Research paper

I need 10 more pages of research on the Afordable Care Act to accompany the research that has already been completed. I have attached the research done so far. I would like you to be knowlegeable about the subject. No misspelled words. Please cite sources.

 

APA format

No Plagerism

Running head: MARYLAND AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 1

MARYLAND AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT 6

Maryland and the Affordable Care Act

Lynette Wright-Jones

Sojourner Douglass College

Professor: Manigault

October 23, 2013

Maryland and the Affordable Care Act

The State of Maryland plays a vital role in ensuring that the Affordable Care Act is implemented in accordance with the laid down provisions. Starting October 1, 2013, the state implemented the Connector Program via the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE, 2013). This launch is in accordance with Maryland law and consistent with the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Connector Program seeks to provide the target populations in the state with enrollment, eligibility and in-person education assistance. The 2012 Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Act launched programs aimed at serving both the SHOP (Small Business Health Insurance Options Program) and individual exchanges (MHBE, 2013).

This new plan for Maryland will impact the state’s economy in a significant manner. According to Governor Martin O’Malley, the new plan will help to stimulate job creation and propel the state’s economic growth, which will subsequently strengthen the middleclass (O’Malley, 2013). Furthermore, successful implementation of the Connector Program will aid to improve health outcomes among Maryland residents, which will reduce health costs in the long-term and boost the state’s economic development.

Maryland residents who were previously uninsured will benefit tremendously from the ACA. It will enable them to purchased health insurance at reasonable prizes. According to MHBE, approximately 250,000 residents in Maryland will benefit from new insurance cover because of expansion of Medicaid eligibility and creation of subsidized health insurance packages offered via Maryland Health Connection (MHC) (MHBE, 2013). Maryland Health Connection works in close proximity with insurance providers, advocates, insurance carriers and assisters to build a strong infrastructure that supports the diverse marketplace while ensuring that the previously uninsured enroll in affordable and quality plans.

Residents who do not qualify for the subsidies and tax credits can still purchase an insurance plan through MHC. The Affordable Care Act demands that individuals above eighteen years of age must have health insurance coverage beginning 2014, failure to which they may face legal action and pay fines. According to MHBE (2013), the core benefits offered by all health plans include emergency care, doctor visits, maternity care, hospitalization, substance abuse treatment, pediatric care, mental health care, medical tests and prescriptions among others. Before deciding to enroll, residents will be able to see their premiums, out-of-pocket costs and deductibles for the plans that they aspire to enroll in. The online marketplace gives consumers the opportunity to view the rates for various plans and decide on which best suits their needs (MHBE, 2013). Small businesses will also use MHC’s to find plans that qualify for tax credits and meet their employee’s needs, which will also be of benefit to the previously uninsured.

Various quality assurance standards and measures will help the Affordable Care Act meet its intended objectives. One is assuring relevant and appropriate training for those concerned with creating awareness to the residents about the ACA and its provisions. In Maryland, for instance, ‘navigators’ provide statewide in-person assistance while a statewide consolidated call center provides the technical support to run MHC (MHBE, 2013). The MHBE designated six organizations to function as prime ‘connector entities’ statewide or a regional basis. These organizations are Health Care Access Maryland, Worcester County Health Department, Healthy Howard, Inc., Seedco, Inc. and Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services (MHBE, 2013). For success of the ACA, there is need to empower these connector entities with sufficient resources and competent workforce to dispense their duties.

Employing certified and well-trained navigators to enroll and counsel Maryland residents into Medicaid and qualified health plans through MHC will aid them to better provide assistance, information and eliminate doubts from the public (Winter, 2013). Furthermore, this will empower them to provide reliable information to the public about eligibility requirements for cost sharing assistance and federal premium subsidies as well as assessing eligibility requirements for the state’s Children Health Program and Medicaid. Furthermore, through empowering them with sufficient training and resources, in-person assisters and navigators will be in a better position to provide referrals to appropriate agencies such as the Maryland insurance administration (MIA) and the AG’s Health education and Advocacy Unit (HEAU) for enrollees and applicants with complaints, grievances or questions (Winter, 2013).

MHBE is receiving funding primarily from federal grants. Maryland has obtained four federal grants totaling $157.5 million to support the implementation of state-based exchange via the Affordable Care Act. In August 2012, the state received $123 million as Level Two Establishment grant to continue implementation of the enrollment and eligibility system, outreach and education, consumer assistance, administration and operations (MHBE, 2013). Other grants totaling up to $34.4 million cover information technology development, planning and research while MHBE also received an Early Innovator grant totaling up to $6.2 million for designing and implementing an IT model that could act as a model for other states nationally (MHBE, 2013). In addition, Maryland Health Benefit Exchange is also receiving a Level One Establishment funding of $27.7 million for policy development and planning operational infrastructure.

I believe that an effective way of educating the community about ACA is organizing conferences at the grassroots levels through which professionals can engage the public in interactive sessions where they will be able to clarify contentious issues regarding ACA. In these sensitization campaigns, professionals including navigators and assisters will respond to queries from the public, distribute brochures and other materials that residents can easily understand (Winter, 2013). Sustaining an interactive Web site is also another viable avenue for educating the community about ACA. The Web site should have full-time customer service representatives to address concerns of the public about ACA.

Conclusively, the Affordable Care Act is an important piece of legislation that will revolutionize the nation’s health care sector. The State of Maryland has implemented the Connector Program in line with the requirements of ACA. Individuals will visit the Maryland Health Connection to ascertain whether they qualify for cost sharing reductions or federal tax subsidies to help pay for their health insurance. The program receives funding primarily from federal grants. It will benefit both the state economy and the previously uninsured individuals by making coverage affordable. However, there is need to provide appropriate training to navigators and in-person assisters to aid them fulfill their roles including educating the community about ACA provisions. This will guarantee success of the initiatives.

References

MHBE. (2013, October). Connector Program. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from

http://marylandhbe.com/navigator-program/

O’Malley, M. (2013, September 26). Implementing the Affordable Care Act, Creating Jobs and Strengthening America’s Middle Class. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from http://www.governor.maryland.gov/blog/?p=9226

Winter, R. E. (2013). Unraveling U.S. health care : a personal guide. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield.