(Newswire.net — July 14, 2020) — The Affordable Care Act has helped transform the healthcare system for all Americans. The ACA has saved many lives and improved patients’ protection and care. Patients can now get medical care at a low cost. Here’s more information about the ACA, its benefits, and private healthcare exchanges.
Benefits of the ACA to the healthcare system
The ACA has caused many changes to the American healthcare system. These are its primary contributions.
Improved protections for all Americans
The ACA created the Prevention and Public Health Fund to facilitate a quick response to emergency health threats by supporting the CDC and the other state agencies.
There has been a great impact on Americans’ lives by protecting them from pre-existing conditions and ensuring that no one is discriminated against, regardless of their health status. This came as a relief since many Americans couldn’t get insured due to various health challenges. Among the ACA’s reforms, it prohibits insurance companies from creating premiums based on the consumer’s age, gender, or health conditions.
Everyone has the right to get insurance policies without being turned away by the insurer, regardless of their health history. The ACA also protects people with health histories by ensuring they get other health benefits, like prenatal, drug prescription, and behavioral health benefits. The insurers are also forbidden from creating annual and lifetime limits on benefits, allowing people to seek medical care anytime.
Easy access to healthcare
The ACA gives quick medical care access to all Americans. People of all ages and backgrounds — from children, the elderly, and low-income earners — can now get medical care through the Medicaid program. It also provides 90% funding of the total cost at the federal level for low-income people.
The expansion also covers people with health conditions like cancer, mental illnesses, and substance use disorder. There has been an increase in the mortality rate for cardiovascular and end-stage renal disease through Medicaid expansion. The medical sector has also experienced massive expansion and has helped decrease medical debt.
Healthcare is highly affordable
The ACA has enabled Medicare to expand to many states, letting many low-income Americans get healthcare access. Anyone can now enroll and renew for Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). The coverage allows children to register at little or no cost, making it affordable for everybody. The technological system also enables all Medicaid beneficiaries to register via online application or through a phone call.
The ACA eliminated cost-sharing within public and private plans, allowing people to get various screening services including high blood pressure, cancer screening, and cholesterol checks. The beneficiaries get all of the services at no cost. What’s more, the ACA’s private insurer charging fair premiums is held accountable for individual and employer-sponsored coverage.
States with private healthcare exchanges
Examples of states with private healthcare exchanges include Alaska, Washington, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Alaska, New Mexico, Hawaii, and California.
Consumers who want to sign up must meet specific criteria like having a baby, getting married, and losing health coverage. However, enrollment varies per state. While some states require people to sign up without insurance, others (like Massachusetts and Washington) only allow people with coverage. These are the application steps:
- Create an account. The consumer needs to provide the necessary information, create a username and password and then answer the security questions provided
- Make the application. Information required includes personal income and the number of people in the household
- Choose a plan. There are various health insurance plans. Compare them and find out which one you’re eligible for. There are also options for lower costs in the marketplace
- Enroll. Choose your desired health insurance plan and enroll
States that use the Federal Healthcare Exchange
Fifteen states run their marketplace health insurance exchange under HealthCare.gov. Various groups of people can sign up for health insurance by state since the requirements vary by state. Employees, small business owners, and individuals are eligible to enroll. Some states only offer marketplaces for owners and small business employees.
If individuals want to purchase state-based health insurance, they’re only allowed to do so through HealthCare.gov. The states that participate include Utah, Massachusetts, Vermont, California, New York, Minnesota, Idaho, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, New Mexico, Idaho, the District of Columbia, Washington, and Colorado.
What’s the difference between the federal and state-run exchanges?
To get health insurance under state-run exchanges, you need to buy via the health insurance exchanges. The states provide the required infrastructure, such as customer care and the application website, allowing both individuals and small businesses to enroll. In comparison, a federal exchange allows enrollment through HealthCare.gov.
Takeaways
Through the ACA, many Americans have been able to breathe a sigh of relief. They can now access healthcare with ease and at affordable costs for low-income earners and individuals with complicated medical histories. The ACA has saved many lives and boosted the healthcare system to greater heights.