Is the Affordable Care Act good or bad?
Asked by: Prof. Clair Fay | Last update: January 4, 2024Score: 4.7/5 (64 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.
Is the Affordable Care Act a good idea?
The ACA helps cut high U.S. health care costs.
In addition to increasing insurance coverage, the Affordable Care Act makes investments in programs designed to reduce the cost and improve the quality of health care.
Why do people disagree with the Affordable Care Act?
Despite these positive changes, a near majority of Americans still oppose the ACA, even though they approve of most of its features. They oppose the mandate that all Americans must have health insurance (the individual mandate), and they oppose a government role in health care.
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.
Who benefits most from the Affordable Care Act?
People with the lowest incomes tended to benefit the most from the law. That makes sense, given how the Affordable Care Act is designed. In states that expanded Medicaid, low-income people can get insurance without having to pay a premium.
Here's Why the Affordable Care Act Is So Controversial | History
What are at least two benefits of the Affordable Care Act?
Make affordable health insurance available to more people. The law provides consumers with subsidies (“premium tax credits”) that lower costs for households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Expand the Medicaid program to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL.
Is the Affordable Care Act a failure?
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.
How do voters feel about the Affordable Care Act?
The most recent KFF Tracking Poll conducted in March 2022 found slightly more than half of the public (55%) hold a favorable opinion of the ACA while about four in ten (42%) hold a negative opinion of the law.
How did the Affordable Care Act affect 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.
Why is affordable healthcare important?
People without coverage are more likely to suffer declines in overall health — the result of little or no preventive care and delays in care that cause more severe problems or hospitalizations.
Did the Affordable Care Act save lives?
We find a reduction in all-cause mortality in ages 20 to 64 equaling 11.36 deaths per 100,000 individuals, a 3.6 percent decrease. This estimate is largely driven by reductions in causes of death likely to be influenced by access to health care, and equates to one life saved per 310 newly covered individuals.
What are the 10 essential benefits of the Affordable Care Act?
- Ambulatory patient services (outpatient services)
- Emergency services.
- Hospitalization.
- Maternity and newborn care.
- Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment.
- Prescription drugs.
How could the Affordable Care Act improve?
Increase Credits for Moderate- and Middle-Income Families.
Congress should consider either increasing the size and scope of the Advanced Premium Tax Credit program, or adding fixed-dollar, age-adjusted tax credits to the mix to improve access to affordable health insurance for moderate- to middle-income households.
Has the Affordable Care Act helped people?
The ACA has reduced the number of uninsured people to historically low levels and helped more people access health care services, especially low-income people and people of color.
Why was the Affordable Care Act of 2010 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.
What do Democrats think about the Affordable Care Act?
Democrats believe that quality, affordable health care is a right – not a privilege – for every American.
How many people are affected by the Affordable Care Act?
As of early 2023, the report finds that more than 40 million Americans have coverage under the ACA, the highest total on record.
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.
Why was the Affordable Care Act created?
The purpose of the ACA was to expand access to insurance, increase consumer protections, emphasize prevention and wellness, improve quality and system performance, expand the health workforce, and curb rising health care costs.
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.
How many Americans benefited from the Affordable Care Act?
New Reports Show Record 35 Million People Enrolled in Coverage Related to the Affordable Care Act, with Historic 21 Million People Enrolled in Medicaid Expansion Coverage.
What is a major feature of the Affordable Care Act?
The ACA prohibits lifetime monetary caps on insurance coverage, limits the use of annual caps, and establishes state rate reviews for insurance premium increases.
What is one benefit of Affordable Care Act quizlet?
Increases benefits and lower costs for consumers, bolster our health care and public health workforce and infrastructure, foster innovation and quality in our system.
What are three benefits of the Affordable Care Act quizlet?
- extending insurance coverage to the uninsured/underinsured.
- decreasing costs by improving efficiency.
- expanding prevention and wellness programs (PH measures)
- protecting against undue financial burdens on individuals as a result of healthcare expenditures.
- improving patient safety and quality of care.