Embracing the Health Care Reform

In 2006, Mitt Romney instituted the Massachusetts health care insurance reform law. Essentially, the law allowed Massachusetts residents, at the federal poverty level, to have access to government-regulated insurance. Later, balking at the many uninsured American public’s horror stories, President Obama declared that all Americans had the right to healthcare, so he proposed a new health care reform. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will assist approximately 94% of Americans in obtaining private or state health insurance (Responsible Reform for the Middle Class, n.d., p.1). In essence, the act, signed on March 23, 2013, will provide affordable and quality health care and chronic disease prevention. In addition, the legislation will ban insurers from denying those with preexisting illnesses. The Supreme Court upheld the majority of Obama’s legislation, and determined that the government will have the ability to fine people who do not have health insurance. Republicans argued that the fines and added expenses would be too costly for most Americans who are considered middle class and under. In addition to the additional cost, opponents suggested that it decreased an individual’s civil liberties. On the other hand, part of the debate considers the majority of uninsured citizens who are financially suffering from high medical bills due to emergency medical health care. The Affordable Care Act will take effect in 2014, but the Supreme Court declared states could opt out of expanding Medicaid coverage. Subsequently, option will limit access to health coverage for a large portion of uninsured Americans.  

The Republican opponents of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act argue President Obama’s plan is too expensive and it will cost roughly $1 trillion dollars over the next ten years. Author Merrill Goozner (2013) reveals in his article “Behind those rising rates; few understand that decent health insurance costs more” that the Society of Actuaries’ recent study suggests people with existing coverage “will face huge premium hikes…lead[ing] to double-digit premium hikes in at least 43 states” (p. 1). Careful consumers purchase the insurance plans they can afford, but they often find that they do not have adequate coverage. In response, insurance providers will offer additional premium levels, but various price plans do not guarantee that the majority of Americans will be able to afford health insurance.  

In addition, currently insured citizens are not the only ones who the Society of Actuaries expects to hurt from the new policy. It seems legislation will enforce individuals to purchase health insurance. Beginning in 2014, if a person does not have health insurance, he or she will have to pay the future ACA’s penalty tax. Incidentally, in spite of the upcoming legislation, 37 states have not created a way for citizens to purchase health insurance (Goozner, 2013). Herein lays one of the problems. It seems that President Obama wanted to allow equal access for healthcare; however, if each state varies in their legislations, only a minority of citizens may have an easier time locating and affording health insurance. 

Some Americans and members of Congress believe that health insurance is not a basic human right such as access to food or shelter. President of The American Nurses Association (ANA) Karen Daley asserts “We don’t have the right to health care [;however, ] ANA has been in favor of reform” (Fridel, 2012). Because the current United States’ healthcare policy revolves around the medical model, the reform will allow health care professionals to focus on teaching preventative measures to their patients. 

While The Affordable Care Act does not apply to immigrants, there are many poor and underprivileged people in the United States. Whether their economic status is due to unemployment or poverty, chances are their healthcare has been subpar or nonexistent. As nurses, we are obligated to our patients’ health. Therefore, because a major portion of the act focuses on teaching preventative measures, nurses will play crucial roles in creating and implementing preventive health care guidelines for our patients. 

Since the medical model emphases diagnosis and intervention, we determine healthy people as patients without illnesses. However, this suggests we wait until it is too late to treat people. For instance, according to Responsible Reform for the Middle Class (2012), The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act intends to offer “Support for Prevention and Public Health Innovation” (p. 7). This encourages nurses to adopt a new health model that allows us to incorporate different cultural backgrounds and lifestyles into our work. Researchers Angie Hart Valerie Hall, and Flis Henwood (2003) argue in their study “Helping health and social care professionals to develop an ‘inequalities imagination’: a model for use in education in practice” that the diverse patients’ routines will be problematic unless healthcare workers adopt methods that allow them to work with a variety of “disadvantaged clients” (p. 481). In the past, nurses were likely to care for patients who were reasonably comfortable in their finances.  However, the new reform act will bring a multitude of patients with various backgrounds. If we use a new methodology that considers how we define the disadvantaged, we will “incorporate the perspectives of clients as central to health” (Hart, A., Hall, V., & Henwood, F., 2003, p. 483), and nurses will consider those viewpoints in patients’ care, treatment, and illness prevention. It is our duty to protect our citizens’ health. With that in mind, we should embrace the new reform to combat the social issue of healthcare. 

As nurses, we have a responsibility to our patients’ safety and wellbeing. In the future, Karen Daley (2012) suggests that we “will see sicker patients” (Friedel, 2012) because of their socioeconomic backgrounds. The initial concerns of cost, for the reform, are a risk, but in the light of healthcare, we have no other choice. In particular, if we concentrate on prevention, we will have healthier citizens who will not need costly surgeries or medical care. In addition to the benefit of a healthier America, we will see a rise in nurses because the demand will be high. Because, due to the act, there will be an increase in our patient numbers, so we will need more healthcare workers. 

While the reform would not apply to immigrants, it is usually minorities in the United States that often live in poverty. With that in mind, nurses must devote time to become “culturally-competent” (The American Nurse, 2012, p. 13), and improve our communication skills with various cultures. In order to prepare, David Krol, a senior program officer for Nursing Scholarship Program, asserts that “‘We need a well-educated, diverse nursing workforce to provide quality care for our changing patient population’” (The American Nurse 2012, p. 13). In addition to a diverse curriculum, educators and legislators need to expand opportunities for potential nursing students by offering more scholarships.

Since accelerated programs demand a student’s attention, he or she must have resources in order to concentrate in his or her studies. According to The American Nurse’s (2012) article “Scholarships assist students in accelerated degree programs” (p. 3), but educators need to supply comprehensive lessons in a shorter amount of time. Similarly, scholarships will encourage others to pursue nursing degrees because some potential students may have been deterred due to the high cost of education. Nevertheless, because the amount of patients will rise, nurses will have to increase the amount of our workforce. After all, we continue to have a nursing shortage, and in the advent of increased patients, it is most important to encourage others to go into nursing. Nonetheless, new and experienced nurses will find that their support in the reform is critical for success. 

In the meantime, future nurses and experienced nurses must embrace our nation’s new reform. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will allow more people to healthcare. Above all, nurses have professional and ethical responsibilities to our patients, so we must continue to promote the reform. While the reform is not a perfect solution to our health care crisis, due to potential cost increases and penalties, we have to focus on the positive consequences. In addition, it is an opportunity for nurses around the world to have a say in our healthcare plans. We can promote innovation research and services by taking part in the government’s plan. Subsequently, we will be a voice for America’s future, and we will ensure all Americans have the right to health. 

References

Friedel, L. (2012, August 29). ANA President reflects on Healthcare Reform impact. The Kansas City Nursing News. Retrieved from http://www.kcnursingnews.com/features/article_df09b942-a196-548e-b137-5bc133c30fb8.html

Goozner, M. (2013, April 1). Behind those rising rates; few understand that decent health insurance costs more. Modern Healthcare, 43(13), 0020. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA324952014&v=2.1&u=nm_a_albtechvi&it=r&p=PPNU&sw=w

Hart, A., Hall, V., & Henwood, F. (2003). Helping health and social care professionals to develop an ‘inequalities imagination’: a model for use in education and practice. Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 41(5), 480-489. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02555.x

Scholarships assist students in accelerated degree programs. (2012). American Nurse, 44(4), 1-13. 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Detailed Summary. (n.d.). Democratic Policy & Communications Center. Retrieved from http://www.dpcc.senate.gov/