A Proposal For New Healthcare Legislation In The United States (Essay Sample)

A proposal for new healthcare legislation Student’s name University/College Abstract Health care is an important factor in the US seeing that a lot of public funds are channeled into its sustenance. This paper looks at the current system closely looking the Affordable Care. It looks at the how this act has made progress since its enactment in 2010. The Trump administration has been seeking to repeal it in its totality and although that has failed successful changes such as the repealing of the personal mandate pose huge threats to the sustainability of effective and nonvolatile insurance plans. The paper suggests that Health Services Account (HAS) is a recommendable legislation with several improvements suggested to it. It also calls for maintaining of the Medicaid and Medicare so that the proportions of the populace that falls under the poor and old are not forgotten. It calls for the development of a legislation that will include insurance of people suffering from mental health even if these conditions are as a result of substance abuse. Keywords: Insurance plans, Health Services Account (HAS), Affordable Care Act (ACA), legislation. Introduction The healthcare system continues expending a large proportion of the US GDP adding to the need to ensure that these financial resources are not wasted. Thorough scrutiny of the system reveals the need for legislation changes that would lead to a more equitable system in which the poor, the old, the sick, the young and the healthy can find a product that will suit their needs. The ACA has greatly increased the number of the uninsured by allowing the government to greatly subsidize costs of insurance for those who cannot specifically in Medicaid and insurance exchange programs (Statistics, 2018). Current healthcare system- The Affordable Care Act is the current primary determinant of most healthcare system procedures and protocols in the US. Since its enactment more Americans have been insured thus they could enjoy the benefits of accessing health care services affordably. This act also pushes the US nearer to attaining a comprehensive universal healthcare system which has been argued to be desirable as an equalizer between the poor and rich. Since the change of federal administration the ACA has been altered exposing the citizens to vulnerabilities and volatilities that had previously been sealed. For instance, repealing individual mandates to buy health insurance has been accompanied by a rise in premiums with a reported 34% increase in 2018 and observers foretell a further increase. Other proposed changes may make it easier for policies to be made cheaper but with the disadvantage that they will be incomprehensive. There is fear that all the changes being made to the ACA will increase the uninsured which will have dire consequences to the nation in various ways. It includes the poor in the society being unable to access health care if they cannot pay for it or secure insurance. The ACA is also the basis on which Medicaid continues to be intact allowing people to purchase insurance from private insurers and get a subsidy of the same worth (Rice, 2018). Problems with the current system- The Trump administration had used repealing the ACA in totality as a campaign promise thus even if its totality cannot be repealed they have managed to make changes that are posing serious problems. They repealed the individual mandate requirement thus people have the freedom to choose whether to purchase cover or not. Without financial penalties to fear there is a likelihood that people who will not afford high premiums will give up purchasing insurance. The rise of premiums is estimated to result to approximately 23 million Americans without insurance. There is also the problem of the federal government choosing not to fund the cost-sharing subsidy thus Medicaid’s outreach plans are hampered. This makes it worse for Medicaid beneficiaries as they may have harder times compared to those privately insured or with a Medicare cover (Rice, 2018). Future of healthcare if left as is –Consumers of health care services will be vulnerable to a volatile market if things remain as they are now. Those who chose not to purchase insurance will suffer the consequences such as failing to access health care services if they cannot pay for it. They are also likely to financially drain themselves and cast the burden to families if they have to seek expensive treatments. The failure of regulation on what will consist of essential health benefits is dangerous to not only the sickly but also the healthy who cannot predict when they need health care services (Rice, 2018). Legislative proposals Health Saving Accounts (HASs) offer many benefits that can be exploited to help reform the health care system. These accounts allow people to save up money to use on certain medical expenses. The money is tax-free on deposit and on withdrawal as long as it is to be used on a medical expense that is qualified which serves as an incentive for saving up. Health care consumers can use the money in these accounts as they wish even having the option of choosing who to pass it to when they die. It has been shown to reduce spending on health care as people choose whether to access health care services or not. The biggest disadvantage is that they are suitable for people with enough incomes so as to spare money to put into these accounts. Eliminating contribution limits may help solve this since the accounts work as invest and grow plan. It would also attract more people if the withdrawals made for nonmedical use would attract less penalties. This legislature would also see the annual contribution caps doubled and the tax-free criteria still maintained. This makes the plan’s advantage of carrying funds from year to the other even more attractive especially for individuals who plan to make the account an inheritance. HAS account holders should also be allowed to use their money to purchase drugs over the counter. The penalties that accrue to the accounts if redistribution is done before the age of 65 should also be reduced. This means that the elderly can help their other members of the family who are younger but require finances to access healthcare. The HSA funds should also cater for medical expenses that have been incurred for up to a length of sixty days before the date the HAS was established. These alterations to the current HAS plans are attractive in that people know that the account covers many of their medical expenses. Since the HSA shows that it caters for the wealthier in the society, this legislative calls for the sustenance of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicaid allows millions of poor Americans have some insurance and yet there are still many more who still cannot afford it. This shows how critical the program is in trying to create an equal American society as envisioned by the framers of the constitution. Medicaid, however, needs to relook at its eligibility criteria to ensure that it caters to the layer of people it aims at targeting and not free riders. This legislature calls for investment to be increased in an effort of increasing clinician and direct workers competencies especially in caring for the older generations which remains largely unachieved. Adoption of patient safety as a part of organizational culture awakens the awareness of all stakeholders that it is a consciously valued principle to be applied in their everyday activities including interactions with patients. The right attitude is employed form the onset facilitating collaboration and proactivity. Safety measures such as creating a positive work environment and promoting prioritization of patient safety as a culture increase. All medical and non-medical professionals prioritizing patient safety despite any arising challenges is a critical ethical obligation that saves time and lives. It is attainable through each professional ensuring that they not only provide professional services carefully and safely as recommended but they also foster it in others through influence and collaboration. Statistics show that America is increasing its aging generation rapidly creating the need to improve their health care at a sustainable cost which otherwise exposes the nation risks severe consequences. This category of the population may not be adequately catered for by patchwork system of both private and public networks. Legislative working towards establishing policies to solely monitor and carter for their welfare is necessary and may help save on cost. There is already enough data available to determine the neediest areas for the populations helping set priorities and have a guiding focus area (Snyder, 2016). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims at expanding cover to mental health patients regardless of whether the illness as a result of substance use. These disorders affect an estimated 60 million Americans who had previously largely been uninsured as most will fall in the poor population category. The Act concerning Mental Health Care and Substance Disorder services seeks to improve and increase coverage in this group as a way of setting a trend to increase insurance of behavioral health problems which has been excluded in insurance for long. Improvements to be made in the legislation should aim at ensuring that there is network adequacy. This refers to how the beneficiaries of this insurance cover can access treatments without fear of prejudice or discrimination which has been shown to also contribute to low access of healthcare services amongst this group category. The legislation should also entail proactive measures such as preventive services as well as rehabilitation that will reduce the number of people who will need this coverage (Beronio, 2014). The inclusion of this category of patients is critical as their preexisting condition may be a hindrance to obtaining comprehensive heal...