The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was enacted into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. It was an overhaul of the United States’ healthcare system that was aimed at increasing health care coverage among the citizens. It was the most extensive and significant reform since the introduction of Medicaid and Medicare in the 1960s. The ACA has received criticisms and appraisals in equal measures. Several milestones have been achieved and its role in enhancing the delivery of health care services has been unprecedented.
The ACA is a comprehensive and consequential legislation that has achieved several milestones since its enactment. The number of insured Americans has increased significantly, the cost of health care has decreased, and many people have access to better-quality medical care. The Act has been life-changing in numerous ways, especially for low-income families, people with preexisting conditions, and minority groups (Colla & Skinner, 2020).
Government statistics show that more than 16 million uninsured Americans received insurance coverage within the first five years of the law’s implementation. The ACA introduced options that gave Americans a wider range of coverage as insurance companies spend about 80% of the premiums on medical care and enhancements (Colla & Skinner, 2020). A major milestone for the legislation is the coverage of people with preexisting conditions such as cancer. Moreover, under the Act, numerous preventive services and screenings are covered. This has improved public health and aided in lowering health costs as major health problems are detected and treated early enough.
ACA has been lauded as a revolutionary legislation because of its contribution toward the delivery of better health care services. In that regard, it creates accountable care organizations, encourages the sue of computerized medical records, funds health care training, led to the establishment of the center for Medicare and Medicaid, and reduces fraud (Colla & Skinner, 2020). The ACA improved the process of paying doctors and hospitals, thus making them more accountable. Medical records are stored in computers for more efficient digital transmission. Electronic records lower health care costs and render information transmission faster and more secure.
The Act established the Center for Medicare and Medicaid innovation that creates strategies that improve health care and reduced medical costs (Jacobs & Skocpol, 2016). The Independent Payment Advisory Board was crafted by the ACA. Its main role is to find ways to extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by reducing waste, costs, and improving health outcomes.
The ACA has been considered a long and protracted political battle as its proponents and opponents have argued about its validity and effectiveness for years. It has pitted Democrats against Republicans, as both parties strive to push their agenda. The ACA established two taxes that take money from upper-income Americans for the benefit of low-income citizens (Jacobs & Skocpol, 2016). The law supports the Democratic Party’s passion for the reduction of racial and income inequality. On the contrary, Republicans have opposed the legislation and proposed its abolishment because of contradictory ideologies. They oppose the creation of new federal entitlements that benefit low-income families (Jacobs & Skocpol, 2016). The do not support the expansion of Medicaid because they argue that it promotes dependence on government assistance.
According to them, it gives many people an incentive to shun work and better jobs. The ACA is an example of an anti-poverty program that constitutes an agenda that creates political divisions between the two main political parties in the United States (Jacobs & Skocpol, 2016). In that regard, Republicans and Democrats have used the legislation as major campaign talking point, promising voters to repeal it. The ACA has been used to express individual and organizational stands and ideologies on key matters that shape the politics of the US.
References
Colla, C., & Skinner, J. (2020). The Affordable Care Act made health care (slightly)Â affordable. HealthAffairs. Web.
Jacobs, L. R., & Skocpol, T. (2016). Health care reform and American Politics: What everyone needs to know (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.