The Affordable Care Act Improves Coverage Rates, but How About Health?
<p>One rarely discussed question about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is if the law will improve the health of those who gain insurance coverage. In a new blog post, The Commonwealth Fund’s David Blumenthal, M.D., and David Squires review findings of a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that estimates increased use of antihypertensive medication obtained through ACA coverage will lead to fewer cases of coronary heart disease, fewer strokes, and fewer deaths by 2050. </p><p>Blumenthal and Squires review other examples of health insurance’s benefits as well, including the lower likelihood of cancer being diagnosed at an advanced stage and the reduced risk of death for patients admitted to the hospital with an acute illness. They also draw lessons from experiences in Oregon and Massachusetts.</p>
<p>“If health insurance were a drug, these potent effects on health would create a huge clamor for the Food and Drug Administration to approve it,” the authors say.</p>