The purpose of this assignment is to understand how international health care systems compare to the United States. Students will also explore the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and predict how it will affect America’s system of health care delivery. Follow the instructions below to fulfill all stated requirements.
Technical Requirements:
- 900-1300 words (does not include in-text citations or reference page)
- Double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, 1” margins, essay format
Content Requirements:
Introduction paragraph (minimum 4 sentences) – Last sentence is a thesis sentence
- Briefly introduce the topic
- The last sentence of this paragraph should be your thesis statement. A thesis statement clearly states what your paper will cover and gives an overview of the points you will make.
- Hint: Write your thesis sentence last. That way you can focus the flow of information within the body of your paper and then make your thesis sentence match all topics at the end of your writing.
- Example: “This paper will explore various health systems around the world and how they compare to the United States using dimensions such as quality of care and access.”
Dimensions of Health Care paragraph
- Click here for the international comparison of health systems article to complete this section of the paper (https://interactives.commonwealthfund.org/2017/july/mirror-mirror/).
- In 1-2 sentences for each dimension, define all 5 dimensions (care process, access, administrative efficiency, equity, and health care outcomes) that are used to evaluate the health care systems of each country.
- Define each dimension of health care. Do not describe how each dimension relates to the U.S. or other countries at this time.
- Be sure to summarize this information into your own words to avoid plagiarism.
- This information can be found in the How We Measured Performance section near the bottom of the full report.
- Keep this section as concise as possible to avoid exceeding the maximum word count of 1300 for this assignment
Rank Comparison of Health Care Systems paragraph
- Identify 1 dimension you think is the most important to health care and explain why it is most important to you (minimum 2 substantive sentences).
- Identify the country whose health care system received the highest overall rating in this dimension in the article.
- Describe the reasons for achieving this ranking (minimum 3 substantive sentences)
- Identify the country whose health care system received the lowest overall rating in this dimension in the article.
- Describe the reasons for achieving this ranking (minimum 3 substantive sentences)
- This paragraph will require additional research to find this information. Be sure to use reliable, unbiased sources in this discussion and include appropriate citations using APA referencing.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) paragraph(s)
- Section overview: The PPACA encompasses many components addressing health care in the U.S. You will start by describing 2 specific components of the law. In your research, you will find that some components of the PPACA have been changed since it was signed into law in 2010. Research and report if the parts you describe have changed, and what their impact has had on our healthcare system.
- Component 1 paragraph – Identify and describe a main component of the PPACA. Main components include specific aspects of the policy. For example, allowing children to stay on their parents’ health insurance until 26 years old.
- Describe this specific component (minimum of 2 substantive sentences)
- Identify if and how this component has changed since the PPACA became law (1 sentence)
- Provide data/statistics/numbers describing the impact this component has had on our healthcare system (minimum of 1 substantive sentence)
- Component 2 paragraph – Identify and describe another main component of the PPACA.
- Describe this specific component (minimum of 2 substantive sentences)
- Identify if and how this component has changed since the PPACA became law (1 sentence)
- Provide data/statistics/numbers describing the impact this component has had on our healthcare system (minimum of 1 substantive sentence)
Conclusion paragraph (minimum 4 sentences)
- Now that you have researched health care in the U.S. and abroad, you have the opportunity to share your viewpoint of U.S. health care. The goal of this paragraph is to describe your opinion of the current direction of health care reform in the U.S. (Students are expected to use first person in this paragraph).
- Some possible discussions in this paragraph could include:
- Ways the PPACA affects the U.S. health care system
- Ways you have personally been affected by changes in health care since the implementation of the PPACA
- What you specifically like/dislike about the PPACA
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The healthcare system in the United States has been a topic of debate for many years. With the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the healthcare landscape has seen significant changes. This assignment aims to explore how healthcare systems in other countries compare to the United States and analyze the impact of the PPACA on the American healthcare system. This paper will focus on the dimensions of healthcare, the ranking comparison of healthcare systems, and specific components of the PPACA.
Dimensions of Healthcare:
Healthcare systems around the world are evaluated using five dimensions: care process, access, administrative efficiency, equity, and healthcare outcomes. The care process dimension refers to the quality of care provided to patients. Access is defined as the ease of obtaining healthcare services. Administrative efficiency measures the efficiency of operations and management practices. Equity refers to the equal distribution of healthcare services irrespective of a person’s race, gender, or economic status. Healthcare outcomes refer to the overall health status of the population.
Rank Comparison of Healthcare Systems:
Access is one of the most important dimensions of healthcare as it determines the ease of obtaining healthcare services. According to the Commonwealth Fund report, the United Kingdom has the highest rating for access, while the United States ranks last among the countries analyzed. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) provides free medical care to all residents, regardless of their ability to pay. On the other hand, the United States relies heavily on health insurance companies to finance healthcare, making it difficult for low-income individuals to access the care they need.
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA):
One main component of the PPACA is the individual mandate, which requires every individual to have health insurance or pay a fee. This component has been changed since the PPACA became law, and in 2017 the individual mandate penalty was eliminated. The mandate was aimed at increasing the number of people covered by insurance and stabilizing premiums. The elimination of the mandate has led to a decrease in the number of insured individuals and an increase in premiums.
Another main component of the PPACA is Medicaid expansion, which aimed to increase access to healthcare for low-income individuals. The expansion increased the eligibility level for Medicaid to 138% of the federal poverty level. In some states, Medicaid expansion has not been accepted, leading to disparities in access to care. Since the PPACA was implemented, the uninsured rate has decreased significantly, and more people have been able to access health services.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the healthcare system in the United States faces significant challenges in terms of access and affordability. The PPACA has brought about significant changes, but there is still much work to be done to improve the healthcare system. I believe that healthcare should be a fundamental right, and the government should take more responsibility for ensuring that everyone has access to affordable healthcare services. The elimination of the individual mandate penalty and some states’ refusal to accept Medicaid expansion have had adverse effects on the healthcare system. Therefore, it is necessary to continue engaging in policy reform discussions to ensure that every American has access to quality healthcare services.
