Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Please provide feedback on why you agree with this statement.
According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Health Reform website, the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), will affect millions of Americans. It will protect patients from being denied health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions and will give them better
access to preventative and primary services (American Nurses Association, 2017). Because nurses are the most trusted profession among clinicians, there is a great need for them to aid patients in accessing care and navigating the healthcare system. One way that nurses can help is in educating patients about provisions of the law. For example, inform that starting in 2016 patients will not be denied medical coverage because of a pre-existing condition. In
addition, educate them that free Medicare preventative services will be expanded and free preventative services to all women will be included. In addition, adult children up to age 26 will be included in their parent?s policies (American Nurses Association, 2016). Another way nurses can aid the public in this process is to encourage the uninsured to enroll in a health plan that meets their needs in the Health Insurance Marketplace (American Nurses Association, 2013). Start communicating with the young adults about their options and encourage them to sign up as well. I believe that one population that might have a problem in getting enrolled in the health plans are those who do not have experience using the web. Many local libraries are offering classes to aid communities in enrolling online. For example, the Cumberland County Library in Fayetteville, NC had a few events last year to teach the public about PPACA and how to sign up for health insurances. Nurses can make a crucial impact on the success of the PPACA initiave and continue to aid patients in their medical care.
American Nurses Association, Health Care Reform (2017). Keeping Health Care Healthy, Patients Informed. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/HealthSystemReform/Health-
