Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper

Discussion Question 1

1. Everyone agrees the ACA can be improved. Are there features of these bills that you think have merit?

There are various merits that are evident within the AHCA and BCRA that are but key among these is that they are all aimed at increasing insurance plan flexibility. This change would have the benefit of fostering competition in the insurance industry and effectively lead to a lowering of premiums. The measures that are in place designed to reduce regulatory burdens on insurers have the benefit of potentially streamlining processes (Nickitas et al., 2010). It is however important to be wary of the fact that the extent to which these merits outweighed other concerns for example the potential coverage reductions and the impact on vulnerable populations still remains a subject of debate today. With this in mind, it is important for a careful consideration in these healthcare policy debates discussions. Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper

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1. Should states have more flexibility under the ACA?

Arguably and as supported by savvy researchers in the field, granting states more flexibility under the ACA would be advantageous. Among the positive impacts this would have is allowing for a tailoring of healthcare policies to the unique needs of each state’s population. According to Nickitas et al. (2010), an arrangement such as this would gradually lead to improved healthcare access and outcomes. This aside, striking a balance that ensures essential healthcare standards are maintained is important particularly in a bid to safeguard vulnerable populations and guarantee equitable access to care. Drawing from this, state flexibility should be coupled with strong oversight and accountability mechanisms to achieve the best outcomes for all citizens.

• How much of the cost burden should young and healthy individuals bear in order to make health insurance more affordable for elderly and sicker individuals? Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper

Research has shown that the act of trying to balance the cost burden between young, healthy individuals and older, sicker individuals in the context of health insurance affordability is not a mean fete as it is sometimes coupled with several challenges (Nickitas et al., 2010). Commenting on this, Xu et al. (2020) observed that actuarial principles should guide this balance, with contributions of insurance premiums being based on individual risk profiles. Needless to say, fairness and equity are vital considerations and should always be sought in healthcare and by insurance companies. Drawing from this, younger healthier individuals have the capability to bear a portion of the cost burden to support the broader goal of making health insurance accessible for elderly and sicker individuals. At the same time, this should be done while ensuring affordability for all segments of the population.

References

Nickitas, D. M., Middaugh, D. J., & Aries, N. (2010). Policy and politics for nurses and other health professionals. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Xu, M. R., Kelly, A. M., Kushi, L. H., Reed, M. E., Koh, H. K., & Spiegelman, D. (2020). Impact of the affordable care act on colorectal cancer outcomes: a systematic review. American journal of preventive medicine, 58(4), 596-603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.018 Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper

The Affordable Care Act provides a wide spectrum of quality improvement activities that are divided into three main categories which includes evaluating new models of healthcare, focusing reimbursement from volume to quality, and overall system improvement. As nurse practitioners, we are responsible for fostering these changes in our clinical practice. Chapter seven looks at various key aspects of the ACA and the health reforms it focuses on.

Read chapter 7 of the textbook and complete the case study questions for chapter 7

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:e5dfc5e0-d9b2-3667-830a-f1fca16f4268

Discussion Question 1 Even though the primary legislative bills to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—the AHCA and BRCA—did not have sufficient support across U.S. Congress to become law, and some of their provisions may not have been allowed under reconciliation rules, it is worth considering the main features of the bills to understand the type of health reform changes many Republicans support (see TABLE 7-1). Overall, these bills reduced taxes, eliminated government mandates, lowered federal government spending, lowered premiums health insurance more affordable for elderly and sicker individuals?
Discussion Question 2: Are there alternatives to the individual mandate that accomplish the same goals without engendering so much political turmoil? Could policymakers have designed an incentive system that would be as effective as a mandate? What are the pros and cons of using a mandate versus an incentive? Can you think of incentives to encourage enrollment that have occurred in other parts of the healthcare system? Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper

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Discussion Question 3: There was a lengthy debate about whether to include a public option in health reform. A public option is some type of government-run health plan that would be available to compete with private plans. A public option could exist within the health exchange model or outside of it. Instead of a public option, Congress voted to require the Office of Personnel Management, which runs the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, to contract with at least two multistate plans in every state health insurance exchange. What are the pros and cons of having a public option? Does the Office of Personnel Management compromise achieve all or some of the goals of having a public option? Why do you believe the Office of Personnel Management compromise was acceptable to legislators but the public option was not?
Discussion Question 4: Republican policymakers that are involved in bipartisan discussions to revise the ACA are focused on providing states with increased flexibility regarding benefit design, premium pricing, and other features. Although states are generally home to social welfare changes, it is difficult to provide universal health care on a state-by-state basis. If state health reform efforts lead the way, the country could have a patchwork of programs and policies that vary from state to state, with the potential to make health coverage even more complex and inefficient than it is currently. On the other hand, it is also important to recognize that a health reform strategy focusing on states has benefits as well. At its best, state-level reform can be accomplished more rapidly and with more innovation than at the federal level. State legislatures may have an easier time convincing a narrower band of constituents important to the state than Congress has in accommodating the varied needs of stakeholders nationwide. What are the advantages and disadvantages of compromising regarding the state role in the ACA? Is it worth giving up some degree national uniformity and stronger consumer protections in exchange for political stability and allowing state to experiment with health reform design? How well do you think the public will be served in their access to affordable health insurance and access to health care if states have more control? How does your response differ if you are living in California or New York versus Texas or Florida? Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper
Discussion Question 5 A group of friends were talking about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), illustrating the wide-ranging viewpoints about the law. Calvin, whose daughter Mia is struggling to make a living as an artist, is pleased that Mia has health insurance for the first time since graduating from college. Although Mia cannot stay on her parents’ insurance because she just turned 27, she can now afford a good health insurance plan that she found on her state’s health exchange. While Calvin has not noticed much of a change in his own health insurance coverage, which he obtains through his government employer, his friend Katherine is upset about health reform. She does not want the government forcing her to purchase health insurance (although she always chose to be insured in the past), and she recently found out that her old plan was cancelled because it did not meet the law’s requirements. Katherine found several new plan options to choose from, but none had her exact combination of benefits, providers, and price. In addition, Katherine’s uncle, Ethan, is 55 years old and self-employed. He purchases his health insurance on his state’s exchange and because he has preexisting conditions, he is grateful to be able to find a plan. Even so, Ethan’s premiums will increase by 15% this year and his deductible is $5,000, making health care difficult to afford even with insurance. Another friend, Jara, told Katherine she should be willing to pay a little more or change some aspects of her plan to help the millions of people who can now afford insurance for the first time as a result of the ACA. After witnessing her uncle’s experience, however, Katherine is skeptical that the government is going to be able to keep its promises. What are the competing viewpoints about the ACA exemplified by these friends? Which of these friends’ views will be the most pressing concern going forward in the discussions about the ACA? Policy And Politics For Nurses And Other Health Professionals Essay Paper