Affordable care act - Essay Example

Affordable Care Act Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act is designed to provide Americans with equal access to healthcare. The provision of the act affords every American a chance to receive effective care. The act provides for non-discrimination in health insurance due to existing health condition. However, individual will have to purchase insurance coverage. The act enables individuals to choose the package they prefer at subsidized rate. The Act also advocates community-based programs that aim to prevent development of chronic and common illnesses (Department of Health and Human Services, 2013).

The Act paves the way for the construction more health centers and National Health Service Corps at a cost of $12.5 billion across the period 2011-2015.The measures in the Act reduce the cost of coverage for ordinary citizens. In fact, the Affordable Care Act is expected to reduce the number of citizens without insurance by 50% (Rosenbaum, 2011). The employers, pharmaceutical companies, and medical equipment manufacturers contribute a tax towards the general health of the public. Thus, the Act covers citizens regardless of age, gender, and race, thereby allowing for a healthy population.

The affordable care act leaves a huge role for nurses. The Act provides for health promotion and insists on primary care. Such roles are dedicated to nurses. In the Act, nurses have a responsibility of ensuring that common health problems are contained at the source by communicating health information to the people and prevent vulnerabilities. By so doing, nurses reduce the pressure on healthcare system, thus reducing the cost of healthcare. The point implies that the role of nurses has widened due to the implementation of the Act.

ReferencesDepartment of Human and Social Services. (2013, September 11). Improving the Public’s Health through the Affordable Care. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/blog/2013/09/improving-public-health.htmlRosenbaum, S. (2011). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: implications for public health policy and practice. Public Health Reports, 126(1), 130.