Health of the Aging (CASE) Module 1 - Coursework Example

Affordable Care Act al Affiliation) Introduction The Patient Protection and Affordable Act was signed into law on March 23,2010, by President Obama. The Act aimed at increasing access to quality health care without being inhibited by high costs. It was based on cost reduction mechanisms such as expansion of the private and public insurance coverage to lower the rate of the uninsured, increasing health insurance affordability, and minimizing health care costs for both the government and the public.

Elements That Impact the ElderlyOne of the key elements of the Act is that has a direct impact on the elderly involves the Health insurance coverage reforms. These reforms create cost-sharing and premium subsidies, create new markets for purchasing of health insurance, and develop new rules that would govern health insurance and the involved industry (Rosenbaum, 2011). The second element that has an impact on the elderly involves ensuring accessibility of the populations that are medically underserved to primary health care.

Due to the elevated health risks involved with the elderly, they remain underserved in the society, thus prompting for the need of establishment of a system that will provide utmost care for them. The provision of long-term care has a direct impact on the elderly as most of the elderly individuals suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes among others, which require lifetime management (Rosenbaum, 2011). The Intent of the ElementsThe intent of the Health insurance coverage reforms is to establish standards that guide insurers to mitigate the discrimination that initially existed against older people and other highly vulnerable groups including women and children (Rosenbaum, 2011).

As such, this element bans the annual coverage limitations, use of conditions already in existence and prolonged waiting periods. On the other hand, the intent of improving the accessibility to primary health care is to mitigate the shortage in health care professionals, who provide primary health care. This can be achieved through investing in the development of the community health centers and the establishment of the National Health Service Corps. Lastly, the intent of the long-term care initiative is to protect the families of individuals who are terminally ill from becoming bankrupt through the establishment of Medicaid options that facilitate community-based care (Rosenbaum, 2011).

Impact of the Acton Affordability and AccessibilityThe Patient Protection and Affordable Act is likely to lead to low access to Medicare for the older adults in the long term given that it mandates Medicare payment reductions. As such, funding cuts on the involved services have a direct impact on the beneficiaries of such services (Kowalski, Fall 2014). Such reductions are likely to cause most of the hospitals and other health facilities that care for the older adults to be unprofitable, and thus lead to diminished access to health care.

As much as the Act is likely to increase the affordability of health care for some older adults through the reduction of costs in the drug coverage gap of Part D of Medicare, the cost is likely to increase until the gap closes (Frank & Newhouse, 2008). This cost will pass to the beneficiaries, who are the older adults among other individuals, an aspect that may affect affordability of health in relation to the projections in the Act. ConclusionIt is evident that the Act is transformational, and it is faced with complex implementation challenges in the future.

Nevertheless, opportunities for significant advances in practice and public health policy remain unparalleled. It is important to note that a rare opportunity is presented by the Act, which involves reconsidering the major purpose of public health within a nation, besides transforming care and coverage. ReferencesFrank, R., & Newhouse, J. (2008). Should drug prices be negotiated under Part D of Medicare? And if so, how? Health Affairs, 27(1), 33-43.Kowalski, A. (Fall 2014). The Early Impact of the Affordable Care Act.

Retrieved from Brookings: http://www.brookings.edu/about/projects/bpea/papers/2014/early-impact-affordable-care-act-state-by-stateRosenbaum, S. (2011). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice. Public Health Reports, 126(1), 130–135.