Impact of the Affordable Care Act Essay Example for Free

Impact of the Affordable Care Act Essay The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama early in 2010. The ACA was introduced into law to help provide access to affordable and quality health insurance to more Americans than ever before. The goal was to reduce health care cost for individuals and government. It has allowed more adults to be eligible for Medicaid by increasing income eligibility to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). (Milstead, 2013) However, by ruling of the Supreme Court in June of 2012, states had the option to implement the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to cover more low-income adults. As of January 2014, North Carolina (NC) was one of the states that chose not to implement the expansion of Medicaid making the eligibility for Medicaid for low-income adults very limited. How does this affect the population, economy, cost, and quality of health care? North Carolina’s Right to Refuse According to Knickman and Kovner (2011, p. 110), â€Å"the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives states the primary responsibility for public health. Medicaid is administered and overseen by each state but governed by various federal guidelines with the federal government contributing 50%-78% of its costs. (2011) After long debate and review of advantages and disadvantages to implementing the new laws, the North Carolina’s government elected not to adopt the new legislation. Caroll (2013) indicated the decision was based on NC’s current Medicaid system, indicating that is was broken and needing to be revised. There was concern the ACA would cause an increase in taxpayer’s contribution due to the long term costs. As of September 2014, there are 21 states that are following North Carolina’s decision not to adopt the new health care reform. This would leave millions of Americans that would be eligible for Medicaid under the ACA without access to health care.  (StateReforum, 2014) Impact on the Population One of the initiatives of the ACA was to provide more than 32 million uninsured Americans with insurance coverage. This was to be done by increasing the FPL to 138 percent and lifting or altering certain limitations for eligibility to Medicaid. This meant that all Americans whose income was at or below the FPL would be eligible for Medicaid. For example, an unemployed, single, 26-year-old male without any other income would be eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid would no longer be limited to specific categories such as the disabled, children and their parents, or pregnant women whose income was below the FPL. North Carolina’s current Medicaid program â€Å"eligibility for non-disabled adults is limited to parents with incomes below 43% of poverty, or about $10,000 a year for a family of four, and adults without dependent children remain ineligible regardless of their income† (How Will the Uninsured, 2014). Currently, there are over 319,000 uninsured adults in NC that are not eligible for Medicaid, by the current NC guidelines, which would be eligible under the Affordable Care Act. This can lead to increased health care costs and weighs heavily on the economy. Who is to take up the slack? Economic Effects of Doing Nothing Dorgan (2009), Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, indicates that the current health care system in NC has â€Å"led to higher health care costs, reduced access to care, and inconsistent quality of care†. The Gross Domestic Product in 2013 for North Carolina, based on millions of dollars spent, was $471,365 million, an increase of over $50,000 million since 2010. (Department of Labor and Workforce, 2013) In 2013, North Carolina’s State Auditor Beth Wood indicated that the state’s Medicaid program had gone over budget for the past three years, costing taxpayers about $1.2 billion. (Hoban, 2013) This leaves businesses and the working population to cover health care costs by paying higher taxes. With unemployment soaring over the last decade, and North Carolina having one of the highest unemployment rates in the United States (Hoban, 2013), less is paid into taxes. This leads to less to cover health care costs. The Affordable Care Act was implemented to decrease the costs of health care for all Americans. According to the White House website (2014) â€Å"the Congressional Budget Office found that health  insurance reform will reduce the deficit by $210 billion in this decade and by more than $1 trillion over the following 10 years. A family of four would save as much as $2,300 on their premiums in 2014 compared to what they would have paid without reform†. Will the decreased costs affect the quality of care being provided? Quality of Care The implementation of the ACA will require a higher standard for quality of care. The ACA promotes the use of accountable care organizations (ACO), which is a type of managed care that includes at least primary physicians, specialists, and hospitals that would be held accountable for the quality of care provided. (Kovener and Knickman, 2011, p. 196) The ACA works to move away from a fee-for-service approach to an accountable care organization (ACO) model that would incorporate a coordinated approach to provide high quality of care. This type of system rewards physicians and health care facilities through how they are paid for the quality of care they provide. The ACA reforms the way health care is delivered to the population by â€Å"creating high-performing organizations of physicians and hospitals that use systems of care and information technology to prevent illness, improve access to care, improve safety, and coordinate services† (What is an Accountable Care, 2011) making them more accountable for the care they provide. Incentives are provided to physicians and healthcare organizations that have shown they can provide quality care and improve patient satisfaction. Ethical Implications How can the government provide quality health care to so many without sacrificing the rights of a few? The ACA was enacted to help provide health care to more adults between the ages of 19-64 years of age that otherwise would not have access to or afford health care. According to Sorrell (2012), Americans want a health care system that will provide quality care, have freedom of choice, be affordable, and allow the costs to be shared among all. There is worry the ACO will lead to cost-shifting. Medicare and Medicaid pay much less for reimbursement for health care treatment. To re-coop their costs, hospitals and health care providers participate in the unethical practice of shifting these losses to patients with insurance by charging more for the same services. Insurance companies then shift these  costs to members by increasing their premiums and out-of-pocket costs. With such an increase in the number of people eligible for Medicaid, providers will be receiving much less for the services they provide. Another concern is for the Americans that do not qualify for Medicaid. Income levels can qualify some for decrease in premiums for health insurance from private companies. However, there will be those that do not qualify in either category and do not have access to health insurance through their employer and cannot afford the high premiums of private insurance. The new health reform requires those that do not have some type of health insurance to have to pay penalties for not having insurance. Conclusion The Affordable Care Act was developed to provide health care to an additional 32 million Americans with the goal of reducing health care costs. Even though there are millions that will now have access to health care, there will be millions that do not qualify for the programs and will remain uninsured. There is much concern and debate the ACA with hurt the economy, increase health care costs, and add to the United States’ deficit. North Carolina, along with 21 other states, have chosen not to adopt the new law and either continue with current guidelines or choose to restructure their current health care policies. Concerns also arise about causing a decrease in quality of health care provided. The development of ACO’s through the ACA implies that quality of health care will be improved. However, there is question that ACO’s will lead to cost-shifting to re-coop lost costs from the influx of American’s now eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. References Caroll, B. (2013). North Carolina Thumbs its Nose at Obamacare. Retrieved from http://watchdogwire.com/northcarolina/2013/02/12/north-carolina-thumbs-its-nose-at-obamacare/ Dorgan, B. (2009). Health Care Reform: The Cost of Doing Nothing in North Carolina. Democratic Policy Committee. Retrieved from http://www.dpc.senate.gov/docs/states-fs-111-1-87/nc.pdf Hoban, R. (April, 2013). Cost of Care: How ‘Broken’ is NC Medicaid?. North Carolina Health News. Retrieved from http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2013/04/15/how-broken-is-nc-medicaid/

