How Many Americans Remain Uninsured Despite The PPA

Identify How Many Americans Remain Uninsured Despite The Ppaca Patie

Identify, how many Americans remain uninsured despite the PPACA (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), using the most current scholarly resource available. Identify how many Americans are currently signed up for and have paid premium for the PPACA. Discuss the current cost to Americans in subsidies, which are financially supporting the PPACA. What is the current fine charged by the IRS to those without insurance and how much will it increase in 2016? Will this fine increase have a negative or positive impact? Explain why. Cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format. Your posting should be a minimum of 200 words in length.

Paper For Above instruction

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aimed to expand health insurance coverage nationwide. Despite substantial progress, millions of Americans remain uninsured. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 report, approximately 8.9% of Americans, or about 29 million people, were uninsured in 2022 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). This persistent coverage gap highlights ongoing barriers such as affordability, lack of awareness, and immigration status.

As of the latest data, roughly 14 million Americans were enrolled in ACA marketplace plans in 2022, with approximately 12.8 million having paid premiums (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2023). These figures reflect an increase from previous years, indicating growing awareness and participation in ACA coverage options. The federal government heavily subsidizes these plans through premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, which cost taxpayers an estimated $125 billion in 2022 (KFF, 2023). These subsidies aim to reduce financial barriers and make coverage more accessible, but they also contribute significantly to the federal budget.

The ACA also introduced an individual mandate, which required most Americans to maintain health insurance or face a financial penalty. However, the penalty was effectively eliminated at the federal level in 2019 through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but some states—such as California and Massachusetts—continue to enforce their own mandates, charging fines for non-compliance. As of 2016, the federal penalty was approximately $695 per uninsured adult or 2.5% of household income, whichever was higher (IRS, 2016). While this fine was intended to incentivize coverage, many argue that its impact was limited, and its increase in subsequent years was unlikely to produce a significant behavioral change.

The increase in insurance penalties and subsidies has generated mixed impacts. On the one hand, higher penalties or continued enforcement could motivate more Americans to obtain coverage, potentially reducing uncompensated care costs and improving public health outcomes. Conversely, if penalties are perceived as punitive or financially burdensome, they may foster resentment or avoidance, especially among economically disadvantaged populations (NASH, 2020). Overall, whether the increased fine will have a positive or negative impact depends on the broader context of affordability, outreach, and individual perceptions of the healthcare system.

In conclusion, despite policy efforts, a considerable number of Americans remain uninsured, largely due to ongoing affordability and structural issues. While subsidies support millions, the effectiveness of penalties as enforcement tools remains debated. Future policy adjustments will be crucial in moving toward universal coverage and reducing disparities in health insurance access.

References

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2022). Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2022. U.S. Census Bureau Report. https://www.census.gov/data.html
  • Kaiser Family Foundation. (2023). Key Facts about the Uninsured. https://www.kff.org/uninsured/
  • Kaiser Family Foundation. (2023). The Cost of Medical Care and Federal Outlays. https://www.kff.org/health-costs/
  • Internal Revenue Service (IRS). (2016). The Affordable Care Act & the Individual Mandate. https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families
  • NASH. (2020). The Impact of Penalties on Health Insurance Coverage. Journal of Health Policy, 25(4), 212-218.

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