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Newly Insured Americans

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How Does the Volume of Newly Insured Americans due to the ACA Affect the Role of the Health Administrator?
Olivia Guiney
Regis College- Health Administration

It has been six years since the Affordable Care Act has been implemented into the United States healthcare system. As the pieces and provisions of this monumental federal statute become understood and executed, it is transforming the demand for care. Prior to the ACA, a significant number of Americans were marginalized and unable to obtain coverage. This system was faced increasing healthcare costs, placing greater financial strain to everyday Americans, businesses, and public health insurance systems. The ACA did not only help ensure health coverage for all (almost …show more content…

As a result of this added financial strain, states have had to either cut funding for other services like education, increase taxes, or heighten eligibility requirements for these publicly funded healthcare programs (Emanuel, 2014).
There are various good intentions of the ACA, including addressing access and expanding coverage, cost and quality indicators, public health matters, workforce issues, and speeding up access to new drugs (Emanuel, 2014). Specific provisions outlined in the ACA such as, states expanding Medicaid under the ACA to everyone who makes less than 138% of the federal poverty level now qualifies for Medicaid. The ACA allows young people to now stay on their parents health insurance plan until age 26. In addition the ACA mandates that pre-existing health concerns cannot exclude someone from being covered by insurance. The ACA also expanded Medicaid in many states, the operating margins among hospitals in Medicaid expansion states “increased from 2.1 percent in 2013 to 3.4 percent in 2014.” Operating margins also increased among hospitals in non-expansion states, however the relative increase was smaller compared to hospitals in expansion states. These ACA

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