First Effects of Affordable Care Act Benefit US Citizens, Hit Employers' Profits

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)has already started shaping the US health insurance landscape, two years after it was made a law, reports philly.com.

The controversial law that faces a US Supreme Court challenge on Monday, has increased insurance coverage in little ways and accelerated changes already taking place in the healthcare system.

Though it has not seriously altered healthcare in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, it has made a difference, say high ranking officials at various health systems.

It has become a catalyst for people to start thinking about health coverage and has made them look at new ways of doing business, accelerating the pace of change in terms of increasing quality and efficiency.

The state-wise scorecard is as follows:

133,614 young adults up to age 26 in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are now covered under their parents' health plans.

7.9 million residents of New Jersey and Pennsylvania do no have lifetime limits on their health plans.

4.3 million people with private insurance have benefited from preventive health services with no personal expenditure, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Other finer points of the ACA, such as the establishment of state exchanges to buy insurance and the expansion of Medicaid, are still being worked upon, creating uncertainty for healthcare providers, insurance companies, and employers.

Also, early coverage changes are hitting some employers' profits.



Source: Medindia