Politics and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Regardless of political affiliation, individuals often grow concerned when considering perceived competing interests of government and their impact on topics of interest to them. The realm of healthcare is no different. Some people feel that local, state, and federal policies and legislation can be either helped or hindered by interests other than the benefit to society.
Consider for example that the number one job of a legislator is to be reelected. Cost can be measured in votes as well as dollars. Thus, it is important to consider the legislator’s perspective on either promoting or not promoting a certain initiative in the political landscape.
To Prepare:
• Review the Resources and reflect on efforts to repeal/replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• Consider who benefits the most when policy is developed and in the context of policy implementation.
By Day 3 of Week 3
Post an explanation for how you think the cost-benefit analysis in terms of legislators being reelected affected efforts to repeal/replace the ACA. Then, explain how analyses of the voters views may affect decisions by legislative leaders in recommending or positioning national policies (e.g., Congress\’ decisions impacting Medicare or Medicaid). Remember, the number one job of a legislator is to be re-elected. Please check your discussion grading rubric to ensure your responses meet the criteria.

Discussion Rubric
Main Posting
Answers all parts of the discussion question(s) expectations with reflective critical analysis and synthesis of knowledge gained from the course readings for the module and current credible sources.
Supported by at least three current, credible sources.
Written clearly and concisely with no grammatical or spelling errors and fully adheres to current APA manual writing rules and style.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Politics and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted by Congress in 2010 to reduce health insurance coverage costs for people who qualify. The law expanded health insurance coverage by allowing more people to get it through an expanded Medicaid and provided subsidies to purchase private insurance. It supports population health by making it possible to access crucial health care services for millions of American citizens (Gaffney & McCormick, 2017). One of the contentious provisions of the ACA is the issue of essential health benefits (EHBs) which are minimum insurance benefits comprising a set of ten categories of services health insurance plans must cover under the act.
Republicans in Congress attempted to advance the American Health Care Act to replace the ACA but their efforts were defeated when divisions emerged between conservative and moderate Republicans. Before the vote on its replacement, an amendment to eliminate the EHBs was introduced to the bill to attract the support of…