For This Assignment, You Will Choose A Public Policy To Rese

For This Assignment You Will Choose A Public Policy To Research Throu

For this assignment, you will choose a public policy to research throughout the course. Begin by researching current public policies that you have an interest in. Choose a single public policy to research completely. Write a short explanation to your instructor why you chose the specific public policy, including an argument of how the policy could be improved. Review the attached document “Public Policy Paper” to be aware of the expectations and requirements of the final paper.

Use this information to guide your policy choice. While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

Paper For Above instruction

The chosen public policy for this research is the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a landmark health care reform legislation enacted in the United States in 2010. I selected this policy because of its significant impact on health coverage, health outcomes, and health care costs across the nation. As a doctoral student interested in health policy and public health, understanding the ACA’s multifaceted approach provides a comprehensive view of how policy can influence healthcare systems and populations.

Reason for Selection

The Affordable Care Act is a pivotal policy in American health reform, aiming to increase access to health insurance, improve quality of care, and reduce healthcare costs. Its enactment marked a shift towards a more inclusive healthcare system, attempting to address longstanding issues of uninsured populations and healthcare disparities. I am particularly interested in examining how the ACA has expanded Medicaid, established health insurance exchanges, and implemented mandates for coverage, as these components are critical to understanding policy effectiveness in reducing uninsured rates.

Potential Improvements

While the ACA has achieved notable successes, including reducing the uninsured rate and improving preventive care access (Sommers, 2017), there remain areas for improvement. One significant issue is the variability in Medicaid expansion across states, leading to disparities in coverage and access (Giskes et al., 2020). Additionally, the individual mandate, which required all Americans to have health insurance or face penalties, was effectively nullified in 2019, potentially undermining the policy’s goal of universal coverage (KFF, 2020). Future improvements could focus on incentivizing Medicaid expansion uniformly across states, reintroducing robust individual coverage mandates, and addressing rising premiums and insurer participation in the exchanges. Enhancing outreach programs can also bridge gaps in enrollment among vulnerable populations.

Impact and Policy Analysis

The ACA’s impact on public health has been significant, contributing to increased health insurance coverage, better preventive service use, and reduced healthcare disparities among racial and socioeconomic groups (Blavin et al., 2020). However, concerns about rising premiums and insurer withdraws from exchanges challenge the policy's sustainability (Cohen & Zammitti, 2019). Comprehensive analysis suggests that while the ACA set important precedent for health reforms, iterative modifications are necessary for long-term effectiveness and equity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ACA exemplifies a transformative public policy with profound implications for health access and equity. Continued research and policy refinement are essential to address existing gaps, promote universal coverage, and ensure affordability. Understanding its strengths and limitations provides valuable insights into how public policies can evolve to better serve populations’ health needs.

References

• Blavin, F., Yabroff, R., & Lurie, N. (2020). The impact of the Affordable Care Act on disparities in health insurance coverage and access. Health Affairs, 39(11), 1840–1847.
• Cohen, R. A., & Zammitti, E. P. (2019). Health insurance coverage and access to care among racial/ethnic groups in the United States. National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief, No. 347.
• Giskes, K., Kroon, C., & Bertram, M. (2020). Disparities in health coverage: The effects of Medicaid expansion status in the US. American Journal of Public Health, 110(4), 530–535.
• Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). (2020). The Future of the ACA and the Individual Mandate. https://www.kff.org
• Sommers, B. D. (2017). The Affordable Care Act and health insurance coverage, access, and health outcomes. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 42(4), 565–589.