Implementing The Affordable Care Act

When president Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, it came with a lot of new provisions that would vary when they would come into effect. The very first provision was the “Grandfather Clause” which allowed people to keep their insurance plan before the act went into effect. As long as the employer still offered that plan the employee could still maintain it because they were grandfathered into receiving that coverage. If someone bought an insurance plan after March 2010 they would not be considered under the Grandfather Clause. Thus, these individuals would be required to get a new plan by 2014 if their plan did not meet all the criteria, they would need to get a new plan that fills all the criteria. Another major provision of the Affordable Care Act is that patients have a guaranteed issue. This means that insurance companies are unable to deny anybody health insurance based on their health or prior health. This may create a problem because the risk pool of an insurance company may not have the best people. Eventually, this could lead to the majority of the risk pool for an insurance company to have people who are at a greater risk of needing health insurance. This will make the insurance company more vulnerable and the only way that they will be able to cover the losses is by raising the premiums on everyone even though there may be some individuals that are in perfect health. The next provision that was added under the Affordable Care Act is that the

The documentary "Sicko" provides an extensive analysis of the different drawbacks of the American healthcare framework. Michael Moore, the director, is upfront with regards to the dissipation of statistical data and portrayal of real-life stories of the healthcare in other nations is better in comparison to that of the US. It is interesting to see the director careful utilize experiences from the Cuba, France, and the UK. A lot of film critics have issued a lot of reviews regarding the significance of the movie in highlighting the real image of the healthcare framework (Zaccagnini & White, 2015, p.110). For example, the illustration of Cuba's health system seems a bit far-fetched to the critics. All in all, Michael Moore does an adequate job in drawing comparisons from the other significant healthcare plans as a way of depicting the ailing form of America's health system.

The Affordable Care Act completely changed the patient landscape of health care safety nets with its implementation in 2010. In particular, its expansion of Medicaid significantly shifted uninsured patient healthcare provider utilization, from emergency departments and free clinics, towards community health centers and federally qualified health centers. Yet major gaps in healthcare coverage persist due to states choosing not to expand Medicaid, exclusion of undocumented immigrants, and misunderstandings of the ACA. Health care safety net providers must understand their changing demographics and the needs of vulnerable uninsured patient populations. In doing so, healthcare safety net providers will be better informed in regards to necessary changes needed to thrive in the post-ACA era.

During Fulgencio Batista’s 26 year reign from 1933 to 1959, access to healthcare for the majority of Cuban citizens was very limited. There were large

Castro 's regime has been credited with opening 10,000 new schools and increasing literacy to 98 percent.(Cuba Headlines 2009). Cubans enjoy a universal health care system, which has decreased infant mortality to 11 deaths in 1,000(Vanguard News 2016).

The delay in the rollout and incomplete implementation of the United States of America government’s healthcare marketplace (Healthcare.gov) has been highly publicized and deliberated since before its launch in October 2013. Several researchers have sought to provide possible responses and reasoning as to why the implementation of the project did not finish as expected. Factors contributing to the unsuccessful launch of the software has been attributed to problems with project management, staffing, implementation and technology which can be further broken down into several problematic areas such as the gathering of requirements belonging to the project management category and change management which is handled in the implementation stage. Requirements gathering and poor management have been identified as major causes for the failure of Healthcare.gov at the launch date. This paper discusses the aims of the Affordable Care Act and its corresponding implementation of Healthcare.gov from an epistimological philosophical perspective.

The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as “Obamacare”, has drastically altered healthcare in America. The goal of this act was to give Americans access to affordable, high quality insurance while simultaneously decreasing overall healthcare spending. The ACA had intended to maximize health care coverage throughout the United States, but this lofty ambition resulted in staggeringly huge financial and human costs.

