connection that minimum standards for health insurance and broader access to subsidized healthcare will drive taxes up.4 But for those who have a hard time making the connection, the literature supports costs 3 times higher than initially stated by President Obama, and an additional $118 billion through 2023.3

In order to drive home the point of higher costs, look at an example used by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Justice Alito spoke on the hypothetical typical healthy 27 year old worker who on average consumes less than $900 annually on healthcare services. Under the PPACA that same healthy 27 year old worker will be required to spend more than 5 times that amount for a healthcare policy that gives a low deductable and pediatric services. Two services that a healthy 27 year old normally wouldn’t choose.4

Regulations prevent small businesses to grandfather their health insurance plans, further driving up healthcare spending as small businesses search for new plans.1 When those same small businesses purchase new health insurance plans they are going to find a soggy sandwich in their lap. Effective 9/22/10,

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Obesity

...Obesity and HRCA and PPACA Jody Forsyth University of Phoenix HCS 430 Norman Greene October 29, 2012 Obesity is a high priority medical problem currently affecting, experienced and fought throughout the United States. Over the last 30 years obesity has increased in children, adolescents and adults. Obesity has been affecting individuals for a long time however not until the 1980s did obesity become considered an epidemic with public health. The concern about the increase of obesity also affects the young children’s and adolescent’s health and effects their overall health and their future health as it relates to the complications of long term obesity. It has been reported that the obesity rates have double and childhood obesity have tripled [Young and Nicholas, 2011.] The most serious complications that can occur with the youth developing obesity related illness and disorders including cardiovascular complications. With the knowledge that obesity is affecting the youth and society as a whole, doctors and university studies are complying a better understanding of reasons behind this increase of obesity affecting children. Along with this some court system is getting involved in child and adolescent cases. As stated in a recent article in the Judicial Decision Extending neglect statutes of obesity, courts in California, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Michigan, and in New York are ruling against parents whose children...

Words: 971 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Healthcare Reform

...Paper on The United States’ Health Care Policy Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) I. Delineation and overview of policy under analysis a.) What is the policy to be analyzed? The policy to be analyzed is the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or colloquially referred to as Obamacare. The PPACA Bill was passed into law after Barack Obama signed it on March 23, 2010. However, it should be noted that specific provisions in the law is designed to be effective in staggered dates, that is, not all provisions in the law is effective the moment it was signed by Obama. Some provisions in the statute is designed to be effective beginning at the year 2020. b.) What is the nature of the problem being targeted by the policy? PPACA aims to improve the coverage of healthcare insurance. Thus, to achieve this, the policy targets people who do not have any health insurance. Unless exempted for the following reasons - religious beliefs, individuals who cannot afford the healthcare coverage, taxpayers whose income is below the income threshold, or any person deemed to belong from an Indian tribe- the statute requires individuals to avail a health care insurance plan or pay a penalty. II. Historical Analysis a.) What policies and programs were developed in the past to deal with the problem? Policies that were developed in the past to deal with the same problem of limited and reluctant healthcare coverage include the Medicare (1965), Consolidated...

Words: 2595 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Policy Issues

...2013 Policy Issue Analysis: The Affordable Care Act and Nursing Problem Identification Healthcare costs are soaring in the United States today. More people than ever before are uninsured or underinsured. In 2006-07, there were 46 million people uninsured (Gulley, Rasch, & Chan, 2011), and 9 million children also did not have health insurance (Coddington & Sands, 2008). A change in how healthcare is managed and financed is greatly needed to avoid worsening of this situation. Background The cost of healthcare and the number of uninsured individuals has become a critical issue today. Healthcare spending in the U. S. has grown faster than the economy, by about two to three percent per year since the end of World War II (Brown, 2009, p. 1). If nothing changes, Medicare will cost as much as the sum of all federal income taxes in about 75 years (Brown, 2009, p. 2). Healthcare premiums have become so unaffordable, that many families do without. The lack of insurance has a direct effect on poor health outcomes, increasing morbidity and mortality, which also contributes to increased healthcare costs (Coddington & Sands, 2008, p. 1). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into law on March 23, 2010, and the Supreme Court made a final decision to uphold the law on June 28, 2012 (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services). The PPACA is an attempt at healthcare reform by expanding public coverage programs...

