This presentation was delivered in Second Life in Virtual Ability's Independence Island to discuss the potential impacts of the Affordable Care Act on the Disabled community and their caregivers.
2. "Of all of the forms of
inequality, injustice in
health care is the most
shocking and inhumane.โ
-- Martin Luther King Jr., addressing the Medical
Committee for Human Rights in Chicago, 1966
3. What are the basic components of the
Affordable Care Act?
โข Expansion of access to insurance
โข Increased consumer protection
โข Increased emphasis on health prevention and
wellness
โข Improvement of the quality and performance of
the health care system
โข Expansion of the health care workforce
โข Works to curb rising health care costs
4. Expanded Access to Insurance Coverage
โข Development of high risk insurance pools
โข Creation of health insurance โexchangesโ
โข Health insurance coverage for dependents
until age 26
6. Impacts on Medicaid
โข Community First Choice Option
โข Improved coverage of anti-seizure, anti-spasm
and anti-anxiety medications
โข Medicaid Health Homes
โข Extension of Money Follows the Person Program
7. Increased Consumer Protections
โข Pre-existing conditions โ no longer can you be
denied coverage based on pre-existing conditions
โข Prohibits discrimination based on disability
โข Prohibits rescissions
โข Bans annual and lifetime limits
8. Emphasizes health care prevention and
wellness
โข Increased funding for immunizations, screenings
for diabetes and depression, autism screening for
children and developmental screenings.
โข Creates the Prevention and Public Health Fund to
study and promote health and wellness and
develop public health priorities
9. Improvement of the Quality and
Performance of the Health Care System
โข Requires disability awareness training for all
medical professionals
โข Development of stands for accessibility of all
medical equipment,
โข Requires federal government to collect health
survey data from people with disabilities in order
to better understand their health care needs.
10. Expansion of Health Care Work Force
โข Expansion of nursing work force
โข Expansion of primary medical care
โข Expansion of community based services
11. Decreases Rising Health Care Costs
โข Health Insurance Exchanges
โข Provider Incentives
โข Innovation Center
12. Potential Negative Effects
โข Individual Mandate
โข Purchase of wheelchairs may be eliminated
โข Increases tax on durable medical equipment
โข Limitation of choices for wheelchairs and other
equipment
13. In Summary
โข For those who are disabled and their caregivers it
appears that the ACA offers positive benefits with a few
potential negative ramifications.
โข In general, a step forward in addressing health care
inequity and injustice.