President Biden’s Health Plan-Nursing Essay Examples

President Biden’s Health Plan

The American healthcare system has undergone tremendous changes under different administrations, with the primary goal of improving the affordability and accessibility of healthcare for Americans. The Obama Care plan was most recognizable, implemented under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).Hence, expanding healthcare access to over 20 million Americans (Haeder & Yackee, 2020). Consequently, President Biden established strategies to improve affordability and accessibility by leveraging the ACA policy directions (Cutler, 2021) (President Biden’s Health Plan).

The president emphasized the need to ensure that approximately 97% of Americans through Medicare-like public options for individuals and families (Cutler, 2021). Despite the high costs associated with Biden’s healthcare policy plans, the plan is poised to offer comprehensive benefits. More so, to all Americans by increasing the affordability and accessibility of healthcare. As a result, the paper will explore Biden’s healthcare plan. In addition, and its impacts on Americans and the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It will also reflect on the status of America’s healthcare system based on the context of learning materials (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Biden’s Healthcare Plan

Biden’s healthcare plan was created due to the US’s increasing demand for an accessible and affordable healthcare system (Cutler, 2021). The healthcare plan is built on five pillars, one of which is establishing a public alternative to lower the high insurance company premiums. The public option encourages people to assess the differences in costs across various healthcare plans, enabling them to choose the most suitable plan that aligns with their income potential (Rice et al., 2021) (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Additionally, the plan aims to strengthen the ACA framework, which has significantly decreased the number of people without insurance. Rice et al. (2021) Biden seeks to expand the framework exchange capabilities, making it easier for Americans to select the best insurance option. Moreover, Roy (2020) observes that the plan will stop unexpected healthcare billing, which has significantly increased medical bankruptcy among Americans. Unexpected billing refers to sending unanticipated medical invoices to patients by non-network doctors (Pollitz et al., 2020). Biden’s plan seeks to identify solutions for stopping the unexpected billing options. Moreover, irrespective of Congress’ failure to approve laws outlawing such practices (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Additionally, the plan seeks to reform pharmaceutical pricing by lowering the price of prescription medications (Roy, 2020). Prescription drug prices have skyrocketed, increasing the challenge of affording healthcare. For instance, the high costs compel people to choose between basic needs like rent, buying food, and taking medications. As a result, Biden’s plan seeks to advance legislation allowing Medicare to bargain with pharmaceutical corporations (Rice et al., 2021). Such efforts will improve Medicare benefits by lowering the cost of prescription drugs (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Roy (2020) observes that Biden has accordingly proposed legislation reducing the costs of prescription drugs. Moreover, like repealing the provision permitting the pharmaceutical firms to avoid haggling over prescription pricing with Medicare. Furthermore, putting a cap on the launch prices of uncompetitive drugs, and restricting price rises. More so, to keep pace with inflation are a few of them.

Rice et al. (2021) identify other initiatives, including allowing consumers to purchase prescriptions from other nations. Furthermore, abolishing tax incentives provided to pharmaceutical corporations for advertising. In addition, enhancing the availability of high-quality generic medications are additional steps to lower the cost of prescription medications (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Furthermore, the plan also aims to increase eligibility for government health insurance at tender ages. Hence, lowering the Medicare qualifying age to 60 years (Rice et al., 2021). The plan will likely expand Medicare coverage by over 60 million Americans (Roy, 2020). Therefore, these healthcare plans will strengthen the ACA by lowering the healthcare costs to millions of Americans. Hence, leading to increased coverage of Americans’ healthcare (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Impacts of Improved Elements of the Plan

Impact on the Americans

The overall impact of Biden’s healthcare plan is to increase the affordability and accessibility of healthcare. The plan will have different impacts on the cost and access to healthcare, such as increasing healthcare subsidies (Rice et al., 2021). The ACA subsidies are currently offered under the “silver plan,” in which beneficiaries pay an additional 30% of healthcare costs (Roy, 2020). In this case, an individual’s income must not exceed 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, or $104,800 for a family of four, to enhance subsidy qualifications (Roy, 2020) (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Instead, Rice et al. (2021) illustrate that Biden has proposed the “gold plans” that represent the next tier of coverage, where beneficiaries must cover 20% of the cost of insured treatment. The Obamacare plan restricted employed Americans from accessing health insurance subsidies, compelling them to meet the insurance costs personally. Thus, Biden’s plan will remove barriers between the exchanges and employer-sponsored insurance schemes (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Moreover, Biden’s intention to increase subsidies by 8.5% of individuals’ income will reduce the cost burdens among Americans, leading to increased access to healthcare (Roy, 2020). Currently, individuals earning more than 400% of the federal poverty threshold are exempted from the tax cap (Rice et al., 2021). Increasing subsidies will guarantee that everyone in the US is subject to this cap (President Biden’s Health Plan).

This implies that no American would be required to spend more on health insurance than 8.5% of their annual income, thereby increasing the accessibility of health insurance coverage. Additionally, Biden supports implementing a public health insurance option similar to Medicare (Rice et al., 2021). The plan will replace the “premium-free access “under the Obamacare program with a “public option” plan (Haeder & Yackee, 2020). In this case, the Medicaid expansions previously implemented by a state may be maintained or changed to the new public option-based strategy (Roy, 2020) (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Furthermore, Roy (2020) observes that Biden’s proposal on the requirement for participation in Medicare and the public option for individual and family insurance will limit prescription drug price hikes, even during inflation, thereby guaranteeing affordability and accessibility of the medications. Finally, the additional cost-cutting measures included in the Inflation Reduction Act will improve the accessibility of healthcare (Askin & Moore, 2022) (President Biden’s Health Plan).

