Does mandatory health care under the ACA benefit

Americans?
Boerner, Heather. "Losing and Winning Under the ACA in 2015." F American College
of Physician
Executives (2015): 58-61. SLCC LIBRARIES. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Summary

In Losing and Winning Under the ACA in 2015 Heather Boerner writes about the positive and negative
changes that will come to pass as the Affordable Care Act unravels in 2015. As a brief background she
points out 5 major tenets of the ACE. First, Consumer protection meaning health insurance companies
cannot deny coverage to an individual with a pre-existing condition and limits the amount of money spent
on copayments, coinsurance and premiums. Second, Mandatory Coverage meaning all plans under ACA
must provide preventative care. Third, Payment Reform which includes bundled payments. Fourth,
Tougher Scrutiny on Quality; this allows Medicare and Medicaid Services to cut reimbursements for
hospitals with high readmission rates. And lastly, Improved Access to Coverage which expands Medicaid
for individuals within the poverty levels allowing Americans to shop for medical coverage in a competitive
way; individuals may qualify for subsidies. This is the way the law was meant to be, however, this is not
how it played out. Supreme Court upheld the law but did not expand Medicaid and agreed to hear a case
that could strip premium subsidies. Aside from these political changes, Boerner includes after all the
changes the Marketplaces will remain mostly unchanged. The only small changes would be New Mexico,
Nevada, and Oregon switching from state based Marketplaces to healthcare.gov or Federal Marketplace.
Consumers premiums in most states will not undergo drastic changes. All in all although it is still early in
the game, the ACA is still sifting through and making adjustments as to what items under the ACA are
consider beneficial or not. It is ever-changing however Boerner brings up great points of the positives and
negatives of ACA outcomes.
Rhetorically Analyze/Evaluate
Heather Boerner is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience
specializing in healthcare. Her work has appeared in many publications including The San Francisco
Chronicle Sunday Magazine, Momentum Magazine, Diabetes Forecast and National Nurse Magazine.
She also worked with and trained under Dennis A. Hunt Grant for Health Journalism, and a winner of an
Association of Health Care Journalists Award of Excellence 2012. Boerner I found was credible not only
through her past experiences but in her understanding of the ACA. Right off the bat in the beginning gave

a brief description of the ACA and what it was meant to be. She then followed up with the pros and cons
of the ACA from a political point of view and as a fellow consumer of the ACA. She gives great evidence
of the benefits and negatives of mandatory healthcare that is within our recent timeline 2014-2015.
Reflection

When I reflect on Boerners article she helps me gain a better understand of the ACA which leads me
to a better understanding of the positive and negative differences and benefits of mandatory
healthcare. It doesnt sway to choose a side but I can definitely use this source to bring up the issue
and gives the audience a fair judgment; allowing them to discover how that can relate to the law and
build a foundation for their decision.

Carroll, Aaron, MD, MS. Obamacare First Anniversary Update. Digital image.Youtube/Healthcare Triage.
Jama, 11 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Summary
In Obamacare First Anniversary Update Aaron Carroll shares the recent positive updates of the ACA. He
is pro-obamacare. He brings up briefly how this law in the beginning caused confusion but how quickly the
ACA, within a one year period, accomplished and exceeded its benchmark. At the end of Open
Enrollment 8 million people signed up for plans, when they predicted 7 million. Although others claimed
that the 8 million who signed up were existing covered individuals who rolled over, research by Kaiser
Family Foundation surveys that the majority of the 8 million were not insured before the ACA law took
effect. Commonwealth Fund surveys found that the uninsured rate in the United States has drastically
increased in 2014. Even though many states have still refused to accept it as a policy, in the last year
many states have changed their minds and agreed to expansion with the Department of Health and
Human Services. Hospitals with expanded Medicaid have a greater increase in admissions and
decreases in uninsured admissions. Now for the states that didnt expand, they show increased state
spending on uncompensated care by more than a billion in 2016 alone. Carroll also extends that its
harder to take away benefits that already exist than to prevent their bine provided beforehand.
Rhetorically Analyze/Evaluate
Aaron Carroll is a health services research and the Vice Chair for Health Policy and Outcomes Research
in the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. His YouTube channel,
"Healthcare Triage" received the 2015 National Institute of Health Care Management Digital Media Award.

He is credible and uses his Ethos and understanding of the ACA to inform readers about the benefits of
mandatory healthcare. He was able to provide up to date surveys and track the progress of the ACA.
Carroll promotes the ACA to be beneficial to Americans.
Reflection

From his video it did help me see the benefits and positive outcomes of the ACA for Americans. Not only
does he provide evidence of the positives but also the negatives of repealing the ACA. There is a lot that
is at stake and helps readers understand that pros of continuing with the ACA far outweigh the negatives.
In comparison its better to keep the ACA rather than repealing it and have the risk of consumers losing
their subsidies.

"Obamacare." Alliance Defending Freedom. Alliance Defending Freedom. Web. 30 Mar. 2016.
Summary
In Whats in the 2,700 pages of Obamacare? it argues that it is not just a healthcare law. The Federal
Government now requires everyone to have health coverage and violates the First Amendment. It forces
citizens to pay for other peoples life-ending abortion drugs; religios employers who dont pay for the
abortion-causing drugs are penalized; and life-ending drugs (abortion) are free of charge while. the cost of
other life-saving care continues to charge
Rhetorically Analyze/Evaluate
Based off of the website I wasnt able to find an author however adflegal.org is a credible site since 1994
and has Christian leaders and more than 30 founders who unite in order to defend religious freedom.
Reflection
Im not too big on the religious perspective so thats why I thought Id further my research on it. It gives me
better view of the negatives of the ACA for Americans not just politically but religiously too. I know that
almost 60% of Americans practice Christianity and this would draw in their attention and help persuade
the audience to determine the ACA to be beneficial or not. Im still looking into the issue and want to find
better sources that could support a religious perspective.