International Journal of Social Science & Economic Research
Submit Paper

Title:
REDUCING ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND DISPARITIES: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S (ACA) IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS

Authors:
Anya Reddy

|| ||

Anya Reddy
In Partnership with Polygence Research & Mentorship Organization

MLA 8
Reddy, Anya. "REDUCING ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND DISPARITIES: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S (ACA) IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 8, no. 9, Sept. 2023, pp. 2714-2728, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2023.v08i09.016. Accessed Sept. 2023.
APA 6
Reddy, A. (2023, September). REDUCING ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND DISPARITIES: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S (ACA) IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 8(9), 2714-2728. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2023.v08i09.016
Chicago
Reddy, Anya. "REDUCING ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES AND DISPARITIES: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S (ACA) IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE ACCESS." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 8, no. 9 (September 2023), 2714-2728. Accessed September, 2023. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2023.v08i09.016.

References

[1]. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2022b, March 17). About the ACA. HHS.gov. a. https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/index.html
[2]. US Census Bureau, Keisler-Starkey, K., & Bunch, L. (2022, September 13). Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2021. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2022/demo/p60-278.html
[3]. Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (2023, January 30). Why Are Americans Paying More for Healthcare? Www.pgpf.org. https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2023/01/why-are-americans-paying-more-for-healthcare
[4]. Cohen, R. A., & Martinez, M. E. (2019, June 5). Products - NHIS Early Release - Health Insurance - 2008. Www.cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur200906.htm#:~:text=In%202008%2C%2043.8%20million%20persons
[5]. Jost, T. S. (2019). The Affordable Care Act Under the Trump Administration | Commonwealth Fund. Commonwealthfund.org; commonwealthfund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2018/affordable-care-act-under-trump-administration
[6]. The White House. (2022, April 5). FACT SHEET: Biden Harris Administration Proposes Rule to Fix “Family Glitch” and Lower Health Care Costs. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/05/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-rule-to-fix-family-glitch-and-lower-health-care-costs/
[7]. Young, G., Rae, M., Claxton, G., Wager, E., & Amin, K. (2022, March 10). How many people have enough money to afford private insurance cost sharing? Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/many-households-do-not-have-enough-money-to-pay-cost-sharing-in-typical-private-health-plans/
[8]. The Commonwealth Fund. (2022, January 12). New State-By-State Report: In 37 States, Workers’ Health Insurance Premiums and Deductibles Take Up 10 Percent or More of Median Income. Www.commonwealthfund.org. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/press-release/2022/new-state-state-report-37-states-workers-health-insurance-premiums-and
[9]. Congress. (2010). PUBLIC LAW 111–148—MAR. 23, 2010. https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ148/PLAW-111publ148.pdf
[10]. Drake, P., Tolbert, J., Mar 31, A. D. P., & 2023. (2023, March 31). How Many Uninsured Are in the Coverage Gap and How Many Could be Eligible if All States Adopted the Medicaid Expansion? KFF. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/how-many-uninsured-are-in-the-coverage-gap-and-how-many-could-be-eligible-if-all-states-adopted-the-medicaid-expansion/
[11]. Finegold, K., Conmy, A., Chu, R., Bosworth, A., & Sommers, B. (2021). Trends in the U.S. uninsured population, 2010-2020. https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/private/pdf/265041/trends-in-the-us-uninsured.pdf
[12]. Rights (OCR), O. for C. (2022, July 20). Fact Sheet: Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities Proposed Rule Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/laws-regulations-guidance/regulatory-initiatives/1557-fact-sheet/index.html
[13]. Courtemanche, C., Marton, J., &Yelowitz, A. (2020). The Full Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Political Participation. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 6(2), 179. https://doi.org/10.7758/rsf.2020.6.2.08
[14]. Grogan, C. M. (2017). How the ACA Addressed Health Equity and What Repeal Would Mean. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(5), 985–993. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-3940508
[15]. Reisman, M. (2015). The Affordable Care Act, Five Years Later: Policies, Progress, and Politics. P & T : A Peer-Reviewed Journal for Formulary Management, 40(9), 575–600. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4571845/
