Introduction
The public policy that I will address in my paper is president Obama’s affordable care act, also known as Obama care, which I am 100% for and see no need for any changes to be made to this law. The healthcare reform debate has been an ongoing political issue and problem in the United States for many years. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act, (Public Law 111–148), (healthcare.gov). The affordable care act provides support for the innovation in the delivery of preventative care, with an emphasis being on achieving better health outcomes and patient care experiences, also enhancing support from primary care providers.
The Affordable Care Act which is a title- I law which ensures that all Americans are entitled to quality, and affordable healthcare is working to make health care more affordable, accessible and of a higher quality, for families, seniors, businesses, and taxpayers. October 1, 2013 marked a very important turning point in the implementation of the affordable care act, on this day, Americans were able to start signing up for private health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace for coverage which began January 1, 2014. For many Americans, it was the first opportunity they have had to obtain affordable and adequate insurance coverage. Individuals and families purchasing insurance in the individual market will be guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, and their premiums cannot vary based on their gender or medical history (www.hhs.gov). Recently in the news Bill Clinton verbally attacked the affordable care act stating that “it was sold to the American people with the promises of affordability, more insurance choices to choose from, and a competitive insurance market, but instead it provided the consumers with high premium insurance rates, and less insurance company choices that would provide coverage to those expected to be covered under the affordable care act (Benson, 2016). Improving healthcare in rural communities A health policy amendment that I would implement in the state of Georgia is the need for more healthcare resources and funding in the rural communities, such as Cherokee county, Fannin county, and Bartow county. …show more content…
In rural communities in Georgia such as these areas there is a lack of healthcare services such as health clinics and hospitals in which individuals can get adequate treatment for medical problems or illnesses. The challenges that prevent individuals in a rural community from accessing health care are due to the population being poor, cultural and social situations, they are economically disadvantaged, an increased population of elderly individuals, lack of transportation and lack of insurance coverage or no insurance coverage at all. In addition to all of these challenges, there are also financial constraints in operating, maintaining, and adequately staffing hospitals or clinics in rural areas to administer quality care. (ghpc,2016). The health care system in Georgia is presently under great duress from the increasing occurrences of illnesses, unmaintainable medical costs, and the unequal quality of healthcare that is provided in rural areas which in turn has also been a challenge for many government organizations and healthcare professionals. “One community organization in Georgia to provide rural communities with assistance in improving health and health care delivery is the community health systems development (CHSD) team at the Georgia health policy center (GHPC) whose main goal is to develop sustainable community-based services and alliances with other outreach programs and networks to address the rural health needs” (ghpc,2016). Implementation of policy amendment for healthcare in rural communities The first step in my implementation plan would be to hold a town meeting and gather the people in the community together as a whole, where everyone in the community can be involved in the decision making process on what …show more content…
The most important elements of the affordable care act in relation to community and public health are:
1. Nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training. 2. Nurses should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. 3. Nurses should be full partners, with physicians and other health professionals, in redesigning health care in the United States.
4. Effective workforce planning and policy making require better data collection and an improved information infrastructure.