The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was introduced in 2012 with the aim of alleviating the expenditures of individuals and families in relation to uncompensated care. The ACA demands that every US citizen obtain health insurance and helps those without a plan (or those who cannot afford it) (Davalon, 2022). With the help of the ACA, it became possible to enable millions of Americans to obtain healthcare coverage, eliminating the rate of uninsured citizens to an unprecedented level. However, at the same time, some challenges for taxpayers were brought about by the new legislation. For instance, under the ACA, healthier individuals and younger adults are more exposed to taking on the tax penalty rather than buying coverage on health insurance exchanges.
The original factors that created the need for reform were primarily concerned with a high number of individuals not able to afford health insurance. As such, the implementation of the ACA was determined to reduce the costs of uncompensated care (Davalon, 2022). Over a decade of its existence, the ACA has undergone some changes to eliminate challenges experienced by the population. For instance, Americans now have more time to enroll or make alterations to their coverage (“5 new ACA changes for 2022,” 2021). Furthermore, a vast number of choices with lower premiums have become available. Out of some older revisions, the requirement for everyone to purchase insurance stands out (Davalon, 2022). This was done so that individuals did not wait until they became ill to purchase insurance. The revisions will impact the patients positively since those Americans who follow the ACA requirements will not have to worry about their health coverage in case they suddenly become ill or need medical support. Although the ACA is costly, its benefits outnumber its drawbacks.
References
Davalon. (2022). Affordable Care Act: History and timeline of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). eHealth. Web.
5 new ACA changes for 2022 that may help your health and your wallet. (2021). Health Markets. Web.