e-Activity – Use the Internet to research and review the Affordable Health Care Act.

PART A “Health Care Law and Policy” Please respond to the following:

• analyze the Affordable Health Care Act, and determine the fundamental influence that such reform has exerted on the social, political, and economic environment of the country. Provide at least two (2) examples to support your rationale.
• Differentiate between two to three (2-3) key components of a free market healthcare system and single payer government system. Of the two systems, suggest the one that you believe would be better for the United States. Specify two (2) examples that support your rationale.

PLEASE RESPOND TO CLASSMATE DISCUSSION WHETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT & A DETAILED WHY: The Affordable Care Act ‘s mail goal was to provide affordable health care to all American citizens. Some of the upside was eliminating some of the stipulations such as not covering pre-existing conditions and setting limits on how much care is covered for chronic illnesses even when it is medically necessary. Social backlash was evident because of some of the high premiums people would have to pay, it did not seem so affordable then. Another area of concern was the fact that people who could not afford the premiums were fined if they did not obtain health care. It is now part of even filing taxes, meaning you have to show proof of medical coverage. The economic influence of the Affordable Care Act is that more people are insured now and are able to get proper healthcare. ER rooms are not being crowded by non emergent issues and citizens are scheduling more preventative visits with their doctors.

A free market Health care system means there is very little government regulation, which can give the providers freedom to treat a patient as they deem necessary while potentially keeping costs down. A single payer government system sets requirements that must be abided by for the provider to treat patients for claims to be paid for. This can lead to tests that are not needed, higher costs, tests that were needed but not covered and longer pay out times.

I believe the free market health care system would be better for the United States. One reason is that patients will be properly be cared for and treated by the providers that have the knowledge and skill set to diagnose and treat and not made by Insurance companies or government officials that do not have that medical degree. Another reason is so that the providers will be inclined to provide better quality health care because the free market is a competitive one. -Laura

Part B – “Health Bureaucracy” Please respond to the following:

e-activity Use the Internet to research and review the branches of government within your state to evaluate each branches level of influence in healthcare decisions for the state.

• From the e-Activity, analyze the branches of government of your state with respect to the extent that each branch is associated with health care. Determine whether your state government will participate in either the federal health exchange or create a state health exchange. Classify which aspects of your state’s choice are political and which aspects are economic. Provide at least two (2) specific examples to support your position.
• From the e-Activity, give an example of at least two (2) innovations started by the VA that are found in any of your local hospitals. Examine the salient effects that these innovations have on public health in your community. Support your response with examples of such effects.

e-activity – The Veteran’s Health Administration (VA) has been instrumental in many new healthcare innovations over the last twenty-five years. Use the Internet to research the VA’s Website, located at http://www.va.gov/, as well as other related Websites to determine the VA’s influence on your local hospitals.

PLEASE RESPOND TO CLASSMATE DISCUSSION WHETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT & A DETAILED WHY: I live in Virginia where they participate in federal health care. This was a choice primarily for political reasons as Virginia has for many years now been a Democrat State. The implementation of the ACA was highly supported by the Virginia Governor and state legislators. While the state does have good policies set in place for its Medicare and Medicaid citizens, the enforcement of ACA has hindered the growth of many companies in the area who have moved to other states who do not endorse the ACA. Whether this is right or not is more of a moral dilemma, but economically it has caused a lot of people in Virginia to lose their jobs.

Two innovations that the VA has that I’ve seen in local communities are the implementation of the Electronic Health Record and the VA Choice program. While some hospitals were already using the EHR, the VA improved on the concept. Anywhere I go as a veterans in the united states, my health record can be viewed in any VA hospital. And with that, becuase of the VA Choice program, I was able to obtain chiropractic care paid for by the VA at a non VA facility. In conjunction with he EHR, when I was sent out to the private sector for chiropractic care, my electronic records were forwarded to the doctor I would be seeing. This not only reduced the time to be seen but enabled the doctor to have access to all my imaging and exams. These two programs in itself if used nationwide in all hospitals would greatly increase the care provided to patients.