Words: 1341 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

...The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is one of the most substantial reforms in Medicare since 1965. This is now considered the law of the land according to Douglas Holtz-Eaton. The PPACA portrays a “coverage first” strategy. “Sadly, a review a of the state’s experience bodes poorly for the future of national reform.” (Point/Counterpoint 177) There are two major driving factors in which could propose a threat for this reform. The first factor is it costs too much. Many decades ago, healthcare spending was at a minimum and not the focal point of American citizens. The statics show during 1970, national health expenditures were $1,300 per person and consumed 7 cents out of every national dollar, 7% of the GDP. Since the 1970, the spending per person has grown 2% more each year than income per captia. Therefore, healthcare costs have been increasing at such a high rate and will continue to threaten many decades to come. The second factor is the skyrocket of health insurance. This obviously is not mindboggling due to the fact that it is a reaction to the rapid increase of healthcare. Insurance costs have tripled over the past decade, making it hard for the average citizen to afford such outrageous premiums. As a result, less and less people are opting out of health insurance, which is no longer an option due to the new federal law making health insurance mandatory. The PPACA reform is looked upon with a “cost first” approach. This approach allows...

Words: 1699 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Health Care Exchanges

...Chicago Authors: Pollack, Harold A.1 Source: Journal of Health Politics, Policy & Law; Feb2013, Vol. 38 Issue 1, p161-163, 3p The article discusses the positive and negative implications of the new ruling that the federal government could not require states that receive federal funds under the Medicaid program to participate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (PPACA's) Medicaid expansion. Several shortcomings like limited provider payment and associated patient access barriers have been observed in Medicaid that make its adoption not a good idea. However, families below the poverty line can benefit. In July 2012, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Court thus ended one phase in the political and legal battle over health reform. Yet in doing so, it opened a new front. In a notable departure from post–New Deal commerce clause jurisprudence, the Court ruled that the federal government could not require states that receive federal funds under the Medicaid program to participate in the PPACA’s Medicaid expansion. In effect, the Court made states’ participation in the PPACA’s Medicaid expansion voluntary — a possibility that neither the act’s supporters nor its opponents seriously entertained during the long legislative battle of 2009 and 2010. The full implications of these changes in federal-state relations remain to be seen. For states, the ruling brings both new flexibility...

Words: 10128 - Pages: 41

Premium Essay

Affordable Care Act

...Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Diana Gonzalez Perez Florida International University Introduction The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama. The PPACA was enacted to address the lack of quality health care delivery to the 49 million uninsured Americans, a number which has grown with the slow economic growth our country is experiencing (Rattue, 2011). As part of this legislation there are ten provisions, all which are important to comprehensive healthcare reform. Each provision addresses specific functions of the current healthcare delivery system including insurance, reimbursement, medications, and taxes. In this paper, specific provisions of the PPACA will be discussed as well as the legal implications of the legislation. Provisions The PPACA has ten provisions which supply legal guidance for the health care reforms expected to take place from 2010-2014. These provisions will continue to affect the Nation as healthcare continues to evolve. Title I. The quality, affordable health care for all Americans provision includes subtitles A-F. Title I sets the basic guidelines required to implement the PPACA legislation. Subtitle A. Subtitle A sets specific guidelines to be followed by health plans including the prohibition of establishing lifetime limits or annual limits for any participant or beneficiary after January 1, 2014, but permits a restricted annual limit for plans...

Words: 3804 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Docx

...measures in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to tackle childhood obesity 9 Prevention and public health 15 Primary care and coordination 18 Community-based Care 20 Maternal and child health 22 Research: Doing what works in obesity prevention 23 Data provisions that will help with tracking and providing improved outcomes to measure obesity prevention 25 What else is needed? 27 Beyond health care 29 Conclusion 30 Appendix: The White House Childhood Obesity Initiative 32 Endnotes 34 About the authors Fast Facts on Childhood Obesity Our nation’s children today are on track to have a lower life expectancy than their parents The obesity epidemic poses serious health problems for children including cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, bone and joint disorders, and diabetes.1 Consider that: • Children in some communities “account for almost half of new cases of type 2 diabetes [which had previously been adult-onset].”2 • Hospitalizations of obese children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 nearly doubled between 1999 and 2005 for obesityrelated conditions such as asthma, diabetes, gallbladder disease,...

