Health System Changes in the Past 4 Years, Essay Example

Introduction

American healthcare system has evolved tremendously over the past four years. According to Williams & Torrens (2008), however, while there have been significant developments in many aspects of health care delivery, during the past 150 years, in terms of quality, the most important aspects worthy of noting  are strides, which have been made in disease control and provision of accessible health care for  millions of uninsured  Americans (Williams & Torrens, 2008).

Significant health system changes in the past four years

Importantly, these changes could be directly associated with the new political administration over the past approximately four to six years. This embraces the ObamaCare health initiative, which promised Americans better quality and accessibility to health care for all irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, social status and sexual orientation. Consequently, in discussing changes made in the past 4 years inevitable an evaluation of how far the initiative has been executed must be embraced. Precisely, according to analysts the Obama Care initiative is embodied in the Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It became law on 23^rd March, 2010 giving the political administration authority to reform health care in America (ObamaCare, 2014).

Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)

The distinct goal in this ObamaCare health ideology under the Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is offering Americans more ‘access to affordable, quality health insurance, and to reduce the growth in health care spending in the U.S’ (ObamaCare, 2014). An important misunderstanding which had to be clarified at many forums was that it was that the act was not replacing a person’s insurance coverage; making him/her ineligible for Medicare/Medicare services neither taking away sophisticated insurance overages such as Blue Cross and Blue Shied from the few privileged holders. Who were provided health care through those policies. Instead it was allowing every America legal resident and citizen an opportunity to the quality health care as given to classified few privileged policy holders with extensive coverage not offered to the ordinary citizen or legal resident (ObamaCare, 2014).

More importantly, young adults will have the privilege of remaining on their parents’ health care plan until age 26. It has interrupted the practice whereby health insurance companies remove coverage because an insurer made a mistake on the initial application regarding a particular health condition. Also, it has prohibited insurance companies from unjustifiably hiking policy rates to making it difficult to continue full coverage. Life time and annual limits have been removed from health insurance companies’ of health care coverage and insurances have been given the right to appeal against insurance companies’ decision if they refuse to pay a bill incurred by a patient. Another valuable adjustment in relation to insurance companies relate to refusal to coverage pre-existing conditions, Under the Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) it is mandatory that they do (ObamaCare, 2014).

Conclusion

In summarizing changes which have occurred with the past 4 years it is essential to note that while Williams & Torrens (2008), emphasized disease control and accessible health care no disease control could be achieved without accessible health care. The Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 has made significant changes ensuring accessibility to health care. Precisely, 10 major adjustments to health care coverage were designed inclusive of free emergency room care for the uninsured; free preventative services such as immunizations, yearly checkups and screening for holders of grandfather plans’ coverage. There must be no out of pocket payments (Kliff, 2013)

References

Kliff, S. (May 30, 2013). Are Obamacare’s Exchanges Competitive? Here’s What The Experts Say. The Washington Post

ObamaCare (2014).ObamaCare Facts: Dispelling the myths. Retrieved on March, 22^nd, 2014 From http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-facts.php

Williams, S., & Torrens, P. (2008). Introduction to Health Services (7th ed).Cengage Learning