Signed into law six years ago on March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been criticized, scrutinized, and ridiculed, but it’s also loved, cheered, and adored since the beginning.
For the first time in American history, more than 90% of people have health insurance. Whitehouse.gov reports that the U.S. rate of uninsured Americans is now at 8.8%.
However, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, there may have been larger negative financial impacts than were originally expected. According to Business Wire, over the last year due to the APA enrollment population of older members, carriers both small and large have been negatively impacted.
A report titled, “ACA Impact Challenges Insurers,” by 2016 Review and Preview Best’s Special Report, stressed that there are many difficulties on the health insurance horizon. Rising pharmaceutical costs, consumer demand issues, member-focused insurers, and cyber risk are some of the challenges that the health insurance sector plans to face in the coming months.
Though there are people who are extremely against and extremely for the Affordable Care Act, it’s important to take the middle ground when reviewing and to remove any and all biases.
Over the last six years, the Affordable Care Act, along with providing new health coverage to 20 million people, has added 14.3 million jobs. Organizations are required through the Affordable Care Act to provide appropriate health benefits to all employees when their staffing contingent equals 50 full-time employees. So many people around the U.S. are celebrating all that the Affordable Care Act has done.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act still has much more it hopes to accomplish. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Supreme Court has a contraception coverage case that is being addressed this week (oral arguments begin Wednesday), and a very large debate will be coming about the Affordable Care Aft if a Republican wins the presidential race.