Question

American Hospital Association (AHA)​

Determine whether or not, and to what extent, the group supports or opposes, the Affordable Care Act. Note that some groups may support some provisions and oppose others: Support for, and/or opposition to, the ACA. Past (within the last three years) and present political activities related to support or opposition of the ACA; also include: A brief financial snapshot for each organization; i.e., how much money has/will each group spent/spend on their efforts and where? A brief description of who the group interacts with in pursuit of their support or opposition; identify members of the legislative branch in particular, but also consider the executive and judiciary branches as well.  Future plans, strategies, etc., of the group related to the ACA. An assessment of the group's relative success related to their past and future lobbying efforts.

Answer 1

Affordable Care Act:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare also known as a Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and it was effected by March-23-2010 and other important provisions phased by january 2014. The PPACA has changed health care because it shows the significant regulatory overhaul of the healthcare system of U.S.A since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The Affordable Care Act’s main focus is on providing more Americans with access to affordable health insurance, improving the quality of health care and health insurance, regulating the health insurance industry, and reducing health care spending in the US.

The act aims to provide healthcare services to more Americans through health insurance and discounted tax credits. These plans focus on areas of hospitalisation, emergency care and prescription of drugs. It was designed to protect consumers from tactics of insurance companies so that better and standard care at reasonable cost can be given

Supporters group support Affordable Care Act because:

- More Americans are covered under insurance soon after the ACA amendment. It had been found that 16 millions Americans have been covered under ACA in the first initial years.

- Affordable health insurance enabling easy access to health services and handling emergency care with ease

- People with pre existing diseases like cancer, diabetes, congenital anomalies are also covered under this act

- No limitations on receiving healthcare services

- Different health screenings can be performed like diabetes screening, cancer screening. Screening can be done with low packages.

- Lower cost on drugs prescribed and easily accessible.

Opposes group oppose Affordable Care Act because:

- High premium is a burden on people

- Without an insurance, the people are applied with modest fine.

- Taxes have gone up because of ACA. People are paying high tax,thus the revenue can be used for healthcare coverage of people .

- Enrolling is complicated because of many technical issues with the website leading to delayed signups.

- Recurrent changes in the act creates lack of updation among people and confusions are also part of the act.

Concerns:

1) Medicaid expansions may get phased out because under the ACA act many low income groups and children were beneficiaries. If complete repealing occurs, then these groups will suffer.

2) Health care system will undergo drastic changes and again Americans need to enroll for a new system or Need to modify their health insurance process

3) Obamacare was one of the revolutionary act of redistributing money from wealthier individuals to poor. There will be obvious changes in tax payments

4) Under Obamacare, tax credits were based on income and region. If it is changed to age, then the recipients when becomes older, then there will be less tax credits.

5) All types of individuals like poor, low economic groups, unemployed individuals were getting benefitted under ACA but replacing this can creates trouble for these groups.

Ex: Affordable Care Act expanding benefits and limits on mental health:

The Affordable Care Act has expanded mental health and substance abuse can theoretically improved the 62 millions of people's lives. In this act the major advantage of the medicaid expansion can allow the adults to coverage based on their income, not only based on the disability. The changes and additions require mental health coverage in small group and individual plans where people were not previously covered. This smart change has drastically resulted in the early intervention, catching a developing disease processes before they even reach dangerous and as expensive proportions. It is more prudent and absolutely humane to address the mental illness and also substance use disorders before someone generally escalates the symptoms to a crisis state which requires costly hospitalization, or institutionalization. In this mental health coverage the information provided in the plans can show limits are not present on mental health coverage, but the limitations including treatment caps and other barriers may exist.