public policy analysis

Running head: PUBLIC POLICY-THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 0

The Affordable Care Act Policy Analysis

Rodriko Sankey

Rick Humphress

Public Policy Analysis

May 28, 2017

Position in favor of the policy 3

Position against the policy 4

Response to the argument for the policy 5

Response to the argument against the policy 6

Anecdote 7

Evidence 8

References 9

The Affordable Care Act Policy Analysis

Among many diseases that affect people, the childhood obesity has been considered to be a major problem for the United States citizens. Despite the recent decline, childhood obesity is still found to be high. According to Birkland, (2011), the health institutions such as the CDC (The Centre for diseases and control) for the children and the young group aged two to nineteen (2-19) years there has been the stable rate of the prevalence of the childhood obesity. This is considered to be about seventeen percent (17%) and largely affects about twelve million adolescents and children for the last decades. In favoring the “Affordable Care Act,” several lower and middle-class Americans has found to be benefiting from the act due to the affordability of the health insurance initiated by the Act. The affordable care act primarily aims to ensure reduction of the rate of childhood obesity and increment in tobacco consumption through education (Coffin & Rak, 2013). The grants of the Act are used by the department of the public and private health in enhancing the emergency medical services to the kids. In addition to reducing the obesity among children and encouraging cessation from tobacco usage. Analysis by the government Medicaid shows that one out three adults and out of six (1/6) adolescents and adults are obese. Due to the introduction of the affordable care act, both the children health insurance programs and the government Medicaid play vital and significant roles in reducing the prevalence of obesity for the United States citizens. The plan was initiated through the improvement of the access to the services of the healthcare which strives to achieve the healthy weight. Coffin and Rak, (2013), illustrates that with the introduction and implementation of the new reforms, children have been enrolled in these programs to undertake to screen, diagnostic with treatment benefits. Another reason for the favor of the affordable care act is its provision of the increased and broad coverage of for both the employees and employers. This covers the tax credits to the small enterprises. Before the introduction of the Act, the small businesses were unable to afford the healthcare coverage for their workers.

There is increased opposition to the Affordable Care Act especially from the Republican of the United States who believe in the patient-care method of the heath care systems. This systems base themselves in fostering and enhancing competition with free markets and reduce costs of the healthcare. Republicans argue that through owning of the health care by the government, there would be the reduction in the standards of health care. They further believe that there would be the compromise of the physician-patient association, extended waiting periods in the healthcare systems. However, they fear the results since they use the evidence from the government health centers as proof to the whole world. The Republican view association believes that the act would increase financial burden to the states and specifically to the individuals. This organization firmly opposes the affordable care act with every Republican voting against it as a reform that was signed into law by President Obama. Another opposing opinion is that the Affordable Care Act has been found to violate the constitution and laws of the United States (Joshi, 2015). This is seen through the change of the article one clause from the section seven of the constitution which allows revenue-increment bills to emerge from the representatives’ house. However, this was considered as tax from the ruling by the supreme court. This has created fear among the citizens who have been advocating for better healthcare reforms in the case of destructive leadership.

For the case for the Policy, there has been sharing of the common views about the childhood obesity. However, obesity has been considered to have broad social and economic effects on both the affected population and the states. Several perceptions have also emerged on whether the United States government has a role and capability in reducing the prevalence of obesity. Research by Pew Centre shows that the Democrats have more support on government playing the significant role in reducing the childhood obesity by a margin of sixty to thirty-seven percent (60%-37%).However, only twenty percent (20%) of the Republicans supported this with the majority opposing the government towards playing the significant role in the health care.

Another argument emphasizes and focuses on the costs of the health to the upper-class individuals residing in different parts of the states (Clinton & Obama, 2006). With the exchanges and expansion of the Medicaid, there is subsidization in insurance coverage for the modest means citizens. This is through increasing taxes on the less-modest people. In addition to curbing the Medicare spending growth. The conservatives are considered not to be enthusiastic concerning the redistribution. However, they are skeptical about the redistribution which is not transparent. There is also the principle in the establishment of the marketplaces for purchasing the insurance among people. Garunay, (2016) argues that the Conservative plans have also been initiated that help in featuring of the marketplaces yet the affordable care act exchanges offers much more support rather than providing avenues on comparing different plans. The conservatives shift the responsibilities about the regulation of the insurance market of an individual from the government states to the federal government. This is applicable in situations where partner exchanges have been established by the respective states according to the rules of the federal government.

Due to the introduction and implementation of the Affordable Care Act, there is increased funds for several families, increased demand with the reduction in the unemployment rate. Report from the Whitehouse government shows that about two million people from the United States had selected definite plans in health insurances marketplaces by January and about eighty percent (805) of the citizens are anticipated to join the program. This is due to the increased benefits obtained from the tax credits in assisting in paying the premiums. The current provision of the Affordable Care Act has made it efficient and reliable for the families in accessing the health care activities and services. According to Birkland, (2011), the Affordable Care Act has also helped in achieving the desired goals to the relatives and individuals. This, in turn, increased the demands for the services and products by more people in the whole economy.

Most of the underinsured people always attend hospitals to seek medical care. Unfortunately, the majority of these people have always turned away. Example, a patient participated in the ER before proceeding to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to failure in the respiratory system. Unfortunately, the lung cancer of the patient was found to invade the airways and spread all over the body (Joshi, 2015). The patient was coughing for almost an annual period which followed coughing up of blood. As an adult patient, the condition worsened due to neglect and rejection from seeking medical care. The patient was found to have lost the employment and had no any insurance cover. Therefore, the patient failed in the search for the medical attention till it was late.

The cost of the health has been and continues to be a burden to the budget of the united states economically. Before the established of the Affordable Care Act, the new reform had been addressed as an urgent issue by President Obama (Obama, 2016). The president further elaborated that effects with current systems of health care are the causes of the economic challenges to the United States and other global countries. The cost of the medical surprisingly accounts for (1/6) of the total economy of the United States of America (USA). Currently, in the USA the cost of spending is about two trillion dollars which are approximately seventeen percent of the (GDP) gross domestic products (Obama, 2016). The health care cost includes the retail sales, revenues on medical equipment, premiums to the health insurers. Therefore, this is evidently enough the Affordable Care Act .

Birkland, T. (2011). An Introduction to the Policy Process. Taylor and Francis Group.

Acri, M. C., & Hoagwood, K. E. (2015). Addressing parental mental health within interventions for children: A review. Research on social work practice, 25(5), 578-586.

Jones, J. M. (2010). in us, 45% favor, 48% oppose Obama healthcare plan. Gallup Poll, March, 9.

Clinton, H. R., & Obama, B. (2006). Making patient safety the centerpiece of medical liability reform. New England Journal of Medicine, 354(21), 2205-2208.

Joshi, N. K. (2015, March 01). Party Politics, Governors, and Healthcare Expenditures. Economics & Politics, 27(1), 52-78.

Obama, B. J. (2016, August 2). United States Health Care Reform: Progress to Date and Next Steps. Journal of American Medical Association: Clinical Review and Education, 525-532. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.9797

Coffin, J., & Rak, S. (2013). Affordable Care Act. , 28, 5.). The Journal of Medical Practice Management: Mpm, 28(5).