Words: 14941 - Pages: 60

Premium Essay

Healthcare Policy

...Health Care Policy The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed by President Obama in 2010 will bring about changes to the health care system that affect every American. The PPACA ensures access to affordable health care with a focus on cost containment and enforcing quality of care for those who seek services. According to a Congressional Budget Office budget report the PPACA will cost tax payers an estimated $900 billion and provide coverage for more than 94% of the population who is eligible for services. The PPACA addresses several key areas quality, affordable health care, public programs, improvement to quality and efficiency, prevention, public health improvement, workforce, transparency and integrity, access to innovative therapies, community support services, and revenue provisions (Democratic Policy and Communication Center, n.d.). These areas will affect millions of individuals at some level when accessing health care. The accessibility to quality health care will benefit those individuals who presently cannot obtain health insurance or afford some type of health care coverage. Coverage alone does not make for a healthy nation and help to contain cost. The PPACA addresses the need for prevention and improvement in health care and public health. Title IV: Prevention of Chronic Disease and Improving Public Health addresses some of these needs. Health care professionals can the nation understand how certain diseases can be prevented and...

Words: 1877 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

...denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions can now look forward to relief and great improvement because their illness is covered in the new policy, and care is now provided for them at next to minimal cost (Stehly, 2014). The PPACA is set up to provide and ensure equal access to medical services to all Americans that are signed up for the insurance. One aspect of the PPACA that seems to be a great asset to the health care reform is that it will allow for extended coverage to children that remain under the care of their parents’ insurance until the age of 26 (University, 2014). This provision is a gap closure for those who are still in college and may be looking for employment. The PPACA will be a godsend to many families that have been denied medical insurance or medical coverage due to poverty, not being able to financially afford services for the whole family or pre-existing medical conditions. Those services can be limited only being in the form of free general medical care that is provided by mobile health care facilities that provide services only at certain times of the year or serve certain communities and populations. This care act will open and provide better maintenance of care to the young and to the old. Another way the PPACA legislation is an improvement to the health care delivery system is through prevention and wellness of...

Words: 1119 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

PPACA Ethical Issue

...Care Act (PPACA) in 2010 caused a debate on ethical issues (acep.org). The changes and proposed changes associated with this law increase the complexity of both patient care and larger healthcare system. Because of this law, health care will receive even more scrunity and must provide high-quality, patient-centered, research-based care with fewer or different types of resources. PPACA is widely recognized as the most important part of health care legislation since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid nearly half a century ago. Perhaps because it is such a radical change in the health care, US Congress debate over PPACA was protracted...

Words: 828 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Access to Insurance vs. Access to Care

...contract where a company will reimburse either the person or health care professional for treatment of a certain disease process or medical problem. However, one may have insurance for a condition but not be able to access care for that condition. This can arise for several reasons including physical proximity to the care being rendered, available care opportunities already being occupied by people requesting the care earlier than the next-comer, and businesses closing their doors due to costs not being reimbursed adequately for care being provided. Access to Insurance The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) as explained by Davis (2010) gives more access to insurance for United States citizens. Improved access to insurance comes from multiple rules that range from prohibiting restriction of insurance coverage to covering children of already those already covered by insurance up through age 26. Since the PPACA is based on the Massachusetts’ 2006 health care reform plan (Gruber, 2011), it is reasonable to evaluate the effects that have been experienced in Massachusetts. One thing to note is that 124,000 fewer people in Massachusetts have employer-sponsored insurance, creating an even bigger public burden, since this is a way to reduce non-salary personnel expenses (Byron, 2011). The same scenario is being played out in the PPACA where over 1,300 companies have requested exemptions from the new law (Cover, 2011), which will put more people on the federal program...

