Is the Affordable health care Act good or bad?

Asked by: Jamir Marvin Jr.  |  Last update: September 7, 2023
Score: 4.1/5 (21 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.

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.

What would make the Affordable Care Act better?

Making Insurance Premiums More Affordable

ensure through 2025 that no one has to spend more than 8.5 percent of household income on premiums; previously, eligibility for premium tax credits was capped at 400 percent of the federal poverty level (i.e., $106,000 for a family of four)

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

19 related questions found

How effective is the Affordable Care Act?

Indisputably, yes. More than 20 million people have gained coverage as a result of the ACA. It has dramatically reduced the uninsured rate. On the day President Obama signed the ACA, 16 percent of Americans were uninsured; in March 2020, it was nine percent.

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.

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.

What are the 10 essential benefits of the Affordable Care Act?

Essential health benefits ensure that health plans cover care that patients need
  • 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.

What is the Affordable Care Act and what does it require?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a comprehensive reform law, enacted in 2010, that increases health insurance coverage for the uninsured and implements reforms to the health insurance market. This includes many provisions that are consistent with AMA policy and holds the potential for a better health care system.

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 has the Affordable Care Act affected healthcare?

Since 2010, the ACA has made health coverage more accessible and affordable for many Americans. Thanks to the ACA, Your children can stay on your health plan until they turn 26. Health plans can't deny you coverage because you have a pre-existing condition.

What objective of the Affordable Care Act failed?

Failed to Bring Down Overall Healthcare Spending

A key promise made prior to implementation of the ACA was that the law would reduce overall healthcare spending, despite significantly expanding Medicaid and creating subsidies for lower-income individuals to purchase insurance.

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.

Did the Affordable Care Act increase 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 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.

What is the Affordable Care Act examples?

The ACA requires insurance plans to cover preventive care such as immunizations; preventive care for children; screening for certain adults for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer; and a public education campaign for oral health.

Why should I have health insurance?

In addition to protecting against the cost of medical emergencies, health insurance works to keep you healthy. Studies show that people with insurance live longer and have better health outcomes in the long term. Preventive care is key to protecting your well-being — and it's free when you have health insurance.

Why is the ACA controversial?

ACA MYTHS VERSUS FACTS

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 Affordable Care Act save money?

Yet the ACA has more than delivered on that promise, saving about $4,000 per family. And these lower health care premiums probably contribute to the recent rise in workers' wages.

What are the main differences between Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act?

Obamacare is the nickname for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. The act brought significant changes to the U.S. healthcare system by reducing the amount paid by individuals and families for uncompensated care.

How many Americans benefit 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.

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.

How many people rely on 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.