[16]. Rosenbaum, S. (2019). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice. Public Health Reports, 126(1), 130–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335491112600118
[17]. Blumenthal, D., Collins, S., & Fowler, E. (2020, February 26). ACA at 10 years: What’s the effect on coverage and access? The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/journal-article/2020/feb/aca-at-10-years-effect-health-care-coverage-access
[18]. Kelly, R. L. (2022, June 29). H.R.7585 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2022. Www.congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/7585
[19]. ASPE Office of Health Policy. (2016). Twenty million people have gained health insurance coverage through the law. https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/topics/aca/why_need_aca_2017.ashx#:~:text=The%20ACA%20helps%20cut%20high%20U.S.%20health%20care%20costs.&text=In%20addition%20to%20increasing%20insurance
[20]. Roland, J. (2019, August 16). The Pros and Cons of Obamacare (D. Sullivan, Ed.). Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/consumer-healthcare-guide/pros-and-cons-obamacare
[21]. Congressional Budget Office. (2021). A Public Option for Health Insurance in the Nongroup Marketplaces: Key Design Considerations and Implications (pp. 1–7). https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2021-04/57020-Public-Option.pdf
[22]. Liu, J. L., Wilks, A., Nowak, S. A., Rao, P., & Eibner, C. (2020). Effects of a Public Option on Health Insurance Costs and Coverage. Www.rand.org. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB10120.html
[23]. Baranoff, D., Baranoff, E. G., Sager, T. W., & Shi, B. (2021). Comparing Apples With Oranges: Administrative Expenses and Finances in Medicare Systems. Www.ajmc.com, 27(04). https://www.ajmc.com/view/comparing-apples-with-oranges-administrative-expenses-and-finances-in-medicare-systems
[24]. Pollitz, K., Tolbert, J., Dec 18, W. K. P., & 2019. (2019, December 18). 10 Key Questions on a. Public Option Proposals. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/10-key-questions-on-public-option-proposals/
[25]. Karpman, M., Kenney, G., & Zuckerman, S. (2022). Full-Year Health Insurance Coverage Increased for Nonelderly Adults in Medicaid Expansion States between 2019 and 2022. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/Full-Year%20Coverage%20Increased%20for%20Adults%20in%20Medicaid%20Expansion%20States%20between%202019%20and%202022.pdf
[26]. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2020, January 9). Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid and Multiplier. KFF. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/federal-matching-rate-and-multiplier/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22
[27]. Cubanski , J., Fuglesten Biniek, J., & Neuman, T. (2023, March 20). FAQs on Health Spending, the Federal Budget, and Budget Enforcement Tools. KFF. https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/faqs-on-health-spending-the-federal-budget-and-budget-enforcement-tools
[28]. Hoffman, A. (2021). The Irony of Health Care’s Public Option. University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
[29]. Kaplan, E., Rodgers, M., & Berkeley, J. (2009). THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF A PUBLIC OPTION IN HEALTH CARE REFORM: An Economic Analysis POLICY BRIEF ADVANCING NATIONAL HEALTH REFORM. Berkeley Center on Health, Economic, and Family Security. https://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/chefs/Public_Option_Economic_Analysis.pdf
[30]. Bathija, P., & Reynolds , D. (2019, December 11). How health equity impacts outcomes | AHA News. Www.aha.org. https://www.aha.org/news/blog/2019-12-11-how-health-equity-impacts-outcomes
[31]. Singh, R., &Palosky, C. (2020, January 30). Poll: Democrats Like Both the Public Option and Medicare-for-all, But Overall More People Support the Public Option, Including a Significant Share of Republicans. KFF. https://www.kff.org/health-reform/press-release/poll-democrats-like-public-option-medicare-for-all-but-overall-more-people-support-public-option-including-significant-share-of-republicans/
[32]. Muñana, C., Lopes, L., & 2020. (2020, October 16). 5 Charts About Public Opinion on the Affordable Care Act and the Supreme Court. KFF. https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/5-charts-about-public-opinion-on-the-affordable-care-act-and-the-supreme-court/

ABSTRACT:
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a healthcare reform law that has fundamentally changed the United States healthcare system. The law was enacted in 2010 to increase the accessibility and affordability of quality health insurance in the United States. This report will provide a policy brief on the ACA and discuss its achievements and shortcomings. While the ACA has expanded access to affordable care and reduced health inequities, there are significant economic inequalities and disparities that continue to impact healthcare access. This paper will contain the context and importance of the ACA, an analysis of policy options, and policy recommendations to address the persistent issues within the US healthcare system.

IJSSER is Member of