Cuba and the United States of America have completely opposite economies. Cuba’s economy is based on the few natural resources that the country owns while the economic system in The United States is capitalist and can be recognized for its noticeable development in agriculture, energy, and other resources that keep the country expanding and provides jobs as well as a good quality of life for its residents. On the other hand, Cuba’s economy, is predominantly poor, to the point where a very huge percent of its population suffers from

This outcome is a direct result of the Helms-Burton Act as it restricts other foreign countries to assist Cuba with its medical situation. Cuban healthcare has been seriously undermined as the "embargo has caused Cuba a loss of more than 200 million dollars in the medical sector alone" (Xinhua). However, counter arguments to lifting the embargo for medical aid focus around the phenomenon of medical tourism, " the facility would be overwhelmed by its foreign patients" (Garrett). Yet, placement of the embargo is comparatively worse than engagement as Cuban citizens currently have very little chance of experiencing the new generation of health care with the trading sanction in place, the Cuban people and actors trying to help are being penalized due to the embargo and the powerlessness the people have when facing the government. Any private donations made to the public health cause must first go through the government where where its true amount and value will be grossly reduced by taxes and fees on U.S. dollars, only then will it trickle down to its originally intended owners. Much like failed U.S. embargos in the past, the embargo on the undemocratized Cuban government only negatively affects the people as the government gains more power and influences the only

In the first major article utilized for research, “Relaxation of Cuban Embargo Urged in Congress”, the main claim is that congressional action taken to limit the effects of the embargo and possibly eliminate it entirely would only strengthen the grip that Fidel Castro, the former dictator of Cuba has on his country. The article talks about congressional action being taken in the United States congress, or the lack of action that is being taken, and the effect that it has on Cuban humanitarian conditions. The tie into the medical field is quite broad but the focus it brings on the Cuban embargo reveals significant problems. The lack of medical supplies and equipment in the country due to the embargo is said to be deliberate. “…shortages of

Sanger-Katz, Margot. “Can Cuba Escape Poverty but Stay Healthy?” New York Times. 18 December 2014. Web. 15 April 2016. .

Recently, the relationship between Cuba and the United States has been a leading story in the news. It has been reported that the U.S. government is heading towards normalization with the tiny island country. This is in contrast to the history of the two countries. Beginning directly after the communist revolution in Cuba, which began in the late 1950’s, the two countries halted all diplomatic relations. Additionally, the conditions in Cuba worsened, and the economy crashed. Since 1980, hundreds of thousands have left due to the horrible circumstances. Led by Fidel Castro, the communist revolution in Cuba has been a failure because the standard of living collapsed and continues to fall behind other countries.

The healthcare system in United States is tied up with politics and propaganda that puts a choke hold on the whole process. It was sickening to see the 911 responders after the twin towers incident were going to another country to receive medical treatment. They actually traveled to Cuba to seek medical treatment because the insurance companies wouldn’t cover their claims and drop their coverage. Cuba has one of the most respected health care systems in the world the ratio is one doctor per Two Hundred citizens. The United States ratio is one doctor per Four Hundred citizens. Annually Cuba graduates about four thousand doctors a year out of its twenty one medical schools (Health Cuba). How could a country so rich in resources turn its back on American people who make this country strong?

The Cuban Revolution has changed Cuba for both the good and bad, both gaining and losing allies, and there is much controversy for what the Castro’s effect has done for Cuba. From the cruel dictatorship of former “president” Batista, to the elite planning and wars controlled by the Castros, to whether this whole war meant change for the better to Cuba, in liberty, freedom, and equality, this story is a huge part of Cuba’s history and explains where Cuba is today.

This article is a summary in a medical journal about the state of the Cuban Health care system. It begins with describing the current state of Cuba – vilified by the majority of the western world, and by extension the medical community. After, it talks about how despite this Cuba has managed to be successful in nearly every area of health and medicine. After, it discusses reasons for this and how this happens despite the vast majority of the Cuban population being extremely poor and how there is a high degree of income inequality. Cuba has also invested heavily in the export of bio pharmaceuticals and has become extremely successful in this regard. They no longer rely on Russia for all their infrastructure, and can stand up on the own. Childrens'