Please Answer The Following Questions: What Are The 3 Major

Please Answer The Following Questionswhat 3 Major Issues Are Related T

Please Answer The Following Questionswhat 3 Major Issues Are Related T

Please answer the following questions: What 3 major issues are related to the health care workforce? List 3 advantages and disadvantages of the Affordable Care Act, and explain each one. How did the Affordable Care Act affect the care provided to mental health patients? List 3 goals of Healthy People 2020 and indicate whether or not those goals were met. The quality of your answer to each question, including grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, will be reviewed. Please be sure to cite your sources in APA format.

Paper For Above instruction

The healthcare workforce faces numerous challenges that significantly impact the delivery of medical services and patient outcomes. Three major issues include workforce shortages, uneven distribution of healthcare professionals, and inadequate training and workforce diversity. Each of these factors contributes to barriers in providing timely and effective care, especially in underserved areas.

Workforce shortages are a critical concern, particularly among primary care physicians, nurses, and mental health providers. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (2021), the United States faces a projected shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. This shortfall is driven by an aging population needing increased services and an aging healthcare workforce nearing retirement. Additionally, uneven distribution negatively impacts rural and underserved urban areas where healthcare providers are scarce, resulting in health disparities and delayed care (Bodenheimer & Pham, 2010).

Another issue is the inadequacy of training and workforce diversity. Medical education needs to adapt to emerging health challenges such as chronic disease management, mental health, and cultural competence. A lack of diversity among healthcare providers can also lead to disparities in care because of cultural and language barriers, affecting patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment plans (Smedley et al., 2003).

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Advantages:

  1. Expanded access to healthcare: The ACA increased insurance coverage through Medicaid expansion and the creation of health insurance exchanges, reducing the number of uninsured Americans (Sommers et al., 2017).
  2. Protection for pre-existing conditions: The law prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on pre-existing health conditions, promoting fairness and access (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2019).
  3. Focus on preventive care: The ACA emphasizes preventive services without copayments, encouraging early detection and management of health issues, which can reduce long-term healthcare costs (McCarthy et al., 2017).

Disadvantages:

  1. Higher premium costs for some: Although many gained coverage, some individuals faced increased premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, especially those who remained in employer-based plans or bought coverage outside of exchanges (Blavin & McConnell, 2015).
  2. Administrative complexity: Implementation of the ACA required significant administrative adjustments for providers and insurers, leading to increased costs and compliance burdens (Fuchs & Sharma, 2016).
  3. Limited coverage for certain services: Despite broad improvements, some essential healthcare services, such as dental and mental health coverage, remain limited or require separate plans, affecting overall access (Buchmueller et al., 2016).

Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Mental Health Care

The Affordable Care Act significantly improved access to mental health services by including mental health as one of the essential health benefits, ensuring insurance coverage for mental health treatment (Beronio et al., 2014). It mandated parity laws that require insurance providers to offer mental health benefits comparable to physical health coverage, reducing discrimination in coverage policies (Pincus, 2015). Furthermore, the ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility, allowing more low-income individuals to access mental health services, particularly in states that opted for expansion (G. McGinty et al., 2016). These measures contributed to increased utilization of mental health services and reduced stigma around mental health treatment.

Goals of Healthy People 2020 and Evaluation

  1. Increase the proportion of persons with health insurance: This goal was largely achieved due to the ACA's expansion of coverage, leading to a substantial increase in insured Americans (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020).
  2. Reduce health disparities and achieve health equity: While progress was made, disparities remained, especially among racial and ethnic minorities and rural populations, indicating partial achievement of this goal (Koh et al., 2017).
  3. Improve mental health and prevent substance abuse: The efforts to integrate mental health into mainstream healthcare improved, but challenges persisted with access and quality, showing mixed results on this goal (Healthy People 2020, 2020).

Overall, many of the objectives set forth by Healthy People 2020 saw advances, especially in increasing healthcare access, though disparities and disparities in mental health remained significant issues.

References

  • Association of American Medical Colleges. (2021). The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections from 2019 to 2034. https://www.aamc.org/media/54681/download
  • Beronio, K., Glied, S., & liked, J. (2014). The ACA’s Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Laws and Their Impact on Access to Care. The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 17(4), 165–173.
  • Bodenheimer, T., & Pham, H. H. (2010). Primary care: Current problems and proposed solutions. Health Affairs, 29(5), 799-805.
  • Blavin, F., & McConnell, K. (2015). The effect of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on health care access and utilization among low-income adults. Medical Care Research and Review, 75(2), 271–288.
  • Buchmueller, T. C., LPacifico, J., & Ward, R. (2016). The impact of the Affordable Care Act on health insurance coverage and access to care. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 30(3), 125–150.
  • Fuchs, V. R., & Sharma, V. (2016). Administrative costs and health care reform. The New England Journal of Medicine, 374(5), 401–403.
  • G. McGinty, E., Pescosolido, B., & Barry, C. L. (2016). Psychological distress and mental health service use before and after the Affordable Care Act. Psychiatric Services, 67(8), 433–439.
  • Healthy People 2020. (2020). Disparities. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities
  • Kaiser Family Foundation. (2019). Summary of the Affordable Care Act. https://www.kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/summary-of-the-affordable-care-act
  • Koh, H. K., et al. (2017). Eliminating health disparities: The role of a new public health framework. American Journal of Public Health, 107(S1), S7–S9
  • McCarthy, M., et al. (2017). The impact of the Affordable Care Act on preventive health care services. Journal of Preventive Medicine, JE2293.
  • Pincus, H. A. (2015). Mental health parity and the Affordable Care Act: Opportunities and challenges. Psychiatric Services, 66(9), 887–889.
  • Sommers, B. D., et al. (2017). Changes in insurance coverage, access to care, and income after Medicaid expansion or nonexpansion among low-income adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(2), 226–233.
  • Smedley, B. D., Stith, A. Y., & Nelson, A. R. (2003). Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. National Academies Press.
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Healthy People 2020 Progress Report. https://health.gov/our-work/healthypeople/about-healthy-people/healthy-people-2020-progress-report

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