The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Any Alternatives

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to enlighten and explore Affordable Care Act in a holistic manner. The paper will describe the history and inception of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the paper explores different issues and challenges that are encountered by the Affordable Care Act. Nonetheless, the paper also enlightens the concerns and controversies that were aimed at the concerns raised to the Affordable Care Act. The paper not only explores Affordable Care Act but it also focuses on Anti-Injunction Act and how can it assist in preventing concerns raised at Affordable Care Act. Moreover, the paper also investigates the arguments aimed at constitutionality of the individual mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance by 2014. In the end the paper discusses the Medicaid program initiated by the United States and its association with Affordable Care Act.

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Affordable Care Act4

Issues and Legal Challenges Encountered by Affordable Care Act5

Anti-Injunction Act's Prevention of Affordable Care Act Challenges5

The Constitutionality of the Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance by 20147

Is the Individual Mandate Unconstitutional9

Is Affordable Care Act's Expansion of the Medicaid Program is Constitutional11

Conclusion13

References15

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Any Alternatives

Introduction

The healthcare system of a country depends upon some factors. These factors play a significant role in the growth and development of health sector of a country. In addition, the stability of the healthcare industry is also dependent upon these factors; these factors are service delivery in the health industry, the quality of healthcare, the stability of financing in healthcare and the healthcare insurance. In 2009 and 2010, the U.S. was gripped by an intense debate over health care financing reform. Democratic policy makers, meanwhile, led by President Obama, sought to implement a more moderate reform plan that would provide health care to the uninsured by augmenting the current system, in which most people are insured by private companies and pay for that insurance in conjunction with their employers.

Affordable Care Act provides federal subsidies to people who are not covered by their employers and cannot afford to purchase their own health insurance. Moreover, the Act remained controversial even after it was passed, with Republicans attempting to have it repealed and challenged in court. Various commercial, charitable and government organizations offer patients both outpatient and inpatient services. About 47% of all U.S. health care costs are the costs of hospital care, about 2% - home care, 10% - medication and 10% - for the maintenance of nursing homes. The remaining 11% cover services of dentists, ophthalmologists and other specialists.

Affordable Care Act

ACA is one of the controversial Acts entitled to the healthcare industry and insurance regulations. This Act proposes several amendments in the procedures of financing Medicare program. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO); a federal agency tasked with estimating the impact of legislation on the federal budget estimated that the law will reduce Medicare spending by about $500 billion over the next 10 years. According to the website Politifact, about $220 billion of that savings will ...