Case Study Research: The Environmental Working Group (EWG)

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The response addresses the queries posted in 4446 words with references.

// Healthcare has been a topic of debate since a long period of time. The recent changes in the government legislation have specified some employer-based requirements for the healthcare provision to employees. Many organizations have also been impacted by the legislative amendments. The following section will cover the introductory knowledge of the Affordable Care Act along with its objectives. Furthermore, we will discuss impact of this act has on the American society as a whole. //

Abstract

The current paper is based on the analysis of the effects of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on a healthcare organization. It is the most comprehensive reform of the U.S. medical system in at least 45 years as its supports view it. It has a lot of impact on several demographic sections of the society. Apart from other legislations, the act has the ruling to extend the reach of the current health care insurance policy beneficiaries including bringing down the age limit. Such legislation can have different effects on both employers and the employees. The paper tries to look into the matter from both secondary and primary research in an organization to find out how an organization is affected by the act and up to what extant.

Introduction

The Affordable Care Act is implemented with an objective of increasing the rate of health insurance coverage and the affordability of insurance by the residents of America. This had led to reduce the costs of health care for individuals, as well as, the government. The Act offers many mechanisms, like mandates, subsidies and tax credits to both employers and individuals in order to increase the rate of insurance coverage and affordability. Under this Act, insurance companies are liable to cover all applicants within new minimum standards, and offer the same rates irrespective of any pre-existing conditions or gender. The recent legislative changes aim to provide an improved healthcare to the society. The act will certainly have some consequences to the healthcare services providing organizations in the industry. Therefore, the further sections of the paper will try to find out and analyze the effects of the act on the health care organizations (U.S. Department of Health & Human Sciences, 2013).

Background of the case

The current case belongs to the healthcare cost containment as it is seen in EWG. The latest phase of reforms was brought by the Bipartisan Policy Center's Health Care Cost Containment Initiative, which was led by former Senate Majority Leaders, Tom Daschle and Bill First. The report addressed a number of health care related issues through its health system reforms. The report talks about some new initiatives and reforms including a federal reinsurance mechanism. It brings into highlight the core issues and proposes certain recommendations based upon four key points. These are: Structural Medicare reform, tax and regulatory reform, prioritizing quality, prevention, and wellness and perusing delivery from the states' end (Salam, 2013).

On the basis of this report, the government can plan to bring certain policy initiatives and certain legislative moves to implement the planned reforms in the health care sector. The primary view is to make the health care sector more accountable and to curb the inflation in the sector. There have been certain legislative moves, such as Affordable Care Act and others that are in place to govern the health care practices. These require employers in the sector to comply with certain standards and requirements. This will certainly have an impact over the manner in which health care operations take place (Patrick, 2013). With this view, the current case study tries to find out the impact which the legislation will have on organizations. To look at how an individual organization will be affected from the legislation, the study is conducted in a selected organization.

//Above we have talked about the Affordable Care Act, and its objectives and the effects of the Affordable Care Act on various departments of the country. A larger part of the country will fall under insurance coverage as a result of the recent legislative changes related to health. On this basis, now discussion on the health benefits that American will get with the implementation of this Act will be discussed under this section//

The Affordable Care Act

Under the regulations of the act, the scholarships and loan repayment programs are funded by the Act with an objective of increasing the number of primary care physicians, nurses, physician assistants, mental health providers, and dentist in those areas of the country that require them the most. The Act aims to fight the shortage of nursing by using a comprehensive approach that focuses on the retention and enhanced educational opportunities. The Act, through new incentives and recruitment, would lead to an increased supply of public health professionals to prepare the United States for health emergencies. The Act also offers flexibility to state and local government to come up with health workforce recruitment strategies. This has helped in expanding crucial and timely access to care by funding the expansion, construction, and operation of community health centers all across the nation (U.S. Department of Health & Human Sciences, 2013).

The Act will help to encourage wellness and public health at large by providing an exceptional funding commitment to the required areas. There will be a creation of national prevention and health promotion strategies that will incorporate the most effective and achievable methods. The families will be empowered by providing them the tools to look for the best science-based nutrition information. This would make prevention and screenings a priority by waiving co-payments for American seniors on Medicare. Thus, the American health status will improve by reducing the occurrence of avertable illness and disability in the US (Medicaid, 2013).

The citizens of the country with no insurance coverage will have the choice to select insurance coverage that works best for them in the fresh and competitive market. The insurance exchange will empower Americans and offer them new affordable choices of private insurance plans that have to fight for their business based on the cost and quality. Though the choice of insurance coverage through this exchange will not be available to the small business owners, they will receive a new tax credit to help making up for the cost incurred by covering employees (Medicaid, 2013).

The Act would also ensure that there are no insurance industry abuses by ascertaining honest functioning of insurance companies. The Act outlaws insurance company by refusing insurance coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions of people. This gives consumers more power to appeal insurance companies' decisions.

//We have discussed so far the positive aspects of the Act that will be favorable to American society. However, there is also a negative side of this Act that is being talked about. Critics have commented that the Act may lead to business uncertainty in the nation. Now, we will discuss the extent to which this Act impacts small and large businesses and employers of the country.//

The act will bring a larger population under the coverage of health care policies. On the other hand, the Affordable Care Act ...