Is the ACA a success or failure?

Asked by: Prof. Brendan Ortiz II  |  Last update: November 3, 2023
Score: 4.2/5 (43 votes)

Since its enactment on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act has led to an historic advancement of health equity in the United States. This landmark law improved the health of all Americans, including women and families, kids, older adults, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ and communities of color.

What are the negatives of the Affordable Care Act?

Cons:
  • The cost has not decreased for everyone. Those who do not qualify for subsidies may find marketplace health insurance plans unaffordable. ...
  • Loss of company-sponsored health plans. ...
  • Tax penalties. ...
  • Shrinking networks. ...
  • Shopping for coverage can be complicated.

What is the biggest issue with ACA?

Most Of Those Who Say ACA Hurt Them And Their Families Say It Increased Their Health Care Costs
  • Increased your health care or health insurance costs. 59% 12%
  • Made it more difficult for you to get the health care you need. 22% 5%
  • Caused someone in your family to lose your health insurance. 11% 2%

What does the ACA mostly likely to accomplish?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has 3 main objectives: (1) to reform the private insurance market—especially for individuals and small-group purchasers, (2) to expand Medicaid to the working poor with income up to 133% of the federal poverty level, and (3) to change the way that medical decisions ...

How successful was the Affordable Care Act?

By any metric, it has been wildly successful. Has it improved coverage? Indisputably, yes. More than 20 million people have gained coverage as a result of the ACA.

Here's Why the Affordable Care Act Is So Controversial | History

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Why is the ACA so controversial?

One early controversy concerned whether individuals would lose their current health plans when the new law took effect. Initially, some insured people were taken by surprise when their insurers canceled policies that did not qualify as minimum essential coverage (MEC) under the ACA.

Did the ACA hurt the economy?

In reviewing evidence over the past five years, this report concludes that the ACA has had no net negative economic impact and, in fact, has likely helped to stimulate growth by contributing to the slower rise in health care costs.

What are two reasons for keeping the ACA?

The law has 3 primary goals:
  • Make affordable health insurance available to more people. ...
  • Expand the Medicaid program to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL. ...
  • Support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally.

What is the current status of the Affordable Care Act?

Today, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is at the strongest point in its history, thanks to 12 years of diligent implementation efforts, defense alongside the passage, and implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. As a result, health care costs are historically low.

What are ethical issues with the Affordable Care Act?

The recently enacted Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 has fueled ethical debate of several important controversial topics. Ethical issues of health care reform include moral foundations, cost containment, public health, access to care, ED crowding, and end-of-life issues.

What are 3 benefits of the Affordable Care Act?

Affordable Care Act (ACA) basics

Among other things, the ACA made it easier for many people to get coverage, removed annual and lifetime limits on essential health benefits and put in place requirements that individuals have medical coverage or pay a tax penalty.

Has Obamacare been abolished?

At present, Obamacare or the Affordable Healthcare Act is active, although one of its main clauses “the individual mandate” has been abolished at the federal level since 2019. This means that at present, there is no penalty for not buying the health insurance under Obamacare.

How did the ACA fail to provide access to healthcare for all individuals?

It largely failed. Health insurance markets are only afloat because of massive federal subsidies and premiums and out-of-pocket obligations significantly increased for families. While the ACA has led to about 13 million more people with Medicaid, many more have been harmed.

What has Biden done for the Affordable Care Act?

The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance and lowering health care costs for America's families a top priority, and under their leadership, the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low earlier this year, and the 2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period saw the highest number of ...

Who ended the Affordable Care Act?

On May 4, 2017, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass the American Health Care Act (and thereby repeal most of the Affordable Care Act) by a narrow margin of 217 to 213, sending the bill to the Senate for deliberation.

Who does the ACA benefit the most?

2020). The coverage gains under the ACA made it easier for people to get health care. Adults with low income have benefited the most from the law's insurance subsidies, out-of-pocket cost protections, and expansion in Medicaid eligibility.

What are four benefits with the ACA?

A set of 10 categories of services health insurance plans must cover under the Affordable Care Act. These include doctors' services, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, prescription drug coverage, pregnancy and childbirth, mental health services, and more. Some plans cover more services.

Has the ACA improved the quality of care?

Findings In this nationally representative cross-sectional study of 123 171 individuals, the ACA was associated with more high-value diagnostic and preventive testing, improved patient experience and access, and decreased out-of-pocket expenditures for lower income US individuals.

Why was the ACA unsuccessful?

Not only did the ACA fail to control the rising cost of insurance, but it also failed to make health care and prescribed medicines affordable. According to a West Health and Gallup, 30 percent of surveyed individuals did not seek needed medical treatment due to the cost from September to October 2021.

Did taxes increase because of the ACA?

To raise additional revenue for reform, the ACA imposed excise taxes on health insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers of medical devices; raised taxes on high-income families; and in-creased limits on the income tax deduction for medical expenses.

Is the Affordable Care Act financially sound?

A review of the research literature on the effects of the ACA indicates that the law helped protect Americans against the financial risks of illness, reduced the uninsured rate, improved access to care, and lowered out-of-pocket spending.

Is the ACA mandate unconstitutional?

After oral argument, the Fifth Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, partially affirmed the district court, agreeing that the mandate is now unconstitutional. However, instead of determining what this meant for the rest of the ACA's provisions, the court remanded the case for additional analysis on the question of severability.

How can the ACA be improved?

11 ways to improve Obamacare
  1. 1) Require insurance companies to offer all ACA-qualified policies through the State Marketplaces. ...
  2. 2) Permanently expand the premium tax credits to apply to everyone, regardless of income. ...
  3. 3) Remove the employer mandate.

Which 3 populations do not have health care coverage even after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act ACA )?

Uninsured Working-Age Adults Disproportionately Low-Income, Latino, and Under Age 35.

How many lives has Obamacare saved?

The Affordable Care Act's (ACA) expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults is preventing thousands of premature deaths each year, a landmark study finds. It saved the lives of at least 19,200 adults aged 55 to 64 over the four-year period from 2014 to 2017.