Essay

Change is inevitable and it comes to provide a number of benefits. In the health care system, one of the recent and significant changes is the introduction of the patient protection and affordable care act, PPACA. Its enactment has brought changes in the health care delivery system. A number of reforms have been the results of the affordable care act being included in the health care systems. Considering the broader perspective, the amendment of the health care system and the introduction of the affordable care act has proved to be beneficial. It has provisions for every individual and defines their responsibility for making the delivery of health care services to be successful. Some of the services advocated by the act include the use of health insurance, the expansion of the Medicaid facilities, and the creation of related health subsidiaries. The PPACA sets the necessary steps required in the successful delivery of health care services. Therefore, the PPACA legislation is improvements to the healthcare delivery systems.

In most states, the patient protection and affordable care act function as a watershed to the policies and regulations enacted in the public health systems. The legislation is an extension and improvement of the legal health frameworks, aimed at protecting patients. It is an improvement as it improves the coverage of health insurance. This functions as an act of reducing the number of uninsured Americans (Okuji & Okuji, 2016). Through the health insurance provisions, there has been an increased number of beneficiaries, a clear indication that the PPACA legislation is an improvement to the health care delivery system.

The second aspect associated with the PPACA legislation is the improvement of the efficiency, quality, and accountability of the health care services. The act is a measure of realigning the health care delivery system with associated long-term changes. Some of the changes are concerned with the transparency in health care information and improved quality and practices in the health care system. Moreover, the act improves the approaches used in the integration of clinical accountability and the delivery of systems. Efficiency is also realized in dealing with chronic health conditions, the admission, and readmission into the health facilities. This has been the case in the public and private health entities utilizing the PPACA, as they have shaped the maximum realization of reforms in health care institutions. Thus, the legislation brings improvements to the health care delivery system.

The reforms in the healthcare facilities have pros and cons. The first benefit is making a health care delivery system efficient (Okuji & Okuji, 2016). The changes have enhanced the development of practices and approaches, directed at making health facilities to be effective in the management of the care given to the patients and the streamlining of associated costs. Efficiency is also achieved by the creation of a call center to respond to urgent health cases.

The second benefit associated with the enactment of the act is the development of a new health care model. Over the last three decades, most of the health systems are diversifying and moving away from the service-for-a-fee, as has been the main source of the increased expenditures. Health facilities are considering shifting to value-added health services. Most of the health systems seek measures to increase their accountability and the only option left is the use of PPACA. It is a benefit, which has set the pace in the delivery of quality and effective health services.

The third benefit of the patient protection and affordable care act is the definition of a clear bottom line. Just like any other business initiative, health care systems are after having substantial cuts, delivering the best health services, and leaping revenues from the provision of its services. The application of the legislation has seen an increased number of the insured individuals, an element promoting an increase of a pool of funds. Additionally, the bottom line of health institutions is to oversee a healthier population from the services advanced. Thus, the PPACA legislatures have been beneficial in shaping the presence of a healthy population.

On the other end, there are some associated cons to the application of the PPACA legislature (Mucenski-Keck & Smoker, 2015). The first con is the high administrative costs. The role of health care systems is to take care of the associated patients. The act has administrative costs of managing care, patients with different diseases, and advocating for the need of a health insurance. Such activities have cost aspects. The second con is the coverage. The application of the PPACA has challenges of coverage and Medicare services are effective to populations centrally located. There is also a short supply of health providers, who appreciate and practice the act. The last con is the pay cut. The legislation has associated tax breaks and Medicare reimbursements, necessitating the need to cut on payments to meet health care operational costs.

In conclusion, every aspect of life seeks opportunities. Health care systems are continuously seeking reforms, to improve the delivery of quality services. The use of the PPACA legislation offers transformational changes, by creating health practices and policies. The affordable care act has been effective in the delivery of health care services, increasing health coverage, and increasing the numbers of individuals with health insurance.    

References

Mucenski-Keck, L., & Smoker, K. A. (2015). Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The CPA Journal, 85(4), 62.

Okuji, M. M., & Okuji, D. (2016). Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Dental Benefits and Practice Management: A Guide for Successful Practices, 109-125.