Free Essay Example on Vulnerable Population

Vulnerable populations include ethnic and racial minorities, the economically disadvantaged, the homeless, the low-income children, those individuals that have human immunodeficiency virus together with those individuals that have severe health conditions such as mental illness. Additionally, the vulnerable population might include residents that dwell in the rural areas and who also encounter enormous barriers when trying to access healthcare services. These individuals’ vulnerability is augmented by age, gender, ethnicity and other factors such as lack of insurance coverage, income and absence of the basic source of care. In most cases, their healthcare problems, as well as their health, intersect with the social factors which include poverty, housing and inadequate education which eventually make the economically disadvantaged (De, & Anderson, 2012).

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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which is also known as Affordable Care Act (ACA) or the ObamaCare, is a federal statute that was enacted by President Barrack Obama in 2010. It was legislated jointly with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, primary physicians and hospitals would transform their respective practices technologically, clinically and financially in order to drive lower costs, improve their accessibility and distribution methods and to also bring about better health outcomes (Bernic, 2012). The act represents the most noteworthy regulatory refurbishment since the passage of Medicaid and Medicare. The ACA was aimed at increasing health insurance affordability and quality, reducing the cost of healthcare, while at the same time, lowering the rates of those that are uninsured, by expansion of insurance coverage. The federal legislation has brought about significant changes in the eradication of gender discrimination and new protections and rights, such as a guaranteed coverage for existing conditions such as HIV (De, & Anderson, 2012).

The economically disadvantaged, have had a lot to benefit from the program. Most of them had remained uninsured due to poverty. On that note, ObamaCare brought a way in which even those people that were uninsured could be able to get low cost or even free health insurance. The many protections that do come with ObamaCare have really impacted the economically disadvantaged. The act ensures that no one can be dropped from the medical coverage when they become sick or even, one cannot be charged more. In addition to that, one cannot be charged more for simply being female as it was before. That act has significantly impacted the lives of the vulnerable populations as they can be able to get quality health care. For those children that come from low income families, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has been able to cover them up in terms of health care (Bernic, 2012).

The PPACA has also had a positive impact for the vulnerable population as they are able to receive health benefits such as prescription drugs, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care and emergency care. Additionally, the economically disadvantaged have been able to receive better benefits as they can have annual checkups and free preventive care. The ObamaCare, which is an expansion Of CHIP and Medicaid, has significantly impacted the health status of the low income Americans as well as the general vulnerable population. The legislation has been able to ensure that even the economically disadvantaged and all the other vulnerable populations do receive proper and quality health care. Generally, since the act came to work, health care has been improved significantly and everyone can access their individual right to health care (De, & Anderson, 2012).

References

De, C. M., & Anderson, B. A. (2012). Caring for the vulnerable: Perspectives in nursing theory, Practice and research. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Bernic. S. (2012). Journal of American Dental Association-Vulnerable Populations. Vol 143,

Issue I, Pages 11-12.