Case study analysis - Essay Example

As Shaw (2010) notes, the verdict of the Supreme Court in June 2012, that declared the Obamacare as constitutional, supports the ethical principle of justice approach health care, and provides the roadmap for states, insurance companies, employers, and beneficiaries to effective implementation of the plan. The piecemeal implementation of Act is expected to climax in 2014, when major changes will take effect. Provisions in the legislation are intended to have more people under insurance cover, trim soaring medical costs, and prevent illnesses among vulnerable populations (Almgren, 2012).

The Act targets adults aged between 19 and 64, since health care has been beyond their reach since the 21st Century began. Those who do not have insurance cover are given priority of health care under the law. Some of the major reforms in Obamacare include; pushing insurers to cover persons with pre-existing health conditions, lowering the bar for Medicaid applicants and beneficiaries, standardizing insurance premiums, and giving business organizations incentives to provide medical cover for their employees (Almgren, 2012).

The Act’s utilitarian spirit means insurers will have to absorb as many people as possible when major provisions of the Act become effective in 2014. The legislation is expected to better health services across all societal segments at affordable cost. The program is expected to boost life expectancy among American citizens by saving thousands from treatable illnesses. This is evident in the outcomes a recent research in the Act has been reputed for saving the lives of more than 5% of Americans in three states that extended affordable medical to low-income earners (Almgren, 2012).

The end result was one adult life saved for every 176 people insured under the reformed Medicaid (Almgren, 2012). Conversely, despite these positive outcomes envisaged in the Act and the vote of confidence by the Supreme Court, some still feel that the pitfalls in Obamacare outweigh the benefits. For example, allowing people with pre-existing conditions to benefit from insurance cover contravenes fairness to insurers, since they will have no option but to spend more in care provision than is reasonable and some may collapse.

Impacts of Obamacare on society As Shaw (2010) has suggested, American citizens are in consensus on the four important goals that the health care system should achieve. Firstly, there is a need to access high quality services that can keep the highest number of Americans healthy in the long-term. Secondly, an effective health care law should be one that allows Americans to exercise their freedom to choose the right health care for them; when to adopt a particular care, and where to get services from.

Thirdly, Americans expect a favorable health care system that a majority can afford. Lastly, there is need to share medical costs and gains of health care fairly. Despite the consensus, it beats logic to be divided in thought on Obamacare. Perhaps the point of departure on health care is that priorities of care vary across people, groups and business organizations. Social injustice and fairness should therefore be the guiding principle in the system, since the values advocate for the treatment of all parties with fairness, more so when the health care plan brings together the rich and poor, for-profit organizations and non-profit organizati