Affordable Health Care Act, Essay Example

Affordable Health Care Act and the Public Health arena

Introduction

The Affordable Health Care Act in its attempt to provide equitable heath care to all citizens irrespective of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and social status has impacted public health care delivery directly in the form of vaccination programs when preventative health care from a primary level perspective is considered. In its sanctions on health insurance companies and their deliberateness for not covering pateints with pre-conditions especially,  during pregnancy public health will have to become more vigilant in their maternal and child health delivery health promotion ventures to ensure that this does not continue. Also the act mandate insurance companies to cover vaccination free emergency care, and checkup visits for non-grandfathered plans (Obama Care facts 2014).

First, public health will have the responsibility of educating the public regarding how this act will benefit them. Many misconceptions have so far surfaced where citizens are led to believe that their Medicare and Medicaid benefits will be stopped and eventually they will have to buy insurance policies, which are not affordable. Public heath must be the ones to promote the correct messages in the various environments across country (Obama Care facts, 2014).

Cover California program

Cover California program is an initiative supportive of the affordable health care act with emphasis on educating the public and getting the uninsured enrolled in polices compatible with their social and health conditions. The specific goal is providing access to quality health care to all Californians. However, their target group of 5.3 million Californians who are uninsured has prompted this education and insurance enrollment drive. In addressing this issue within the legal boundaries of the affordable care act this program highlights an assister enrollment entity expected to provide the uninsured with options for becoming covered. This intervention of getting citizens enrolled in insurance policies is a commendable public health intervention especially, for a community where there are so many uninsured persons (Covered California, 2013).

While this is a great way of supporting the ObamaCare venture the system of enrolling people in polices might be too soon. Perhaps, they should have been given some time to digest the information and decide for themselves whether they are ready for insurance policies as well as accept the America promises. California is a diverse community. From statistics advertised regarding California uninsured population Hispanics are the largest group in the uninsured population being 47%;  next are whites (33%), Asian Americans (12%) and African Americans  (5%) (Covered California, 2013).

This reflects population diversity. Culturally, these ethnic groups have their distinct reasons for not enrolling in health insurance. Herein lies the difficulty in Cover California program success. What prior information do the program coordinators have supportive of why citizens should cooperate with an apparent forced enrollment program. It appears to be conducted like a vaccination campaign when there is an epidemic. People do not have to cooperate. At some points when the program is evaluated it seems utopic in its paradigms. How measurable are the objectives? Are they achievable?

Conclusion

Identify at least two categories of this act which is geared towards Community Health

Two categories of this act which is geared towards community health are embodied in Title 11: The role of Public Programs, Title IV: Preventing chronic disease and improving public health and Title V111: Community living assistance services and supports (Obama Care facts 2014).

References

Covered California (2013). Assisters Program: In-Person Assistance and Navigator Webinar Retrieved March 23rd, 2014 from  http://www.healthexchange.ca.gov/StakeHolders/Documents/Assisters%20Webinar%20FINAL02072013.pdf

ObamaCare Facts (2014). Affordable Care Act Summary. Retrieved March 23^rd, 2014 from http://obamacarefacts.com/affordablecareact-summary.php

ObamaCare facts (2014). Affordable Care Act: Dispelling the myths. Retrieved March 23rd, 2014 from http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-facts.php