Georgia's Online Cancer Information Center


back

United States Health Care Reform: Progress to Date and Next Steps

7/11/2016, Barack Obama, JD

Importance  The Affordable Care Act is the most important health care legislation enacted in the United States since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. The law implemented comprehensive reforms designed to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care.

Objectives  To review the factors influencing the decision to pursue health reform, summarize evidence on the effects of the law to date, recommend actions that could improve the health care system, and identify general lessons for public policy from the Affordable Care Act.

Evidence  Analysis of publicly available data, data obtained from government agencies, and published research findings. The period examined extends from 1963 to early 2016.

Findings  The Affordable Care Act has made significant progress toward solving long-standing challenges facing the US health care system related to access, affordability, and quality of care. Since the Affordable Care Act became law, the uninsured rate has declined by 43%, from 16.0% in 2010 to 9.1% in 2015, primarily because of the law’s reforms. Research has documented accompanying improvements in access to care (for example, an estimated reduction in the share of nonelderly adults unable to afford care of 5.5 percentage points), financial security (for example, an estimated reduction in debts sent to collection of $600-$1000 per person gaining Medicaid coverage), and health (for example, an estimated reduction in the share of nonelderly adults reporting fair or poor health of 3.4 percentage points). The law has also begun the process of transforming health care payment systems, with an estimated 30% of traditional Medicare payments now flowing through alternative payment models like bundled payments or accountable care organizations. These and related reforms have contributed to a sustained period of slow growth in per-enrollee health care spending and improvements in health care quality. Despite this progress, major opportunities to improve the health care system remain.

Conclusions and Relevance  Policy makers should build on progress made by the Affordable Care Act by continuing to implement the Health Insurance Marketplaces and delivery system reform, increasing federal financial assistance for Marketplace enrollees, introducing a public plan option in areas lacking individual market competition, and taking actions to reduce prescription drug costs. Although partisanship and special interest opposition remain, experience with the Affordable Care Act demonstrates that positive change is achievable on some of the nation’s most complex challenges. 

Click here to read the full paper.

Media, News & Events

Georgia CORE awards Cancer Research Fund grant to two teams

Georgia CORE has awarded two teams a Collaborative Cancer Research Seed Grant from the Georgia Cancer Research Fund.

5/10/2024

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Our email newsletter allows you to get the most up-to-date information right in your Inbox.

Subscribe Now
About Us Research Resources & Education Screening & Genetics Clinical Trials & Providers Cancer Navigators Survivorship Media, News & Events Contact Us Donate Take Our Survey Link to Us

Research

Screening & Genetics

Find Cancer Care

Survivorship

About Georgia CORE

Education & Resources

Media, News & Events

Patient Navigation

Georgia CORE

 

Georgia CORE bridges the gap between groundbreaking research, educational outreach, and effective advocacy to transform the landscape of cancer care for all Georgians.