15 May Affordable Care Act Revisited: Good News – New Orleans, LA
There seems to be good news for the Affordable Health Care Act (ACA). New research conducted by professors at Harvard’s School of Public Health shows evidence that a similar program can help reduce mortality rates. The research, first published by Annals of Internal Medicine journal, looks at health data from the state of Massachusetts and draws some interesting conclusions. Let’s take a look at the findings and how they compare at a national level.
First, let’s go back to April of 2006 when the Massachusetts legislature passed a law requiring its residents to enroll in a health care plan or face legal penalties. It was the first time a state would offer universal health care for all its residents, and as Uwe E. Reinhardt, a professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University put it, “Massachusetts [was] the first state in America to reach full adulthood”. So why is Massachusetts health system so important?
Firstly, The Affordable Care Act of 2010 (also known as Obamacare) was modeled after Massachusetts’ plan, as it was seen as a breakthrough model that accounted for everyone. It was also an example of remarkable bipartisanship, as both sides of the aisle got on board, getting signed by then Republican Governor Mitt Romney.
Secondly, eight years have gone since the bill passed and researchers have enough information to test it. As it turns out, the system has proven to reduce mortality rates consistently. This could potentially mean that Obamacare will have the same effect at a larger scale.
The implications of this research are enormous, as the ACA was a divisive issue across the nation. Any research or hard facts that support its implementation will only shed light on the effectiveness of the program. Just this past March, complaints against the so-called Obamacare grew as the signup website encountered many glitches and errors. Regardless, enrollment numbers seem to be as projected according to the White House.
In the end, we might have to wait four more years to see what this fundamental change to our healthcare system does. Don’t forget to stay up to date with changes to insurance law and other news here at AWS.
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