Introduction
The Affordable Care Act (also called Obamacare) was aimed at transforming the experiences of many patients and American citizens who lacked adequate healthcare resources. This policy managed to transform various aspects of the country’s healthcare sector, including insurance, Medicaid eligibility, and improved medical services. Using this Act, the personal discussion presented below identifies three key points that are of particular interest to me as a future advanced practice nurse (APN).
Key Points
Budget Reconciliation Process
Congress is currently proposing to repeal Obamacare through a process known as budget reconciliation. This move will have significant impacts on my roles and experiences as a future APN. The reason for this argument is that the decision will present both advantages and disadvantages. Blumberg, Buettgens, and Holahan (2016) believe that federal spending will reduce significantly, thereby making it possible for different institutions and agencies to focus on people’s health demands.
The move will also guide the government to focus on other key areas for the economy, including employment and infrastructure. However, challenges such as reduced insurance cover, loss of health funding, and poor health outcomes might occur. APNs will have to utilize their concepts and competencies if they are to provide high-quality health services. This means that there is a need to consider the disadvantages of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Elderly Population
APNs should develop appropriate competencies and skills to meet the needs of the elderly. Recently, President Donald Trump decided to sign an executive order that empowers individuals to use short-term insurance for medical cover and association health plans (Bryan, 2017). This becomes the second point that is important to me as a future APN. The reason for this is that it presents both disadvantages and advantages.
The outstanding benefit is that the move will allow many healthy citizens to receive cheaper and affordable health services. It will also overcome most of the challenges associated with the ACA. However, the plan is capable of affecting the health outcomes of older persons and those with terminal conditions. The order will also create a scenario whereby sick individuals will require increased insurance costs for their conditions (Moffit, 2016). Insurers will also increase prices for their plans. APNs should be aware of these issues if they are to support all vulnerable citizens.
Overall Health Outcomes
The ACA was an Act that was aimed at increasing the number of persons who had access to health insurance cover. My third point from this law is the future overall health outcomes of all American citizens. Its main objective was to ensure that many citizens had access to high-quality health services. The law and every proposed amendment have the potential to support the medical demands of some individuals.
One unique benefit of such bills is that they will empower a small number of citizens by ensuring that they have access to medical care (Wilensky, 2017). The proposals will also make it possible for healthy persons to record positive medical outcomes. However, the latest amendments fail to consider the needs of every American citizen. This is true since they ignore the elderly, persons with terminal conditions, and minority groups. It will, therefore, be my duty to implement superior care delivery models in order to reduce this gap.
Conclusion
The above discussion has indicated that the ACA was a powerful law capable of addressing many citizens’ health needs. Each of the subsequent proposal or bill appears to present both positive and negative attributes that APNs should take seriously. Such an approach will transform the country’s health sector and empower more people to lead healthy lives.
References
Blumberg, L. J., Buettgens, M., & Holahan, J. (2016). Implications of partial repeal of the ACA through reconciliation. Urban Institute. Web.
Bryan, B. (2017). Trump just took a big step to unravel Obamacare. Business Insider. Web.
Moffit, R. (2016). Year six of the Affordable Care Act: Obamacare’s mounting problems. The Heritage Foundation. Web.
Wilensky, G. R. (2017). The future of the ACA and health care policy in the United States. Journal of the American Medical Association, 317(1), 21-22. Web.