Essay on Effects of Affordable Care Act in Hospitals

Affordable Care Act refers to a lot of changes that take place in hospitals and their employees. The Affordable Care Act system was introduced in America and signed into action by President Obama in 2010. However, Affordable Care Act is commonly referred to as Obamacare as its nickname. Many organizations complain that Affordable Care Act affects the Americans but is crucial to understand what Affordable Care Act means, how essential it is to individuals and different families. The critical reforms for Affordable Care Act involve health coverage for adults with some given conditions which up to now are available. For, instance the primary objective for this essay is to explain the positive effects of Affordable Care Act in hospitals since March 23, 2010.

The Affordable Care Act is necessary because the act allows the Federal Government to deny the medical payment from the hospital with a significant reason that if many patients return within some days of discharge for some specific disorder such as for pneumonia and heart attack (Tate, 2013). The Affordable care act is necessary because there will be more focus and keenness on what takes place or occurs when a patient leaves the hospital following treatment. The law has made hospitals to obtain some improvement, instead of a nurse making a call to know if a patient is faring well. The hospital is capable of assigning nurse to take care of the treatment and ensure that the prescriptions get followed correctly; however a nurse is awarded if the disorder is complicated, example a patient suffering from heart attack needs a personal nurse (Marcovici, 2013).

Through the act there is more prominence on improving the quality of care in various hospitals. The quality of care has been developed in many ways where the doctors and nurses in the hospitals have ensured that there is a reduction of complications from the chronic infectious diseases (Marcovici, 2013). For instance, the act has also improved performance in most hospitals where the hospitals that perform poorly will have to take charge of facing financial hit if no improvement takes effective. However, federal reimbursement rate will take action by cutting a certain percentage to hospitals that have a high number of infections obtained in the hospitals.

Statistical evaluation

Since 2010, a lot of changes have taken place in hospitals especially in the sector of infections to improve patient safety. The graph below indicates the rate at which infectious diseases have reduced and by what percentage.

Hospitals have a lengthy procedural process of treatment. There are many moving parts where when a patient gets into the hospital first you have to start from the reception. Affordable Care Act has also been included in the implementation. A lot of training is taking place in the hospital where the act has employed some members who train different hospitals on how to use the Affordable Care Act website (Tate, 2013). However, everyone in the hospital association is supposed to have some clue regarding the act.

Affordable Care Act has enabled most hospitals to convert the handwritten patient file into a digital way that is electronic. Medical records are however supposed to be kept in an electronic format for easy retrieval of the patient records. If a patient is suffering from a heart attack, all the files on how the patient is progressing should e saved in computers to avoid the wrong diagnosis of most patients. However, upgrading to the electronic system reduces the bulkiness of patients files (Amadeo, 2015).

How the digital system is working under the Affordable Care Act

In most hospitals, most patients are expected to visit the pediatricians; the reason is that the screening is now free since it is covered under the Affordable Care Act. Before the act was introduced most families used to skip pediatricians appointments because the service was costly to some families that are not wealthy. Some families brought their children only the time when they are sick, but today the service is free annually.

Through the Affordable Care Act; some nursing homes are catered for by the Government. However, such nursing facilities get paid for all the services that are delivered; the Government nevertheless does this for some specific patients who need such a round clock nurse like a heart attack or even hip replacement and kidney transplants. The Government also does not pay for only services but also makes an effort by paying for performance.

Affordable Care Act has enabled lower prescription drug cost to patients. The act promised to lower the cost of drugs into an affordable price. However, every year the number of prescribed and standard drugs grows. Within the first five years of the act, the savings on the prescription of narcotics enormously increased because the saving exceeded $16 billion (Amadeo, 2015). Patients now do not struggle to buy drugs because the cost is valid. Patients make sure that they finish the dosage since the drugs are affordable.

Today in the healthcare there is no time limits on the care provided. In the past, the patients with chronic health problems used to suffer because they ran out of the insurance coverage. In 2010 when the president signed the law of Affordable Care Act, insurance companies decided to set limits on the money they can for an individual to finish the treatment. Under the Affordable Care Act, an individual cannot be denied the insurance coverage because a satisfied critical condition occurred before (Tate, 2013). A patient in hospital can be treated if the previous illness is not overusing the same insurance coverage.

Since Affordable Care Act was introduced in the United States of America, health insurance is more affordable for many people. People can get services at the healthcare systems due to the affordable services that the hospital offers. More screening services are now efficient because people who could not afford money for screening can get the service for free once in a year. Doctors in the hospital are ready and wait for many patients as possible because the act pays for the performances.

Free immunization services are now available in hospitals (Tate, 2013). Affordable Care Act has enabled free immunization services to children; the act has also equipped free training services to the doctors in the hospitals, new programs have been introduced that hospitals use so that the patients are satisfied with the services that the hospital is offering.

In conclusion, I can say that the most prominent benefit that Affordable Care Act provides is that it has slowed the rise of the healthcare costs. However many hospitals and different public health agencies have developed programs that guide citizens. I can say that the Affordable Care Act is essential because most people in America can receive some services freely in the United States. Affordable Care Act affects doctors and some hospitals. For instance, the act is neutral. It helps, and to another extent, it is a loss to some organizations.

References

Amadeo, K. (2015). Ultimate Obamacare Handbook (2015?2016 edition) (1st ed.). New York: Skyhorse Publishing.

Marcovici, M. (2013). Obamacare case (2nd ed.). New York: Books on Demand.

Tate, N. (2013). Obamacare survival guide. West Palm Beach, FL: Humanix Books.