This includes Medicare beneficiaries paying $0 out-of-pocket for recommended adult vaccines covered by their Part D plan and seniors seeing a monthly supply of insulin capped at $35 (Askin & Moore, 2022). Under the proposed scheme, Medicare will demand rebates from prescription drug companies for any increases in the prices for drugs administered at a doctor’s office faster than inflation (Roy, 2020). Thus, reducing the cost and accessibility of prescription medications will guarantee healthcare coverage to Americans, especially those dependent on prescription medications like insulin.

Impact on US GDP (President Biden’s Health Plan)

The federal government spending on healthcare in the US has significantly increased over the years, with the country spending 4.3 trillion on healthcare expenditure. Biden’s health coverage plan is expected to consume approximately $750 billion over ten years to achieve its goals (Roy, 2020). Based on the pan, Rice (2021) observes that the federal government will maintain regulations associated with the soaring costs of Obamacare, such as providing more subsidies to Obamacare participants. The subsidy increase could adversely affect the country’s US GDP and economic growth (Rana et al., 2020). For example, it will compel US businesses to reduce investments, increase product prices, and reduce employment, translating to high healthcare costs (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Other impacts of high healthcare spending include inflation fueled by increased federal borrowing to pay for public healthcare expenses (Rana et al., 2020). The high inflation will require increased taxation on businesses and the American public, discouraging investment and consumption of goods and services. Jakovljevic et al. (2020) assert that the high taxes for public healthcare expenses stifle economic growth and lower enterprises’ and households’ after-tax incomes. Instead of borrowing, the government can reduce spending on infrastructure and education and use the reduced costs to sustain health coverage, which will significantly impede the growth of these crucial sectors of the economy (Galvani et al., 2020) (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Finally, employees will accumulate less money to spend on goods and services while much of the income is taxed to cater for health insurance coverage (Jakovljevic et al., 2020). Thus, crucial components of the country’s GDP, such as investment, consumption levels, government spending on goods and services, and exports and imports, will all be negatively impacted by an increase in the share of healthcare expenditures (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Reflection

The US healthcare industry consumes a considerable share of the country’s expenditure to sustain various activities, such as paying for Medicare insurance coverage. The class readings have significantly changed my perception of the American healthcare system. For example, based on the initial class reading on week one, I believed that the US healthcare system was below the expectations of many Americans. However, the course’s progress has highlighted significant milestones in the country’s healthcare system, such as the benefits of the ACA program.

I realized that the program had benefited many Americans by increasing the affordability and accessibility of healthcare. It has also resulted in the creation of policies reducing the cost of healthcare, like expanding Medicaid coverage for individuals with less than 138% of the federal poverty level (Roy, 2020). As a result, Biden’s healthcare plans will improve the American healthcare industry’s progress and potential to satisfy American healthcare needs (President Biden’s Health Plan).

Conclusion

The benefits of Biden’s healthcare plan outweigh its costs, positioning it as a vital strategy for the success of America’s healthcare industry. The essay examined the five tenets constituting Biden’s healthcare plan. They include establishing public options, expanding healthcare subsidies, expanding Medicare and Medicaid eligibility, reforming pharmaceutical pricing, and eliminating unexpected healthcare billing. These plans will positively affect Americans by increasing the accessibility and affordability of healthcare coverage. However, the plan requires a substantial share of the country’s GDP ($750 billion) to sustain across ten years. Henceforth, the US government should identify cost-effective measures to fund Biden’s healthcare plan without affecting other vital components of the American economy.

References

Askin, E. T., & Moore, N. (2022). The health care handbook: a clear and concise guide to the United States health care system. (3^rd ed.) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN: 9781975200046

Cutler, D. M. (2021, May). Which way will Biden go on health care? In JAMA Health Forum (Vol. 2, No. 5, pp. e211280-e211280). American Medical Association. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2021.1280

Galvani, A. P., Parpia, A. S., Foster, E. M., Singer, B. H., & Fitzpatrick, M. C. (2020). Improving the prognosis of health care in the USA. The Lancet, 395(10223), 524-533. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)33019-3

Haeder, S. F., & Yackee, S. W. (2020). A look under the hood: regulatory policy making and the Affordable Care Act. Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law, 45(5), 771-786.https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-8543250

Jakovljevic, M., Timofeyev, Y., Ranabhat, C. L., Fernandes, P. O., Teixeira, J. P., Rancic, N., & Reshetnikov, V. (2020). Real GDP growth rates and healthcare spending–comparison between the G7 and the EM7 countries. Globalization and Health, 16(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00590-3

Pollitz, K., Lopes, L., Kearney, A., Rae, M., Cox, C., Fehr, R., & Rousseau, D. (2020). US statistics on surprise medical billing. JAMA, 323(6), 498-498. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.0065

Rana, R. H., Alam, K., & Gow, J. (2020). Health expenditure and gross domestic product: causality analysis by income level. International Journal of health economics and Management, 20(1), 55-77.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-019-09270-1

Rice, T., Barnes, A. J., Rosenau, P., Unruh, L. Y., & van Ginneken, E. (2021). Health reforms in the United States: The outlook after Biden’s first 100 days. Health Policy, 125(10), 1277-1284.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2021.08.003

Roy, A. (2020, March 4). Joe Biden’s Health Care Plan Would Spend $750 Billion More On Obamacare and Cap Drug Price Inflation. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2020/03/04/joe-bidens-health-care-plan-would-spend-750-billion-more-on-obamacare-and-cap-drug-price-inflation/?sh=16641e8e7251