Healthcare Reform Analysis: Program Planning and Evaluation Report

This report analyzes the impact of healthcare reform, focusing on the Affordable Care Act and its implications. It examines the reform's effects on individuals with pre-existing conditions, the elderly, and low-income families, highlighting the potential for increased access to affordable healthcare. The report identifies concerns regarding refugees and immigrant families, as well as the impact on private insurance companies and small businesses. It also assesses the reform's influence on Medicaid expansion and the affordability of healthcare services, acknowledging the penalty for those without a mandate or pre-existing insurance. The analysis draws on multiple sources and discusses the practical implications of the healthcare plan.

Running head: PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION
PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION
What is your overall opinion of the plan? Overall, the health reform plan is indeed
an innovative and highly affordable framework of healthcare for individuals with pre-existing
health conditions, the elderly and families belonging to a low income group. Quality
healthcare services will no longer be a luxury but an affordable resource for all communities
across the nation (Mechanic & Olfson, 2016).
What are your concerns? One of the major concerns is that of refuges and
immigrant families who will not be covered with the new healthcare reform. Additionally, the
next concern is that of the individuals who were well accustomed to their private insurances
and private insurance companies who derived a living out of providing medical coverage.
Such companies will now have to repeal or accommodate the reform in their insurance plans
resulting in individuals being forced to opt for the federal healthcare reform (Chen et al.,
2016).
What impact will the act have on small businesses? Small business who are still
struggling to earn profits derive a major section of their income from providing insurance
coverage to their employees. With the mandatory rule of providing taxes to the government
to pay for the reform, it is likely that the financial stability of these businesses will be
affected. Further, the employees will now likely opt for the healthcare reform rather than
insurance provided by these business hence further increasing losses (Soni et al., 2018).
What effect will it have on Medicaid, and is it really an affordable plan, as its
name indicates? Medicaid has expanded under these reform to cover for families with 138%
of income at the federal poverty line and disabled individuals, hence making it truly
affordable. However, individuals without a mandate or pre-existing insurance will be
required to pay a penalty to access these benefits – hence, resulting in a major loophole of
unaffordability (Frean, Gruber & Sommers, 2017).

2PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION

3PROGRAM PLANNING AND EVALUATION
References
Chen, J., Vargas-Bustamante, A., Mortensen, K., & Ortega, A. N. (2016). Racial and ethnic
disparities in health care access and utilization under the Affordable Care Act.
Medical care, 54(2), 140.
Frean, M., Gruber, J., & Sommers, B. D. (2017). Premium subsidies, the mandate, and
Medicaid expansion: Coverage effects of the Affordable Care Act. Journal of Health
Economics, 53, 72-86.
Mechanic, D., & Olfson, M. (2016). The relevance of the Affordable Care Act for improving
mental health care. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 12, 515-542.
Soni, A., Sabik, L. M., Simon, K., & Sommers, B. D. (2018). Changes in insurance coverage
among cancer patients under the Affordable Care Act. JAMA oncology, 4(1), 122-124.