Changes and Recommendations for Medicaid Program and The Affordable Care Act

BHS 450 Case 4
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BHS 450 Case 4
Changes for Medicaid
On February 3, 2022, President Biden signed an executive order that focused on instituting sweeping reforms in Medicaid. The executive order also sought to expand the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Regarding Medicaid, Biden's administration pledged to establish a special enrollment period for the uninsured and under-insured to seek coverage (The White House, 2021). The President felt constrained to orchestrate the change after observing the ravages precipitated by COVID-19. He noted that millions of Americans continued to contract the disease and yet could not access the necessary medical services for not being insured. As such, he contended that the special enrollment period would act as a stopgap measure. It would ensure as many eligible Americans acquired medical coverage to cushion them, especially during dire times such as pandemics. In addition, the head of state reiterated the commitment of his administration to protect and strengthen Medicaid. This would ensure that every American has access to affordable and high-quality healthcare.
Changes to the Affordable Care Act
Concerning the Affordable Care Act, the President decreed that relevant executive authorities and agencies embark on immediately reviewing Agency Actions. The review would encompass existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, and policies to ensure they were consistent with the government's endeavor to protect and strengthen ACA. For instance, President Biden suggested reviewing policies and practices that may limit protections for people with preexisting conditions.
Further, he recommended the revocation of particular presidential actions and a review of associated agency actions. In this regard, he suggested the revocation of an executive order issued on January 20, 2017, which sought to ease the economic burden of ACA (The White House, 2021). He also allowed heads of agencies the autonomy to decide whether to suspend, revise, or rescind any agency actions that jeopardized or undermined ACA.
Recommendations for Health Care Reform from Experts and Interest Groups
Despite the hard work of well-intentioned and adequately trained health professionals, many healthcare systems still grapple with rising costs and poor-quality services. Since numerous incremental fixes have failed in the United States, experts have suggested a wide range of new strategies to reform the healthcare sector and make it more efficient. One fundamental recommendation is maximizing value for patients. This means using the lowest cost to achieve the best outcomes (Porter & Lee, 2013). Such an approach would be patient-centered and would revolve around what patients want. This would mark a departure from a healthcare system driven by...