Why Do We Need the Affordable Care Act ?

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law by former U.S. president Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Ever since it came into effect, this healthcare initiative has increased the number of individuals covered by healthcare insurance, reduced healthcare costs, and made health coverage more accessible. 

This article will explore why we need the Affordable Care Act.

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Why We Need the Affordable Healthcare Act

Here are some reasons why we need the affordable healthcare act:

It Protects People with Preexisting Conditions from Healthcare Discrimination

Before the ACA came into effect, private insurers denied coverage and set higher premiums for people based on their health status. Adults with preexisting conditions routinely faced discrimination based on their medical history. The ACA guaranteed that healthcare insurance providers must issue their policies to everyone, removing the possibility of bias based on health status and preexisting conditions.

The Affordable Care Act changed the rating rules, prohibiting insurance providers from making premiums based on health status or gender. Moreover, the ACA ensured that insurance plans include essential health benefits, including maternity care, prescription drugs, and more. 

The ACA Encouraged People to Get Insurance

The ACA brought on a significant increase in people seeking health coverage in America. Due to expanding Medicaid to low-income adults and launching health insurance marketplaces for private coverage, more and more Americans applied for healthcare coverage. A record-breaking 21 million people in over 40 states and territories have gained medical insurance since the Affordable Care Act came into effect. 

The ACA Funds Public Health Prevention Efforts

It is alarming that only 3% of the U.S.’s healthcare budget is focused on prevention and public health, while a significant amount goes into healthcare for chronic, preventable conditions. The ACA has shifted the emphasis from treatment toward prevention by creating the Prevention and Public Health Fund. It has paid for public health endeavors throughout the country. 

The ACA also requires health insurance to cover essential health benefits to prevent costly, severe conditions. Additionally, the ACA included a grant program to support school-level prevention efforts by opening health centers in schools for underserved youth. 

Medicaid Expansion & the ACA Helped Tackle Healthcare Inequity

The expansion of Medicaid helped millions of lower-income individuals gain access to healthcare. Evidence highlights that Medicaid expansion enabled the effective utilization of health services and treatment of illnesses, including mental illness, substance abuse, and cancer. The expansion is also associated with health outcome improvements, including improved mortality rates for end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular conditions. 

Moreover, the ACA launched portals for people purchasing individual healthcare coverage in the fall of 2013. It allowed people to receive financial help with their insurance premiums and ensured newly eligible low- to middle-income Americans had access to Medicaid and CHIP. Another reason we need the Affordable Healthcare Act is that it eliminated copayments and cost-sharing for preventive services, allowing beneficiaries to get contraception, cancer screenings, cholesterol checks, and immunizations without out-of-pocket payments. 

• Apart from the reasons mentioned above, we need the Affordable Healthcare Act because it has:
• Enhanced healthcare protection for the disabled
• Lowered healthcare costs for seniors on Medicare
• Benefitted rural communities through access to care
• Improved access to perception drugs
• Ensured children and young adults have better coverage
• Enabled women to have coverage for essential health issues.