Politics and the Affordable Care Act
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Politics and the Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, was designed to reduce the cost of health insurance. The act requires Americans to buy insurance legally, and through cost-sharing reductions, low-income families can benefit from health insurance. The ACA improved access through Medicaid increasing the number of people receiving insurance coverage. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act provides access to health services to individuals and small group markets, which improved the quality and scope of medical insurance coverage.
Repeal/Replace of The Affordable Care Act
Since the ACA was approved and passed in 2010, the US congress has been debating on its implementation. There have been several attempts to repeal and amend the law in regards to the ACT. The first attempt to replace the ACA was when the Republicans took over the House in 2011. The house representatives supported opting out of the ACA benefits and provisions. However, the bill was unsuccessful because the house representatives did not gather enough votes due to the divisions that arose between the conservative and the moderate republicans.
In 2017, the US Senate attempted to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act (Béland et al., 2019). The debate resulted in the rise of; the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the Medicare Act for all, the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act, and the Better Care Reconciliation Act Skinny Repeal, which all failed. Though the fate of the ACA is dependent on which party is in control of the congress, the republicans with a small majority were not able to pass the bill.
A shift in how the public viewed the ACA happened when the Republicans gained control of the White House in 2016. They started pushing for amendments and a replacement of Obamacare. Though the Republicans did not manage to replace the Affordable Care Act, they managed to deconstruct some sections of the act.
Politics and the Affordable Care Act
Effects of Voter’s View to National Policies
Elections have the power of bringing about compromise in policy formation. One can view the role of elections in one, voters can influence the policy choices of candidates, or two voters elect policies. The latter view suggests that elections are a way of deciding the policy views that will be implemented.
When legislators are making policies, they make several considerations. They consider how good the policies are, what they believe is right, and whether the policies they are advocating for can keep them in office (Michener,2020). To find support and be re-elected, legislatures have to consider the views of society on particular policies. They must put into consideration the needs of their states and the desires of their political party.
Nevertheless, the biggest influence in policymaking is determined by the party or the candidate’s promises. The promises in the policy changes sorely depend on the voter’s view as they pursue their comfortability and what is beneficial for them. Legislators in a bid to stay in office will often find themselves compromising on their personal beliefs.
Conclusion
Politics has a big role to play when it comes to the implementation of policies such as the Affordable Care Act. Voters consider the beliefs and promises of a political party or candidate, and the political party or the candidate with majority votes determines the policies going to be implemented during their term in office. Therefore the choice of voters during elections determines the developments that will be in the community.
Politics and the Affordable Care Act
References
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Michener, J. (2020). Race, Politics, and the Affordable Care Act. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law.
Béland, D., Rocco, P., & Waddan, A. (2019). Policy feedback and the politics of the Affordable Care Act. Policy Studies Journal, 47(2), 395-422.
Question
Regardless of political affiliation, individuals often grow concerned when considering perceived competing interests of government and their impact on topics of interest to them. The realm of healthcare is no different. Some people feel that local, state, and federal policies and legislation can be either helped or hindered by interests other than the benefit to society.
Consider for example that the number one job of a legislator is to be reelected. Cost can be measured in votes as well as dollars. Thus, it is important to consider the legislator’s perspective on either promoting or not promoting a certain initiative in the political landscape.
To Prepare:
Review the Resources and reflect on efforts to repeal/replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Consider who benefits the most when policy is developed and in the context of policy implementation.
By Day 3 of Week 3
Post an explanation for how you think the cost-benefit analysis in terms of legislators being reelected affected efforts to repeal/replace the ACA. Then, explain how analyses of the voters views may affect decisions by legislative leaders in recommending or positioning national policies (e.g., Congress’ decisions impacting Medicare or Medicaid). Remember, the number one job of a legislator is to be re-elected. Please check your discussion grading rubric to ensure your responses meet the criteria.
Learning Resources
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter 3, “Government Response: Legislation” (pp. 37–56)
Chapter 10, “Overview: The Economics and Finance of Health Care” (pp. 180–183 only)
Congress.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.congress.gov/
Taylor, D., Olshansky, E., Fugate-Woods, N., Johnson-Mallard, V., Safriet, B. J., & Hagan, T. (2017). Corrigendum to position statement: Political interference in sexual and reproductive health research and health professional education. Nursing Outlook, 65(2), 346–350. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2017.05.003.
United States House of Representatives. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.house.gov/
United States Senate. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.senate.gov/
United States Senate. (n.d.). Senate organization chart for the 115th Congress. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.senate.gov/reference/org_chart.htm