The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was a landmark health legislation signed into law in 2010 by President Barack Obama. The purpose of this policy was to increase the number of citizens who had access to medical insurance cover, lower medical costs, eliminate inappropriate practices in the industry, and maximize efficiency. This paper gives a detailed analysis of three stakeholders impacted by the ACA. Such insights can guide policymakers to pursue or promote superior health programs capable of addressing the changing needs of different citizens and organizations in the United States.
Stakeholders
The ACA impacts several stakeholder groups in the United States. The first one is that of the country’s citizens since they expect proper incentives and programs that can address most of the health problems they face (Béland, Rocco, & Waddan, 2015). The second group is comprised of caregivers, medical professionals, physicians, and practitioners. The availability of adequate resources, streamlined care delivery models, and proper practices in the sector can meet the changing needs of these experts (Bartels, Gill, & Naslund, 2015). The other group is comprised of all health clinics, hospitals, and medical facilities in this country. This is the case since such organizations are expected to be part of the implementation process and ensure that more citizens receive high-quality medical services.
Financial Impact
This health reform is expected to have significant financial impacts on each of the outlined stakeholder groups. For instance, patients and citizens in this country will record decreased costs for health services. This happens to be the case since the policy requires that employers and insurance companies provide medical coverage to more people. Consequently, all beneficiaries will have to incur minimum expenses, thereby saving their financial resources for other personal projects.
Physicians and practitioners working in different fields will be able to offer exemplary medical care to the greatest number of individuals (Doherty, 2017). The financial impact of the ACA to these stakeholders is that they will record increased income levels. Those practicing independently will not have to hire consultants and medical report specialists.
On the other hand, those employed in different facilities will be required to provide exemplary services to more patients without receiving extra payments or remunerations. This gap explains why there is a need for all policymakers to consider this issue and support the needs of all medical professionals (Santilli, 2015). The ACA is also expected to have financial impacts on health institutions and hospitals. For instance, Bartels et al. (2015) indicate that the increasing number of people who qualify for health services in this country will ensure that such facilities make more profits. The amount of money lost after providing medical support to uninsured persons will reduce significantly.
Benefits
Each of the above stakeholders will record a number of benefits after the successful implementation of the ACA. The introduced policy will ensure that more people have access to high-quality medical services than ever before. This means that they will lead better lives, overcome the burden of terminal diseases, and incur minimum medical expenses. This achievement will make it easier for them to pursue their personal or career objectives. Kominski, Nonzee, and Sorensen (2017) argue that this new law meets the needs of practitioners and medical professionals by transforming the nature of the existing care delivery system.
The U.S. government will support the process by introducing superior resources and guidelines that can transform the experiences of all professionals. Hospitals, medical facilities, and institutions will be in a position to provide desirable services to more patients than ever before (Bartels et al., 2015). This move will maximize the organization’s earnings and inform superior models for delivering positive results. The percentage of patients who fail to pay for services received will reduce.
Drawbacks
There are specific challenges that each of the above stakeholder groups might encounter after the successful implementation of the ACA. Some citizens and patients might not be able to get the proposed health insurance cover. For example, some young adults will not be covered under their parents’ medical plans (Doherty, 2017). Unemployed citizens and those who are unable to afford such services will record poor health outcomes. This policy has also led to the loss of employment-based medical insurance cover in the country, thereby affecting the medical experiences of many individuals. Different clinicians might experience various difficulties, including prolonged working hours, burnout, and reduced salaries.
They will also have to provide complex care and support to the increasing number of beneficiaries (Kominski et al., 2017). Similarly, many institutions will be forced to expand their models and resources to cater for the changing demands of the targeted citizens. Such facilities might become overwhelmed and be unable to achieve their potential.
Conclusion
The above discussion has outlined the potential impacts of the ACA on different stakeholders, such as hospitals and medical facilities, American citizens, and healthcare professionals. Despite the outlined drawbacks, the completed analysis has identified specific strengths that all policymakers should take into consideration. The most important thing is for the government to ensure that more citizens have access to sustainable health services.
References
Bartels, S. J., Gill, L., & Naslund, J. A. (2015). The Affordable Care Act, Accountable Care Organizations, and mental health care for older adults: Implications and opportunities. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 23(5), 304-319. Web.
Béland, D., Rocco, P., & Waddan, A. (2015). Polarized stakeholders and institutional vulnerabilities: The enduring politics of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Clinical Therapeutics, 37(4), 720-726. Web.
Doherty, R. (2017). The demise of the Affordable Care Act? Not so fast. Annals of Internal Medicine, 166(2), 144-145. Web.
Kominski, G. F., Nonzee, N. J., & Sorensen, A. (2017). The Affordable Care Act’s impacts on access to insurance and health care for low-income populations. Annual Review of Public Health, 38, 489-505. Web.
Santilli, J. (2015). Key strategic trends that impact healthcare decision-making and stakeholder roles in the new marketplace. American Health & Drug Benefits, 8(1), 15-20.