The healthcare sector is among the most important sectors in our society, if not the most important. This is why, most often during political campaigns, one issue common to all the candidates’ manifestos is how they will improve the healthcare sector. It is all but a form of coaxing to garner support. However, beneath the layers of political rhetoric lies the fundamental point – the commitment to improving healthcare for all.
Fundamentally, it is the government’s role to ensure the well-being of every member of society. It does so through initiatives such as formulating and implementing comprehensive laws and policies to ensure timely and reliable healthcare services. The Affordable Care Act is such a law.
Its main aim was to increase coverage for all age categories, racial and ethnic groupings, income levels, and academic achievement by providing individuals under 65 with more affordable insurance options. The anticipated advantages were expected to be significant, especially for older persons (55-64), who are more prone than younger adults to major, persistent medical conditions.
Since its passing into law on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act and its long-term intended effects have always been a sensitive subject. Over the years, people have always had differing opinions on its effects, especially on senior healthcare, which only adds to the general public’s confusion.
So, what are the effects of the Affordable Care Act on senior healthcare? Can we begin seeing its benefits now – more than a decade later?
The Affordable Care Act’s Impact on Senior Healthcare
Improved Health Outcomes
Before the ACA, insurance companies had the right to refuse coverage, exclude coverage for certain medical conditions, or increase premiums for those with pre-existing diseases.
According to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2017, a minimum of 44% of individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 had at least one pre-existing illness. Up to 84% had at least one ailment that would have prevented them from receiving coverage from individual-market insurers in the past.
The ACA-regulated insurance market currently forbids insurers from this discrimination. Expanding Medicaid is linked to better access to diagnostics and care for illnesses that are more common among senior citizens.
These include a rise in cancer screenings and early-stage cancer diagnoses, a sharp rise in the number of heart disease and diabetes prescriptions filled, and a decline in the number of persons who test positive for depression.
Very Few People are Uninsured
Since the ACA was enacted, older adults, who depend more on the individual market than other age groups, have found the ACA’s health insurance markets to be an essential source of coverage.
According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, although making up just 12.9% of the population overall, older persons are overrepresented in the marketplace, making up roughly 29% of registrants.
Also, according to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the uninsured rate for those between the ages of 55 and 64 decreased from 12.6% to 8.5% between 2010 and 2019 – A decrease of one-third.
Upon further analysis, it came to light that the rate of uninsured people fell by 43% in states that expanded Medicaid (from 11.4% in 2010 to 6.5% in 2019). In contrast, non-expansion states had a 19% fall in the same rate (from 15% to 12.2%).
Financial Security and Flexibility
More older persons with low to moderate incomes now have access to health care, thanks to improved financial stability and flexibility.
According to a report from The Commonwealth Fund, between 2010 and 2020, under the ACA, the number of individuals who forwent a test or treatment because it was too expensive decreased by about 25%. Also, those who neglected to complete a prescription or forwent necessary medical care decreased by 19%.
Additionally, an AARP survey revealed that in the first year of the full implementation of the ACA, the percentage of persons aged 50-64 who reported having trouble paying their medical costs fell by a third. These individuals had earnings within the range covered by the Medicaid expansion or had subsidized marketplace coverage.
Less Frequent Readmissions
Many elderly patients admitted to hospitals have a high chance of being readmitted within 30 days after their initial release.
To lower the number of readmissions to hospitals, the ACA has been offering incentives for hospitals to provide elders with additional care. Hospitals that care for elderly patients at high risk of recurrent hospital readmissions may be eligible for funds under the Affordable Care Act.
Additionally, the Community-based Care Transitions Program (CCTP), created under Section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), looks for methods to enhance the care transitions of patients admitted to the hospital to other settings and to guarantee better overall care.
The Elder Justice Act
Enacted under the ACA, this measure was aimed at shielding seniors from financial exploitation, physical and emotional abuse, and other crimes. It was intended to support national and local initiatives to stop and address elder abuse as well as raise public awareness and comprehension of the issue.
According to the law, these objectives were to be achieved by establishing the Elder Justice Coordinating Council and Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation to help shape policy and create plans for reducing elder abuse across the country and by giving grants to adult protective services agencies and establishing new guidelines for handling abuse reports in long-term care facilities. These objectives have since been achieved.
Nursing Home Care Changes
Apart from being able to evaluate a nursing home more thoroughly before selecting one, the law has been modified to facilitate the filing of complaints over the standard of care provided by a facility where taking revenge for making such a complaint is forbidden.
Furthermore, the ACA places additional, more stringent notice obligations on residents if a nursing home intends to close. The nursing home must ensure that all its residents have been successfully transferred before it closes, in addition to giving notice of the closing far enough in advance.
Also, the ACA allows states to apply for federal funding to cover the cost of criminal background checks for nursing home employees who have not previously been obliged to do so, guaranteeing the safety of the patients altogether.
