Introduction
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) obliges states to deliver healthcare insurance services through online market places called exchanges. These exchanges will give an opportunity to individuals and business organizations the chance to make selections, comparisons as they are purchasing covers that offer the least level of coverage. Texas like all other states, have the preference of launching their own online market place. These exchanges have the option of operating in collaboration with the federal government or handing over their healthcare market place administrative duties to the federal government (Johnson & Svara, 2013). Currently the State of Texas has shown no indication that it will establish such an online market place, this is according to a letter from its Governor Rick Perry that dates to Nov. 2012. In effect, from 2014, the federal Government has started enrolling people with incomes between one hundred and four hundred percent in the poverty index. Before 2014, the state offered admission to health insurance for individuals with pre-existing health circumstances, this was through the Texas Health Insurance Pool (Hills & Ryder, 2012).
Waivers
Waivers permit states to grow Medicaid managed care, this assists in controlling costs and simultaneously developing service management thus leading to the preservation of federal funding for healthcare institutions. The state of Texas appealed for Federal approval to re-channel the upper payment limit funding that it would have benefited into a different reform plan. This is beneficial for the state of Texas as it improves Medicaid services and leads to cost reduction through expansion of managed care without unnecessary loss of federal funding by healthcare institutions (Copeland & Carey, 2011).
Insurance regulations and benefits
Texas has recently received one billion dollars in grants to support this health insurance in the market. This will aid greatly in following up the line of investigation, setting up of plans, growing of new technology as well as its’ execution. This money is also supposed to keep checks on the insurance companies such that they should not increase the premium rate without the proper procedures in place.
In the past, people who had pre-existing conditions could not get covers because it was very expensive for them. ACA has brought about better options for such people by ensuring that no extra charges should be charged on them.
In addition, young adults of up to 26 years shall now be covered by their parents if need be. In the past, such people would go without a cover for various reasons such as unemployment and non-affordability of the cover.
Affordable care act has also brought about a wave of better health across Texas State. This has been brought about by the elimination of cost sharing for preventive medical care. Children and women can now be well taken care of ensuring a healthier generation in future.
Individuals who had life threatening chronic diseases have their weight of life time dollar limits literally lifted off their shoulders. The law has prohibited the insurance companies from having annual limits as well. As of now, more than five million children and women are free from this worry.
Solid Medicare program
It is now easy for people to have the medicine prescriptions at a lesser cost. Every covered brand name on drugs got a 50 percent discount and a 14 percent discount for all the generic drugs. Seniors and peole with disability now have a better care of preventing diseases before they get serious. The health care law has come up with better ways of stopping the fraud as well with over 14 billion recovered from fraudsters in the last four years.
Current state
ACA has afforded more choice to approximately seventy seven percent of individuals in the state of Texas, not only this, but ACA has offered strength in healthcare coverage. With the online portal, the remaining Texans will be able to purchase through the federal online marketplace.
- Copeland, Curtis, and Carey Maeve. Upcoming Rules Pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). New York: Diane Publishing, 2011. Print.
- Hills, Ismael, and Ryder Elijah. Funding and Appropriations in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated, 2012. Print.
- Johnson, Norman, and Svara James. Justice for All: Promoting Social Equity in Public Administration. California: M.E. Sharpe, 2011. Print.
