The American Healthcare Act as explained by dissertation online help was proposed as a replacement to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by the Republican Party in 2017. The proposed changes aimed to decrease the federal government’s involvement in healthcare and reduce costs for both the government and individuals. However, these changes have sparked controversy and debate about their impact on providing universal healthcare coverage for Americans. The American Healthcare Act proposes significant changes to healthcare policy that could negatively affect universal healthcare coverage in America. Get in touch with buy dissertation proposal.
Providing healthcare subsidies under the ACA is critical in ensuring that low-income individuals and families can access essential healthcare services. However, Wilensky (2017) claims that the proposed American Healthcare Act seeks to repeal many of these subsidies, which may significantly impact healthcare affordability. With fewer individuals able to afford healthcare, there is a high likelihood that a reduction in subsidies would ultimately lead to decreased coverage, posing a challenge to achieving universal healthcare coverage for Americans. In other words, the removal of subsidies could result in a scenario where many Americans cannot access the necessary healthcare services.
Eliminating the individual mandate, a fundamental component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is one of the key changes proposed by the American Healthcare Act. The individual mandate necessitates Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty to ensure that healthy individuals purchase insurance and share the burden of healthcare costs (Courtemanche et al., 2018). If the mandate is eliminated, the potential impact could lead to a decrease in the number of healthy individuals purchasing insurance, which would increase the proportion of sick individuals in the risk pool and thus increase healthcare coverage costs. In other words, without the individual mandate, the risk pool would be made up of primarily sicker individuals, leading to higher healthcare costs for both the government and individuals.
Buy masters dissertation online proposing a significant change to the current Medicaid system, the American Healthcare Act suggests transforming it into a block grant program where states receive a fixed amount of funding, unlike the current enrollment-based system. However, this change may have far-reaching implications, including decreased coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries. With limited funding, states may find it challenging to meet the healthcare needs of everyone under Medicaid, especially those who depend on the program for their healthcare. Consequently, this proposed reform could ultimately result in Medicaid beneficiaries, especially low-income individuals and families, facing challenges accessing essential healthcare services, which may affect their overall health outcomes.
The American Healthcare Act also proposes significant tax cuts for the wealthy, a change that may have consequences beyond just increased wealth for the few. This move may lead to a loss of government revenue that could be used to fund essential healthcare programs and services (Courtemanche et al., 2018). With decreased revenue, less funding may be available to support healthcare coverage for vulnerable populations. As a result, individuals relying on government-funded healthcare services may risk losing coverage or experiencing reduced benefits. Ultimately, the proposed tax cuts may result in a situation where healthcare affordability and accessibility become increasingly challenging for low-income individuals and families.
Another significant change the American Healthcare Act proposed is eliminating the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) requirement. The EHB requirement currently mandates that all health insurance plans cover specific essential health services, including preventive care, maternity care, and prescription drugs (Courtemanche et al., 2018). If this requirement is eliminated, insurance companies could offer cheaper plans that do not include these essential health benefits, making it more challenging for individuals to access necessary healthcare services. This situation may have detrimental consequences, especially for vulnerable populations who rely on these essential health services to maintain their health and well-being. Without these services, individuals may be forced to pay out-of-pocket or forego necessary care, leading to worsening health outcomes and increased healthcare costs in the long run.
In addition to the earlier changes, the American Healthcare Act also seeks to defund Planned Parenthood, which may have far-reaching implications on women’s access to essential healthcare services. Planned Parenthood is a healthcare provider offering services such as contraception, cancer screenings, and STI testing to low-income women (Wilensky, 2017). With the proposed defunding, women relying on Planned Parenthood for their healthcare needs may lose access to these vital services, affecting their overall health outcomes. Furthermore, the loss of Planned Parenthood as a provider could lead to decreased competition among healthcare providers, potentially leading to increased healthcare costs and reduced access to care for vulnerable populations. Ultimately, the proposed defunding of Planned Parenthood could have serious implications on women’s health and well-being, particularly for low-income women who may not have access to other healthcare providers.
In conclusion, the proposed changes in the American Healthcare Act have significant implications for healthcare coverage and access to healthcare for Americans, particularly vulnerable populations. The elimination of subsidies, the elimination of the individual mandate, and the defunding of Planned Parenthood, among other changes, could lead to decreased coverage and access to necessary healthcare services for low-income individuals and families. Furthermore, the loss of Essential Health Benefits and the possibility of increased premiums for older individuals could make it challenging for individuals to access necessary healthcare services. Ultimately, the proposed changes in the American Healthcare Act may lead to increased healthcare disparities and decreased access to care for vulnerable populations, with potentially serious implications for Americans’ overall health and well-being. Therefore, policymakers must consider the potential impact of these changes and work towards policies that ensure affordable and accessible healthcare for all Americans.