Introduction
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 (often referred to as ObamaCare) has been a subject of heated debate because many people argue that this initiative is completely unfair and harmful for the country’s economy. Clearly, various negative aspects need further consideration or even complete elimination (Schulsinger, 2014). Nevertheless, there are numerous aspects of the Act that should be retained as they make the American healthcare system more efficient. This paper includes a brief analysis of the importance of such aspects as the coverage of pain management, prevention, and emergency care services.
Prevention
It has been acknowledged that prevention is the key to public health. Many US officials and healthcare practitioners have stressed the need to shift from treatment to prevention, but the US healthcare system has been focused on treating disorders rather than preventing them. The Act in question ensures the coverage of various preventive services, which is an unprecedented step to achieve the goal mentioned above (Schulsinger, 2014). Dr. Harvey Fineberg notes that this positive initiative is also associated with certain issues that are often related to ethical aspects (“Voices in leadership,” 2013). For instance, the coverage of contraception and abortion has been criticized by the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, these issues cannot undermine the benefits of this aspect of the Act. The coverage of prevention services should be retained and expanded.
Emergency care services
Another important aspect to retain is the coverage of emergency care services. According to the provisions of the PPACA, people will receive the necessary emergency care services in any hospital even if the healthcare facility is outside their plan’s network (Schulsinger, 2014). This initiative is vital as there have been many cases when people died as they had not received the necessary healthcare services timely. People may have emergencies in any part of the country while their insurance covers only a limited number of facilities. The Act ensures the provision of the necessary services, which will potentially save people’s lives. Again, this initiative should definitely be retained and further improved to make sure that people will receive the necessary care in case of an emergency.
Pain management
Finally, pain management is also included in the Act. It is necessary to note that pain is often associated with the development of opioids addiction and such psychological issues like depression. Fan (2014) provides an example of the services covered under ObamaCare and notes that acupuncture is becoming a widely-used service that helps patients address their health issues. Over 14 million Americans use acupuncture, and the number of users of this service is increasing steadily (Fan, 2014). The popularity of the service reveals its effectiveness. Therefore, such services should be within people’s plans as they will potentially have a positive impact on the overall public health.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the PPACA of 2010 can be seen as a controversial initiative, but it is also clear that it can make a difference. The Act is consistent with the claims concerning the shift to preventive health care. Such aspects as the coverage of pain management, prevention, and emergency care services should be retained and further improved. Clearly, it is possible to debate the effectiveness of the American healthcare system, but it is better to make particular steps that could ensure positive health outcomes for people.
References
Fan, A. Y. (2014). “Obamacare” covers fifty-four million Americans for acupuncture as Essential Healthcare Benefit. Journal of Integrative Medicine, 12(4), 390-393.
Schulsinger, D. A. (2014). ObamaCare and your stone: Good news, bad news! In D. A. Schulsinger (Ed.), Kidney stone disease: Say no to stones! (pp. 235-241). Stony Brook, NY: Springer.
Voices in leadership. (2013). Web.