Dreams of Escape in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Essay

     Ã‚   In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams presents us with four characters whose lives seem to consist in avoiding reality more than facing it. Amanda lives her life through her children and clings to her lost youthfulness. Tom retreats into movie theaters and into his dream of joining the merchant seamen and some day becoming a published poet. Laura resorts to her Victrola and collection of glass ornaments to help sustain her world of fantasy. Finally, Jim is only able to find some relief in his glorified old memories. This essay will examine how Amanda, Tom, Laura and Jim attempt to escape from the real world through their dreams. Amanda was abandoned by her husband and now must take care of her two children, Tom and Laura. Amanda considers Tom unrealistic, daydreaming about becoming a recognized poet rather than staying committed to his present job. Amanda is overwhelmingly confused and perplexed about the future. Worse still, the fact that Laura is crippled worries her even more. Amanda tries to arrange everything for Laura lest she will live paralyzed in the threatening world. Aware of the reality, she enrolls her in a secretarial course in the hope that she would become, if not successful in her career, at least independent. Disappointed by Laura's inability to cope with the classes in the business school, Amanda tries desperately find her a reliable husband who can provide material and emotional security. But her hopes are unrealistic. Not even having met Jim, the gentleman caller Tom brings home at her mother's request, Amanda, looking at the little, slipper-shaped moon, asks Laura to make a wish on it f or happiness and good fortune to be brought by this gentleman caller, when it is just wishful thinking on her... ...nd some relief in his glorified old memories saved by Laura and is overwhelmed by the magic of the American Dream. Like many great plays, The Glass Menagerie transcends time inasmuch as contemporary versions of the four characters abound in the ever-changing modern world. After all, these are the people to whom the play addresses today.    Work Cited Williams, Tennessee.   The Glass Menagerie. 1945.   The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 5th ed.   Lee A. Jacobus, ed.   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005. Work Consulted McHaney, Pearl A. Lecture on The Glass Menagerie. Engl 3860-American Drama. Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. 20 June 2006. Jackson, Esther Merle. The Broken World of Tennessee Williams. Madison: & of Wisconsin P, 1965. Parker, R.B., ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Glass Menagerie. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1983. Dreams of Escape in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Essay      Ã‚   In The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams presents us with four characters whose lives seem to consist in avoiding reality more than facing it. Amanda lives her life through her children and clings to her lost youthfulness. Tom retreats into movie theaters and into his dream of joining the merchant seamen and some day becoming a published poet. Laura resorts to her Victrola and collection of glass ornaments to help sustain her world of fantasy. Finally, Jim is only able to find some relief in his glorified old memories. This essay will examine how Amanda, Tom, Laura and Jim attempt to escape from the real world through their dreams. Amanda was abandoned by her husband and now must take care of her two children, Tom and Laura. Amanda considers Tom unrealistic, daydreaming about becoming a recognized poet rather than staying committed to his present job. Amanda is overwhelmingly confused and perplexed about the future. Worse still, the fact that Laura is crippled worries her even more. Amanda tries to arrange everything for Laura lest she will live paralyzed in the threatening world. Aware of the reality, she enrolls her in a secretarial course in the hope that she would become, if not successful in her career, at least independent. Disappointed by Laura's inability to cope with the classes in the business school, Amanda tries desperately find her a reliable husband who can provide material and emotional security. But her hopes are unrealistic. Not even having met Jim, the gentleman caller Tom brings home at her mother's request, Amanda, looking at the little, slipper-shaped moon, asks Laura to make a wish on it f or happiness and good fortune to be brought by this gentleman caller, when it is just wishful thinking on her... ...nd some relief in his glorified old memories saved by Laura and is overwhelmed by the magic of the American Dream. Like many great plays, The Glass Menagerie transcends time inasmuch as contemporary versions of the four characters abound in the ever-changing modern world. After all, these are the people to whom the play addresses today.    Work Cited Williams, Tennessee.   The Glass Menagerie. 1945.   The Bedford Introduction to Drama. 5th ed.   Lee A. Jacobus, ed.   Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2005. Work Consulted McHaney, Pearl A. Lecture on The Glass Menagerie. Engl 3860-American Drama. Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. 20 June 2006. Jackson, Esther Merle. The Broken World of Tennessee Williams. Madison: & of Wisconsin P, 1965. Parker, R.B., ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Glass Menagerie. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1983.

