What are the impacts of affordable healthcare policies in low-income communities?
Research Paper: Outline Assignment
Affordable Healthcare Policy
The Affordable Healthcare Policy is a government initiative that works under the economic theory of socialism by ensuring equity in healthcare access (Frech et al., 2017). Due to significant challenges experienced in the past when accessing healthcare services, the affordable healthcare policy seeks to bridge the gap between the poor and the access to quality healthcare. The policy seeks to achieve its objectives by regulating insurance and pharmaceutical companies to reduce healthcare costs.
Proposed Research Question
What are the impacts of affordable healthcare policies in low-income communities?
Affordable Healthcare
Financial security in healthcare involves expanding insurance coverage to meet the affordable healthcare requirements. Most individuals have been enrolled in Medicaid, thus eliminating healthcare costs in excess of 30 percent of income (Martin, 2015). More than 7.3 million people have benefited from the affordable healthcare policy through significant contributions to various insurance companies. Individuals from low-income communities have enrolled in various insurance programs as part of affordable healthcare policy requirements. The government considers health a public good that should be accessible to all without discriminating against the marginalized (Borgonovi et al., 2012). Therefore, it regulates the healthcare industry by ensuring insurance and pharmaceutical companies comply with various requirements to avoid exploitation. More than 31 states expanded their Medicaid, thus increasing enrollment by 36 percent to ensure quality care for all. Various states, such as Minnesota, California, and Connecticut, increased adult coverage by 7.3 percent in low-income communities. Moreover, more than 6 million young adults from low-income communities have enrolled for medical insurance, therefore facilitating the affordable healthcare policy (Patel et al., 2020). Government subsidies for healthcare have increased enrollment rates among adults in low-income communities, thus facilitating access to quality care as a public good.
Proposed Research Methodology
Since this research will entail the impacts of affordable healthcare policy in low-income communities, primary data sources will be significant to obtain first-hand information. Interview questions regarding the research question will be prepared for participants to respond to. The sample population will involve youths over 18 years and adults from low-income communities to determine their experience with the affordable healthcare policy and its impact on their lives (Patel et al., 2020). Therefore, the participant’s response during the interview will indicate their viewpoint regarding the impacts of affordable healthcare policy in low-income communities. Since interviews will be significant in data collection, the study will prioritize qualitative research to obtain the participants’ relevant perceptions. The research will target 100 participants organized into 10 groups of 10 participants each for the interviews.
Proposed Preliminary Suppositions and Implications
The research will provide significant knowledge on affordable healthcare and the economic theory of socialism by defining the government’s role in ensuring equitable access to public goods such as healthcare (Jakovljevic, 2013). Moreover, the research findings will impact future research by developing significant policies, data analysis methods, and theoretical understanding of various topics. The research will be significant for future practitioners in the government planning sector as it will develop a significant analysis of ensuring equitable access to services. Therefore, the research will be beneficial to health insurance companies, private investors, and different countries willing to implement universal healthcare programs.
References
Borgonovi, E., & Compagni, A. (2012, November 14). Sustaining Universal Health Coverage: The Interaction of Social, Political, and Economic Sustainability. Value in Health. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1098301512041575
Frech, H. E., & Zweifel, P. (2017). Market Socialism and Community Rating in Health Insurance. Comparative Economic Studies. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/compes/v59y2017i3d10.1057_s41294-017-0027-3.html
Jakovljevic, M. B. (2013). Resource Allocation Strategies in Southeastern European Health Policy. The European journal of health economics: HEPAC: health economics in prevention and care. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23143312/
Martin, E. J. (2015). Healthcare policy legislation and administration: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 407-411.
Patel, K., & Rushefsky, M. E. (2020). Healthcare Politics and policy in America. Routledge.
