Affordable Care Act and Racial Inequality in Healthcare

Affordable Care Act and Racial Inequality in HealthCare
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Affordable Care Act and Racial Inequality in HealthCare
The state of the United States healthcare system had been a source of concern for many, particularly before the implementation of healthcare reform through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obamacare. While the act has dramatically improved the accessibility, affordability, and quality of healthcare for many Americans, experts do not consider the ACA a fully universal healthcare system (Holahan et al., 2016). However, the ACA is a significant step towards universal healthcare, as it requires nearly all Americans to have coverage and may eventually cover all Americans, including undocumented foreigners. Americans who can afford it may have access to high-quality healthcare, but access to healthcare largely depends on having health insurance. For those who do not have insurance, inadequate healthcare is a leading cause of death, surpassing even chronic diseases such as diabetes and the globally recognized killer, HIV/AIDS. Uninsured adults in the United States of America often go without necessary medical treatment or preventive care and are more likely to have poor health compared to those with private insurance or generally better insurance plans. Additionally, uncovered American citizens suffering from chronic illnesses such as cancer may struggle to manage their health due to a lack of an adequate insurance system.
Not having health insurance can also negatively impact children's development and education, as well as the productivity of the workforce. Uninsured adults who eventually become eligible for Medicare at age 65 typically require more medical care than those with insurance. Still worse, American citizens not eligible for insurance are more likely to end up dying in medical facilities and have a higher risk of premature death than those with insurance plans. Uninsured individuals often rely on emergency rooms for medical care, which can strain healthcare facilities. They also receive much care from emergency rooms without paying for it. In addition, uninsured American citizens are subject to approximately $100 billion in medical cover services each year for conditions that could be detected and cured earlier and cheaper if they had insurance and access to preventative healthcare.
The population of uninsured American citizens has increased due to higher health insurance premiums, changes in the job market, and insufficient funding for programs like Medicaid and CHIP that provide healthcare for those in need. In the mid-2000s, almost 47 million Americans, or approximately 16% of Americans, were uninsured. A sum of 16 million American citizens was partially covered, meaning that several uninsured Americans have incomes less than $25,000. Given that all ethnic and racial categories are affected, African Americans and Hispanics are disproportionately impacted and have higher rates of uninsured individuals than whites (Himmelstein et al., 2018). The healthcare crisis in the United States concerns society because the entire country shares the costs of providing healthcare for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Without a solution, the...