Question

In regards to the Affordable Care Act, what implications does Medicaid Expansion have for health care organizations?

Answer 1

The aim of the Affordable Care Act was to resolve systemic health inequalities for millions of Americans without health insurance. The extension of Medicaid was a key component of the bill, since it was intended to include coverage for people with low incomes, a demographic at greater risk for inequalities in access to the health care system and health outcomes

Nonetheless, many impediments to Medicaid 's expansion and inadequacies within the Medicaid system itself may reduce its original effect. Specifically, the Supreme Court's decision to abolish the provision of the Affordable Care Act requiring all states to implement the Medicaid expansion allowed half of the states to forego coverage extension, leaving millions of low-income citizens without insurance. Nevertheless, Medicaid is an inconsistent system with lower payment levels, less covered programs and limited recognition by preventive and specialist care providers compared with other private policies.

These constraints will reduce the potential impact of expansion on patients with respiratory and sleeping or critical disease conditions. Despite its imperfections, the more than 10 million low-income people who receive benefits as a result of Medicaid expansion are likely to have improved access to health care, lower out-of-pocket health care costs, and eventually enhance public health.

However if insurance is available, patients must register and resolve shortcomings in access to covered services, physicians and facilities, and shortcomings in access to high-quality primary and specialty care services. Compared with private insurance, Medicaid is generally underfunded in this way , leading to shortcomings that can limit its ability to reduce health-related inequalities.