Question

Policy: Affordable Care Act

Describe the policy variables that may impact the effectiveness or reception of this policy such as population growth or economic health.

Next, identify the economic impact of the policy for the patient, the provider, and society. Will it increase health costs? Will it benefit public health? Will new provider mandates be required?

Recommendations to address the problems with the associated policy. Even the best policies have opportunities for improvement. What, specifically, can be done to improve this policy.

Answer 1

Affordable Care Act is a healthcare reform law which aims at reforming insurance market, to increase the reach so that all citizens benefit and bring a change to how decisions are made. It essentially improves the healthcare quality. The variables that affect the effectiveness of this policy are population growth, costs of medicines etc.

The patients have benefitted because the health care services have been improved. The beneficiaries have also benefitted because of tax credits that they receive. The society at large benefits as the healthcare services they receive improve which will benefit them in the long run.

The affordable care act has reduced the government costs of providing healthcare. The government also benefits because of the reduction in expenses as this will improve their deficit situation. It will benefit public health as the quality of the healthcare has improved and more people have benefitted than the previous programs. The mandate was required as the act aimed to provide improved healthcare services to all the citizens of the United States of America.

There is always scope to improve policies and similarly Affordable Care Act can be improved as well. One thing that needs to be done is that employers should be given the option to choose if they want to provide health services. Since individuals already buy the coverage, employers should be given the option to offer or not.