brief description of the health policy

Selected Topic: PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
1. Provide a brief description of the health policy issue that you selected and then answer the following questions:
• What policy alternatives are being considered or proposed or were proposed, on this issue?
• Based on what you have read, what do you think the consequences might be for each policy alternative that is being proposed?
• What criteria would you establish to evaluate the success of each proposed option? Consider both qualitative and quantitative metrics. Remember qualitative is how folks live an experience, quantitative metrics can be measured.
• As a nurse leader what do you think is the optimal solution to this issue?
• What are the political realities that need to be considered with respect to this issue?

Research this policy using 2 websites and 1 article related to the Healthcare policy issue
Cite at least 2 references
APA 7th edition

Provide a brief description of the health policy issue

Introduction

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased access to coverage for millions of Americans, but it has also exposed some weaknesses in the U.S. health care system. Health care costs are still growing faster than the economy and households’ ability to pay them; many people remain uninsured or underinsured; there is still a significant amount of variation in the cost and quality of care across geographic regions; and the U.S. health system continues to lag behind its peers in terms of quality, efficiency and patient outcomes in certain areas such as maternal mortality, chronic disease management and avoidable hospitalizations.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased access to coverage for millions of Americans, but it has also exposed some weaknesses in the U.S. health care system.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has increased access to coverage for millions of Americans, but it has also exposed some weaknesses in the U.S. health care system.

• The ACA has expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults without dependent children who currently do not qualify; this includes nearly 11 million people as of 2018, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. However, many states have been slow or unwilling to expand their programs under Medicaid expansion since 2014 because they could lose federal funding if they did so. In addition, some states have decided not to expand their existing programs because they felt it was too expensive or complicated at that time–despite being eligible for federal funding through the ACA’s enhanced match formula (which increases their state costs). As a result, more than half of uninsured adults remain ineligible for Medicaid under current rules in many states today.*

Health care costs are still growing faster than the economy and households’ ability to pay them; many people remain uninsured or underinsured; there is still a significant amount of variation in the cost and quality of care across geographic regions; and the U.S. health system continues to lag behind its peers in terms of quality, efficiency and patient outcomes in certain areas such as maternal mortality, chronic disease management and avoidable hospitalizations.

In this section, you will be asked to describe a brief description of the health policy issue. Your assignment is to provide a brief description of the health care cost issue and its impact on our nation’s economy, households’ ability to pay for care and overall quality of life.

The United States spends more per person than any other developed nation on health care but does not necessarily get better results in terms of prevention or treatment outcomes compared with other nations who spend less money on their citizens’ health needs but have better results overall when it comes to chronic diseases like diabetes or heart disease (1).

The average American spends over $8,000 per year on basic medical services like doctor visits, prescription drugs or hospitalizations while facing higher prices due to inflation rate increases each year (2). This trend has been occurring since 2009 when Congress first approved legislation authorizing certain groups such as Medicare beneficiaries under age 65; children under 19 years old whose parents aren’t eligible for Medicaid; qualified disabled individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits at age 62+ years old through traditional means provided by state governments within their own borders — e

There are still challenges with our current health system

The ACA has increased access to coverage for millions of Americans, but it has also exposed some weaknesses in the U.S. health care system. While some people have been able to get better coverage and care at lower prices through the ACA’s marketplaces, others have seen their premiums increase dramatically or find themselves without insurance altogether because they live in a state whose governor has refused to expand Medicaid under the law.

In addition to these challenges with our current health system, there are still many areas where we need better access, including:

• More affordable drugs that treat cancer but cost $100K per year;
• Better diagnostic tools (like a non-invasive test);
• Better management strategies for chronic diseases like diabetes;

Conclusion

The Affordable Care Act has made a positive difference in the lives of millions of Americans. It has improved access to basic health care and provided coverage for millions more people who had been uninsured previously. While this law was designed with many strengths, there are still challenges that need to be addressed in order for our health system to be sustainable over time.