The healthcare sector is among the most important sectors in our society, if not the most important. This is why, most often during political campaigns, one issue common to all the candidates’ manifestos is how they will improve the healthcare sector. It is all but a form of coaxing to garner support. However, beneath the layers of political rhetoric lies the fundamental point – the commitment to improving healthcare for all.
Fundamentally, it is the government’s role to ensure the well-being of every member of society. It does so through initiatives such as formulating and implementing comprehensive laws and policies to ensure timely and reliable healthcare services. The Affordable Care Act is such a law.
Its main aim was to increase coverage for all age categories, racial and ethnic groupings, income levels, and academic achievement by providing individuals under 65 with more affordable insurance options. The anticipated advantages were expected to be significant, especially for older persons (55-64), who are more prone than younger adults to major, persistent medical conditions.
Since its passing into law on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act and its long-term intended effects have always been a sensitive subject. Over the years, people have always had differing opinions on its effects, especially on senior healthcare, which only adds to the general public’s confusion.
So, what are the effects of the Affordable Care Act on senior healthcare? Can we begin seeing its benefits now – more than a decade later?
The Affordable Care Act’s Impact on Senior Healthcare
Improved Health Outcomes
Before the ACA, insurance companies had the right to refuse coverage, exclude coverage for certain medical conditions, or increase premiums for those with pre-existing diseases.
According to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2017, a minimum of 44% of individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 had at least one pre-existing illness. Up to 84% had at least one ailment that would have prevented them from receiving coverage from individual-market insurers in the past.
The ACA-regulated insurance market currently forbids insurers from this discrimination. Expanding Medicaid is linked to better access to diagnostics and care for illnesses that are more common among senior citizens.
These include a rise in cancer screenings and early-stage cancer diagnoses, a sharp rise in the number of heart disease and diabetes prescriptions filled, and a decline in the number of persons who test positive for depression.
Very Few People are Uninsured
Since the ACA was enacted, older adults, who depend more on the individual market than other age groups, have found the ACA’s health insurance markets to be an essential source of coverage.
According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, although making up just 12.9% of the population overall, older persons are overrepresented in the marketplace, making up roughly 29% of registrants.
Also, according to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the uninsured rate for those between the ages of 55 and 64 decreased from 12.6% to 8.5% between 2010 and 2019 – A decrease of one-third.
Upon further analysis, it came to light that the rate of uninsured people fell by 43% in states that expanded Medicaid (from 11.4% in 2010 to 6.5% in 2019). In contrast, non-expansion states had a 19% fall in the same rate (from 15% to 12.2%).
Financial Security and Flexibility
More older persons with low to moderate incomes now have access to health care, thanks to improved financial stability and flexibility.
According to a report from The Commonwealth Fund, between 2010 and 2020, under the ACA, the number of individuals who forwent a test or treatment because it was too expensive decreased by about 25%. Also, those who neglected to complete a prescription or forwent necessary medical care decreased by 19%.
Additionally, an AARP survey revealed that in the first year of the full implementation of the ACA, the percentage of persons aged 50-64 who reported having trouble paying their medical costs fell by a third. These individuals had earnings within the range covered by the Medicaid expansion or had subsidized marketplace coverage.
Less Frequent Readmissions
Many elderly patients admitted to hospitals have a high chance of being readmitted within 30 days after their initial release.
To lower the number of readmissions to hospitals, the ACA has been offering incentives for hospitals to provide elders with additional care. Hospitals that care for elderly patients at high risk of recurrent hospital readmissions may be eligible for funds under the Affordable Care Act.
Additionally, the Community-based Care Transitions Program (CCTP), created under Section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), looks for methods to enhance the care transitions of patients admitted to the hospital to other settings and to guarantee better overall care.
The Elder Justice Act
Enacted under the ACA, this measure was aimed at shielding seniors from financial exploitation, physical and emotional abuse, and other crimes. It was intended to support national and local initiatives to stop and address elder abuse as well as raise public awareness and comprehension of the issue.
According to the law, these objectives were to be achieved by establishing the Elder Justice Coordinating Council and Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation to help shape policy and create plans for reducing elder abuse across the country and by giving grants to adult protective services agencies and establishing new guidelines for handling abuse reports in long-term care facilities. These objectives have since been achieved.
Nursing Home Care Changes
Apart from being able to evaluate a nursing home more thoroughly before selecting one, the law has been modified to facilitate the filing of complaints over the standard of care provided by a facility where taking revenge for making such a complaint is forbidden.
Furthermore, the ACA places additional, more stringent notice obligations on residents if a nursing home intends to close. The nursing home must ensure that all its residents have been successfully transferred before it closes, in addition to giving notice of the closing far enough in advance.
Also, the ACA allows states to apply for federal funding to cover the cost of criminal background checks for nursing home employees who have not previously been obliged to do so, guaranteeing the safety of the patients altogether.
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