North and South Growing Together: The Differences It Makes Essay

The Global North and South are in a state of change, that can continue to grow further from a real and loving relationship with God, or become a religion that is closer to what Christ had intended for all us. In the north we see a rise in an individualism, a idea that forgets the evil (SIN) in religion, substitutes God’s grace for self-knowledge, and makes Christ mission about self help instead of global defeat and global salvation. â€Å"Jesus, who became the Christ of faith, suggested that the gospel need some concretization within cultures for it to have a capacity to transform destructive tendencies in them. The evangelizing objective was to seek life-giving elements in cultures which could â€Å"give flesh† to the gospel vision of reconciliation, peace, justice, compassion, and love.† The development of the Christian life and message in context with cultural living is not always clear and can be manifested appropriately in a specific cultural context, however but is not always clear with keeping to the Jesus traditions and Christian traditions at less. Christian traditions are built on Jesus traditions; however, where there is man there is error in caring out Christ’ traditions and teachings without personal characteristics interfering with the inerrant word of God. We are not capable on our own to carry out God’s will without the guidance of the Spirit. Some may ask how the life changing and life giving elements of God’s grace and God’s word determine through culture the true perspective and vision of the gospel? Pedro Arrupe, the former Superior General of the Roman Catholic Jesuit order stated that faith in Christ can be achieved globally if we work to bring the  Gospel needs concretization within cultures for it to have a capacity to transform destructive tendencies in them. Arrupe also stated these words were not his alone but came from Christ. Arrupe stated that inculturation is 1 Thomas Grenham, (2001). Exploring changing religious, cultural, and faith identities in an African context. the â€Å"the incarnation of Christian life and of the Christian message in a particular local cultural context, in such a way that the experience not only finds expression through elements proper to the culture in question (this alone would be no more than a superficial adaptation), but becomes a principle that animates, directs, and unifies a culture, transforming and remaking it so as to bring about ‘a new creation.†3 â€Å"If the Christian life and the Christian message can be embodied in a particular local culture, it seems obvious that a diverse religious way of life and its worldview could be manifested within Christianity, thus ‘a new transformation’ would take place simultaneously for Christianity and a diverse religious worldview.† The changes in some cultural worldviews are changing in a way that incorporates the Gospel of love and relationships into their way of life. This is good as Christ’ missionary work was about relationships, and about restoration of a relationship with God through his sacrifice for all mankind. In the Turkana’s who inhabit Kenya’s northern territories is bringing the good news to everyone including their poor. Traditionally with many of the Southern religions Liberation theology is the normative in their religious beliefs. Where Liberation theology was Pentecostalism has come. But today much of the religious sect in the south are turning to a straight forward reading of the Gospel with a direct interpretation on how to live. We are seeing a beginning of another reformation but not with a idea of some other belief but a reformation back to what we have lost. This is a global influence that is beginning to become a trend amongst many religious sects within the Christ ian worldview. We have lost sight of the Goal but as we begin to emerge from the ashes of sin that we have been living under we begin to be made aware of our transgressions by the Spirit. In is seen more and easily confirmed by this shift in thought by humans that the Triune God is ever so busy in our lives globally as a family imbedded in Christ’ body  that is being made possible by the Spirit. 3 Thomas Grenham, (2001). Exploring changing religious, cultural, and faith identities in an African context. Bibliography Thomas Grenham, (2001). Exploring changing religious, cultural, and faith identities in an African context. Retrieved on August 25, 2013 from Pacifica.org, PDF.

St. Marys College of Maryland Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

St. Marys College of Maryland is a public liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 80%. Located on a 319-acre waterfront campus, St. Marys College stands on a historic piece of land first settled in 1634. The college boasts a 12-to-1  student/faculty ratio. Students at St. Marys College receive the benefits of a small,  liberal arts college  with the lower cost of state tuition. The schools academic strengths earned it a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa. The most popular majors are  Biology, Economics, English, History, Political Science, and Psychology. Considering applying to St. Marys College of Maryland? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, St. Marys College of Maryland had an acceptance rate of 80%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 80 students were admitted, making St. Marys admissions process somewhat competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 1,700 Percent Admitted 80% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 28% SAT Scores and Requirements St. Marys College of Maryland requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 85% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 540 650 Math 520 640 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of St. Marys admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to St. Marys College scored between 540 and 650, while 25% scored below 540 and 25% score above 650. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 520 and 640, while 25% scored below 520 and 25% scored above 640. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1290 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at St. Marys College of Maryland. Requirements St. Marys College does not require the SAT writing section. Note that St. Marys College participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. ACT Scores and Requirements St. Marys College of Maryland requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 23% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 21 27 Math 21 28 Composite 23 28 This admissions data tells us that most of St. Marys admitted students fall within the top 31% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to St. Marys College received a composite ACT score between 23 and 28, while 25% scored above 28 and 25% scored below 23. Requirements St. Marys College of Maryland does not require the SAT writing section. Note that St. Marys College does not provide information about the schools ACT supescore policy. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA for St. Marys incoming freshmen class was 3.38, and over 60% of the class had average GPAs of 3.25 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to St. Marys College have primarily B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph St. Marys College of Maryland Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to St. Marys College of Maryland. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances St. Marys College of Maryland, which accepts over three-quarters of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. If your grades and test scores fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind that St. Marys College of Maryland has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Applicants also have the opportunity to make their application stand out with a thoughtful short answer essay. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside of St. Marys average range. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most successful applicants had high school GPAs above a 3.0, combined SAT scores (ERWM) of 1100 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 23 or higher. If You Like St. Marys College of Maryland, You May Also Like These Schools: University of DelawareGettysburg CollegeJames Madison UniversityElon UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityUniversity of VirginiaGeorgetown UniversityCollege of William Mary All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and St. Marys College of Maryland Undergraduate Admissions Office.