AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE Research paper

Managed care employs a number of mechanisms like economic incentives for patients and physicians. Managed healthcare plans after its start it was widely praised for trying to curb the inflation which mostly affected the health sector in the 1980s. For example, it tried as much as possible to cut the unnecessary hospitalizations and as a result making the healthcare providers provide a discount for their rates. By doing so, managed care made the healthcare industry to become more competitive and efficient. However, managed care program received criticism because some people felt that managed care aimed at reducing the cost of healthcare without considering the quality of healthcare. This is very important because the users are entitled to quality and low-cost healthcare.

In addition, managed care usually subjects its programs to constant review as well as improvement programs. This means that constant review is aimed at ensuring that managed care is doing its work accordingly. Moreover, it emphasizes on preventive and affordable healthcare. Another technique used by managed care is the provision of financial incentives which are mainly aimed at encouraging its users to make use of the care in a more efficient manner. They try to oppose the idea that low cost of the overall healthcare. This is due to the fact there is no relationship between the quality of healthcare and its cost. If managed healthcare provides quality healthcare at a low cost then it means that is good because it serves the interests of the poor people.

On the other hand, people who are against managed care say that managed care has in one way or the other increased the cost of healthcare instead of lowering it because the number the number of uninsured people has increased due to the influence of managed care. Others feel that its emphasis on low-cost healthcare has compromised the quality of health care. In addition, ACA makes sure that premiums are uniform for any given age bracket. In this regard, premiums will only be determined by age factor but not the existing health conditions of the enrollee. In addition, it provides for the provision of "essential health benefits" like maternity services, mental health-related services, laboratory services and many others. Moreover, extra preventive care, as well as screenings for women, should be provided.

This applies to any employer apart from religious organizations. This means that many people will be in a position to receive preventive as well as screenings services. The other thing of importance from ACA is that it has made accessibility of prescription medications possible because ACA covers make it possible for the citizens to receive any type of medication they require. Another advantage is that it has made it possible for children to remain under parent's plan until they reach 26 years. This provision has made many children be in a position to receive any type of coverage they need before attaining 26years. ACA has also made health care coverage universal for all people because people who belong to middle class or are below poverty entitled to tax credits when their premiums are computed.

For example , people who receive high salaries at the end of month are now subjected to high taxes. In addition , there is additional taxes on pharmaceutical sales and medical devices. This is a clear indication that the wealthy people are ones who are subjected to high costs of healthcare in order to pay for the poor (Dolan & Mokhtari, 2013). Another disadvantage of ACA is that it has made it almost impossible to access medical services from a doctor in some of the communities. For example, after the introduction of ACA people who were uninsured before now enrolled in Acai this regard, many appointments for doctors were now created thereby making it difficult for the physician to attend to all patients. This is a big burden more so to the families which earn high salaries because they are subjected to high taxes (Meek, 2012).

Conclusion It is imperative for the government to look at both advantages and disadvantages when trying to make some changes to the ACA because the ACA needs some improvements and also to solve some of the problems which were brought about by it. It is clear that ACA has many benefits but these benefits generate problems that may make some people unable to endure in the near future. The overall benefit of ACA is that it has made many people be in a position to access affordable and quality healthcare. References Kongstvedt, P. W. Undertreatment of COPD: a retrospective analysis of US managed care and Medicare patients. International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 7, 1. Cheetham, T. C. Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, 19(5), 367-373.