Health Care Utilization Paper
HCS/235: Health Care Delivery in the U.S. Health Care Reform
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) was designed to decrease health care costs and require health care access to all U.S. citizens. The Act has the potential for reducing the cost of health care in the United States; however, with many risks which could possibly strain the health care system, increase debt, and decrease the quality of care many are concerned.
Access to Care
The PPACA was enacted in 2010; however, the Act was not completely implemented right away. The health care reform has been dispersing provisions as the years progressed. Provisions such as simply investing in new resources to fight against…show more content… States will not be penalized for not expanding coverage to low-income individuals or families. The Medicaid expansion will provide services to low-income adults with or without dependent children, low-income children who turn nineteen years of age and classified as adults, and low-income adults with disabilities who do not qualify for Social Security Benefits. Previous States who have expended Medicaid benefits to their low-income residents have reported a decrease in uninsured residents, improved access to health care, and an increase in a healthy population. The result of States opting out of Medicaid expansion benefits will increase emergency uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care entities. The health reform act will be less effective and will drive the cost of care for the rest of the country when States opt-out of the Medicaid expansion efforts creating an imbalance within the nation.
Personal Experience The Medicaid expansion efforts have provided strict regulations to managed care organizations such as the one I currently work for. However, the provisions for increasing Medicaid expansion in the state of Florida will allow more residents to acquire health care benefits which eventually will improve the overall health of the residents in Florida and lower the costs of providing health care benefits. Utilization management has become a great asset in decreasing costs for the organization allowing