Words: 1009 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Commercial Clause Paper

...The US government passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010. The Act was challenged in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 576. US 2012. The Supreme Court ruled that the individual mandate, which requires individual to purchase a health insurance policy providing a minimum level of coverage, unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, but stands under taxing method. I personally view that this PPACA is constitutional under Commerce Clause. The majority opinion in the decision is delivered by Justice Roberts in the following points. The majority opinion held that the government’s theory of controlling cost-shifting by increasing supply is invalid because it gives Congress unlimited power to make decisions for individuals who choose not to do something. In Wickard v. Filburn, the court rejected the farmer’s argument that growing wheat for “home consumption was beyond the reach of the commerce power” on the ground that the “aggregate effect of similar decision will impose a substantial effect on the interstate market for wheat” (Sebelius). If we apply the same logic of buying insurance in Wickard, Congress can also order people to buy more wheat to support the price of wheat. The majority opinion argued that tt might make more sense for Congress to order people to buy more vegetables because the aggregate effect of Americans not eating a balanced diet is more significant than that of people living without health insurance...

Words: 1483 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Healthcare Reform

...Health Care Reform Healthcare has a long and detailed history in the United States. Since the beginning 20th century it has been a major source of political debate. Both federal and state governments have made efforts in trying to take steps toward a universal health care system. Early reform poured the foundation for today’s government healthcare programs. The United States witnessed social movements that demanded access to the American dream. People who were viewed as second class citizens banded together and demanded reform on their behalves. The largest of these movements was a demand for universal healthcare. American’s greatest issue was sickness and missing work. When working individuals missed work due to “sickness” they lost their wages. The loss of income made sickness the leading cause of poverty. Reformist saw a need for national healthcare and the campaign began. Health insurance that would protect the worker against wage loss and expenses incurred from medical treatment. In 1906, the American Associaltion of Labor Legislation (AALL) became active in the push for national health care. They created a committee that concentrated on healthcare insurance, and in 1915 drafted a bill that gave limited coverage to the working class and to anyone that earned less than $1200 a year. This draft included sick pay, death, and maternatiy benefits. The proposal was meet by opposition (Palmer, 2010). Although the American Medical Association offered its support...

Words: 1518 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Healthcare Access

...Health Care Access As our nation awaited the results of the President’s trademark legislation, protesters from every walk of life surrounded the Supreme Court building. Audience consists of people who advocates religious freedom, Medicare, anti-abortion, and those who are looking for accessible healthcare. Finally, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act emerged relatively unscathed with only one significant change—it was now a tax. The excitement and energy exhibited by PPACA supporters were matched by the discontent exhibited by opponents upon learning the court’s decision. Everyone wants to be healthy. These same people, however, cannot agree on how this should be achieved. Clearly healthcare in this country is broken and America is deeply divided on how to fix it. Yet the bridge between the two sides is agreement that something must be done. Multiple national polls show a majority of Americans view PPACA unfavorably. Many feel the law will “do serious harm to American families” and is “a profound attack on our liberties.” U.S. business owners speak of passing on costs to employees, slashing work hours, or terminating jobs altogether. Opposition has also emerged outside of the U.S., with the Vatican openly opposing a portion of the law’s provisions. Catholic leaders objected to the “use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions” and the failure of the act to help “those most in need.” With all the bickering, though, both sides generally agree on one thing: America’s...

Words: 1618 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Assessment of Mental Barriers

...Assessment of Mental Barriers Rae L. Young Ashford University HCA430: Special Populations Instructor: Catherine Amitrano October 14, 2013 In life there are many barriers, however there are too many barriers that prevent people from getting the mental help they need. For example, the military has one of the best medical plans for soldiers and their family member, however pride and fear of being degraded keeps soldiers from seeking treatment. Barriers are not a part of the permanent fixture, they can be broken. There are many barriers that holds a mentally ill person back from getting the proper treatment that they need. However, I will discuss three barriers that affect the progression of the mentally ill. Social capital, community barriers, and financial barriers can be the leading causes that affect this vulnerable group. Remember that social capital is the measure of interpersonal relationships that people have with others; to phrase it differently, social capital is the support network of family and friends who take care of us when we are ill and hug us at the end of a bad day" (Burkholder & Nash, 2013). "The “social” in social capital emphasizes that these resources are not personal assets; no single person owns. When it comes to regulatory, legal, ethical, and accreditation requirements, there are none that relate to this barriers. Doctors, Kawachi, I., & Berkman, (2001) studies agree that social ties play a beneficial role in the maintenance...

Words: 1194 - Pages: 5