Health Care Reform In the U.S. A :Predictions and Proposals

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Medicare Background:

Medicare is the nation's largest health insurance program, providing coverage in for approximately 50 million Americans. The program is operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and is grouped into two major categories- the Traditional Medicare Plan, and the Medicare Advantage Plan. Each of the two plans has four sub-sections or categories specifically: Part A (Hospital Insurance); Part B (Medical /Health Insurance), Part C (Medical Advantage Plans) and Part D (Prescription Drugs Plans). In recent years, Medicare has experiences reforms and legislations. For example, the healthcare legislation reform law was passed in 2010 with the signing of the Patient long-Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R.3590), as well as the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (H.R. 4872).

New legislations have had significant impact and new meanings for how Part D plans will and now can advertise and enroll Medicare beneficiaries. Specifically, the legislation will strengthen and protect Medicare recipients and expand the provisions for the lower-income groups by expanding the original provisions in Part D. Overall, the changes will have significant impact on the Part D dynamics and operations including aspects of benefit design, and speciality prescription drug coverage( ADHB, 2012).

Although the United States government's modification plan for Medicare has provided many benefits especially those relating to health and social insurance for the physically disabled and senior Americans (65+), the plan still faces a plethora of challenges. Such challenges arise from the impact of decreasing revenues, the increase in health care costs, baby boomers, and the weak economy. As a result of such challenges, the federal program cannot provide insurance for its approximately 50 million beneficiaries.

As such over-providing the best health insurance mainly covering citizens aged 65 years and above, those less than 65 years and are physically disabled and other citizens having special needs. The major impact of the legislation is that even more Americans, especially Medicare beneficiaries, retirees and seniors, those depending on the program's ...