Signing into law the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 was a significant step, which considerably influenced health care in the United States. The idea of making health care more affordable was appealing to millions of Americans. However, different issues arose in the process of the implementation of the ACA. Nevertheless, the Affordable Care Act has its advantages and disadvantages; thus, it remains controversial.
To begin with, the ACA has affected large employers, as well as full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, both positively and negatively. On the one hand, many full-time employees of big companies have received different benefits. Employers with more than 50 full-time employees must provide coverage that meets specific criteria, and those who do not do so must pay penalties (Gaffney & McCormick, 2017). On the other hand, some businesses have reduced employees’ work hours not to cover healthcare expenses or offer insurance. Hence, many full-time workers have lost some benefits, while part-time and temporary employees have not gained any. Therefore, the ACA has its advantages and drawbacks for large employers and their employees.
Furthermore, many organizations face different challenges while trying to comply with the ACA. For instance, every company must identify who is eligible to be offered insurance under ACA rules. This process is often time-consuming and ineffective, though most organizations go through it to avoid penalties. Thus, much time and effort are wasted instead of being invested in the processes that are more useful and productive. Besides, preparing ACA forms is a challenge for many employers and employees, as it takes much time and requires much data. What is more, because of the complexity of the process, the problem regarding the accuracy of data arises. Therefore, complying with the Affordable Care Act is a demanding process for numerous organizations.
Nevertheless, the fact that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labour (DOL) play a role in the ACA’s enforcement proves its significance. The former and the latter are responsible for many crucial issues in the United States and have considerable power. Therefore, it is advantageous for the ACA to be regulated by the IRS and the DOL, as more individuals and organizations are willing to stick to it to avoid different problems. Thus, the ACA gains more significance both legally and socially.
In addition, the Affordable Care Act has considerably influenced healthcare organizations as employers and as healthcare providers. It aimed to improve many aspects for healthcare organizations ranging from increased payments for healthcare workers to adopting new cost-effective ways to treat patients. However, the ACA is exceptionally complicated; thus, many issues arose in its implementation. Undoubtedly, Human Resources Management (HRM) in healthcare organizations should endeavor to simplify the process as much as possible and choose the most advantageous ways to address the issues arising from the law. Even though it may be challenging, outcomes must be worth the effort. HRM is responsible for the successful implementation of the ACA and needs to work diligently to make the most of the law.
In conclusion, the Affordable Care Act has its strengths, as well as weaknesses. The reason for it is the complexity of the law, which causes different challenges in its implementation. Large employers endeavor to improve their business performance; thus, some employees do not receive any benefits or even lose them. Organizations also face challenges in complying with the ACA because of its complexity. Fortunately, the IRS and the DOL play a role in the enforcement of the law, and numerous individuals and companies strictly follow ACA rules to avoid different problems. However, if HRM addresses the issues arising from the law successfully, many problems will be solved.
References
Gaffney, A., & McCormick, D. (2017). The Affordable Care Act: Implications for health-care equity. Lancet, 389, 1442-1452.