Health Care Utilization

Health Care Utilization Paper

The Health Care Reform, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has been a controversial topic of discussion for many years. The Act is one of the leading factors that influence the access and usage of health care. There have been positive and negative concerns surrounding the impact of the health care reform on health care access and an individual’s health status.

The Health Care Reform was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. It is referred to by a few different names: Obamacare, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or for short the Affordable Care Act (ACA). According to “Health Care Reform Timeline” (n.d.), the ACA is meant to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. It provides universal access to health care and controls the rising costs. Children are now able to stay insured under their parents insurance until the age of 26 years old. This act has also made to where insurance companies cannot deny services due to a preexisting medical condition. There are preexisting coverage plans that are provided to individuals who have been uninsured for at least six months preexisting condition.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2015), other provisions the ACA put in place include: prohibiting insurance companies from rescinding coverage, appealing insurance company decisions, providing small businesses with health insurance tax credits, proving free preventive care, and implementing reduced costs of prescription drugs. In the past people may not of been to appeal coverage discriminations, but this law has made a way for people to appeal it. Now, “Up to 4 million small businesses are eligible for tax credits to help them provide insurance benefits to their workers. The first phase of this provision provides a credit worth up to 35% of the employer’s contribution to the employees’ health insurance. Small non-profit organizations may receive up to a 25% credit” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2015).