HR3590 Health Care Bill & Government Health Insurance

One of the realities that a number of Americans faced for quite some time is unequal access to health care. For certain groups of people, such as those with low incomes, access to health care has been rather inadequate.

This disparity in terms of access to health care, for both treatment and preventive services, is what the Affordable Care Act aims to address. Mayra Alvarez, the director for Public Health Policy at the Department of Health and Human Services, shared the various services that underserved Americans can now enjoy, in a post on HealthCare.gov.

Access to preventive services. Access to preventive services will now be available to more Americans, as these will be offered by all health care plans. Recommended preventive services will be covered by Medicare and certain private insurance plans, and states are urged to offer the same through Medicaid.

More access to quality health care. Funding is being provided for the construction, expansion, and operation of community health centers, in order to ensure that underserved communities are provided access to quality health care.

Access to a more competitive health insurance marketplace. A crucial step towards closing the gap brought about by disparities in access to health care is to put an end to insurance discrimination. In addition, a competitive health insurance marketplace will provide Americans with one-stop-shop where they may choose the health care plan that best suits their needs and their finances.

Those who would like to learn more about how the Affordable Care Act will address health disparities may check the factsheet provided by HHS.