Affordable Care Act: Expanding Access and Enhancing Healthcare Quality
Introduction
President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, known as āObamacareā, into law in March 2010. The Act is one of the most significant pieces of healthcare legislation in US history, and it is vital to public health and healthcare delivery. Adopting measures to guarantee all US citizens access to health care is one of the most critical aspects of the Affordable Care Act (Davalon, 2022).
The Act increases the availability of health insurance and enhances healthcare quality. It includes provisions such as preventing coverage denials based on pre-existing diseases, raising the age at which children can be covered by parental insurance, and requiring insurance for all residents. This law also provides insurance exchanges where people can compare and choose plans that best suit their needs (Davalon, 2022). This helps to increase transparency and reduce the cost of insurance for many citizens.
The Most Important Goals of the ACA
From a public health perspective, the most crucial element of the Affordable Care Act is expanding access to health care for millions of uninsured citizens. This law allows people previously uninsured due to pre-existing conditions or an unaffordable monthly payment to get the health care they need. In addition, the Affordable Care Act also aims to improve the quality of care. It provides for developing and implementing measures to improve patient safety, quality standards, and care coordination. This helps ensure that every patient receives the best possible medical care.
Nursing Role in the ACA Implementation
In implementing the Affordable Care Act, nurses play a key role. Nurses are the primary providers of health care; they work directly with patients and perform various functions, including primary care, care coordination, and patient education. Nurses also play an important role in insurance exchanges, where they help patients choose the most appropriate insurance plans and educate them about their rights and options under the Affordable Care Act (Warner et al., 2020). Furthermore, nurses contribute to the improvement of care quality. They collaborate with other medical experts to ensure patient safety and care coordination.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Affordable Care Act is critical to public health and healthcare. It increases the availability of health care while improving the quality of care. Nurses play an essential role in implementing this law by delivering high-quality health care and assisting patients in understanding complicated insurance procedures.
References
Davalon. (2022). History and Timeline of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). EHealth Insurance Resource Center; eHealth Insurance. Web.
Warner, J. J., Benjamin, I. J., Churchwell, K., Firestone, G., Gardner, T. J., Johnson, J. C., Ng-Osorio, J., Rodriguez, C. J., Todman, L., Yaffe, K., Yancy, C. W., & Harrington, R. A. (2020). Advancing healthcare reform: The American Heart Associationās 2020 statement of principles for adequate, accessible, and affordable health care: A presidential advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 141(10). Web.
