American Healthcare Act of 2017

American Healthcare Act of 2017 Name Institution American Health Care Act of 2017 The health care system reform in the U.S. is continuous, and lawmakers are always looking for ways to improve it to capture the health care components such as universal care, patient-centeredness, and affordability. This paper examines the recently introduced American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA) to determine which components it addresses, the major stakeholders, and its effect on health care professionals and the delivery of care. Summary of the Health Care Bill (10) The AHCA is a bill that was introduced into legislation with the main aim of repealing the existing Obamacare (ACA) to close all the existing loopholes in the health care law. One of the main components of health care that the bill aims to address is the component of patient-centeredness. In the modern health care system, patient-centered care has become imperative because it allows medical professionals to address patients’ needs that would otherwise be left unattended or unrecognized (Millenson, Shapiro, Greenhouse, & DiGioia, 2016). The AHCA focus on patient centered-care is thus based on the need to address the problems in the health care system by allowing patients to be part of the change. As revealed by the Congress report of the Committee on the Budget House of Representatives (2017), AHCA achievement of a patient-centered health care system requires repealing the Obamacare and involving major participants in the health care system, both professionals and patients. When patients and health care professionals are involved in the health care reforms, a better system that truly addresses patients’ needs will be established. Another component of health care that the bill aims to address is the component of universal care. Universal care entails universal coverage such that every member of society has access to quality care without any limitations (Abiiro & Allegri, 2015). In line with this, the AHCA focuses on providing patients with more options while at the same time ensuring universal access (Congress, 2017). Given that the American population is highly diverse, the health care system should be such that the whole population can access health care that suits their individual needs, hence the need to provide patients with more choices. The two health care components addressed by the AHCA of 2017 are essential if any reforms in the system are to be expected, but it is imperative that changes are not made based on political alliances but based on patients’ needs. The Bill’s Stakeholders (15) Rep. Black Diane introduced the bill in the 115th Congress in 2017 (Congress, 2017). In most cases, when a bill is introduced to Congress, it faces both opposition and support from the lawmakers and other stakeholders. The case was not any different for the AHCA because it received uproar from the public and health care professionals. The major stakeholders who would be affected by the bill include insurers, patients, health care professionals, and the government. For insurers, their interests lie on the insurance premiums and how the bill affects them. For instance, as stated in Sec. 131, the bill aims at removing “ cost-sharing reductions for low-income individuals with cer...