The Impact Of The Affordable Care Act On North Carolina
The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on North Carolina’s Uninsured Population
The American people like to think that they have the best health care system in the world. Unfortunately, the majority of the evidence does not support that view. According to the RAND Corporation and the Institute of Medicine, Americans receive the proper treatment only 50% of the time for their condition (2006, 2013). When compared to other countries, the Americans pay far more for their health care (Laureate Education, 2012a). United States (US) per capita health spending is double that of many other highly developed countries and the US is paying more and more all the time (Laureate Education, 2012b). The quality of the doctors and facilities are not the problem. North Carolina has primarily well-qualified physicians and first-rate hospitals (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The problem is the organization of the American health system and the effects of rejecting the Medicaid expansion.
Background
Almost one in five non-elderly North Carolina residents does not have health insurance. When compared to the rest of the US, North Carolina has the 14th highest rate of uninsured residents. Over 70% of the uninsured population has at least one full-time worker in the household (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The uninsured population is less able to access health care and is more at risk for financial stress. The uninsured are less likely to seek preventative care and more likely to be hospitalized for health problems that could have been avoided (Grant, 2014). The uninsured population must pay the entire health care cost out of pocket as well. One of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S. is the inability to pay health care bills for the uninsured population (Grant, 2014). Under the current Medicaid eligibility rules, North Carolina’s rules eliminate childless adults from enrolling in the program. Through
The American people like to think that they have the best health care system in the world. Unfortunately, the majority of the evidence does not support that view. According to the RAND Corporation and the Institute of Medicine, Americans receive the proper treatment only 50% of the time for their condition (2006, 2013). When compared to other countries, the Americans pay far more for their health care (Laureate Education, 2012a). United States (US) per capita health spending is double that of many other highly developed countries and the US is paying more and more all the time (Laureate Education, 2012b). The quality of the doctors and facilities are not the problem. North Carolina has primarily well-qualified physicians and first-rate hospitals (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The problem is the organization of the American health system and the effects of rejecting the Medicaid expansion.
Background
Almost one in five non-elderly North Carolina residents does not have health insurance. When compared to the rest of the US, North Carolina has the 14th highest rate of uninsured residents. Over 70% of the uninsured population has at least one full-time worker in the household (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). The uninsured population is less able to access health care and is more at risk for financial stress. The uninsured are less likely to seek preventative care and more likely to be hospitalized for health problems that could have been avoided (Grant, 2014). The uninsured population must pay the entire health care cost out of pocket as well. One of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S. is the inability to pay health care bills for the uninsured population (Grant, 2014). Under the current Medicaid eligibility rules, North Carolina’s rules eliminate childless adults from enrolling in the program. Through
References: Grant, R. (2014). The triumph of politics over public health: States opting out of medicaid expansion. American Journal Of Public Health, 104(2), 203-205. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301717 Hahn, J., & Sheingold, B Kovner, A. R., & Knickman, J. R. (Eds.). (2011). Health care delivery in the United States (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012a). Healthcare economics and financing. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012b). Introduction to healthcare delivery, part 1 Milstead, J. A. (2013). Health policy and politics: A nurse 's guide (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. North Carolina Healthcare Quality Alliance Home Page. http://www.ncquality.org/. Accessed December 24, 2014. RAND Corporation Searing, A., & Alker, J. (2014). North carolina’s medicare choice: Options and implications. Retrieved December 20, 2014, from http://www.ncjustice.org/sites/default/files/MedicaidFactsheetMarch20.pdf