Delivering on the promise of the affordable care act

Abstract

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims to increase access to care and improve the quality of care while simultaneously lowering the total cost of care. But have we delivered on these promises? With some political stakeholders looking to scale back or repeal specific reforms, certain low-income and disadvantaged groups may not have access to the affordable coverage options originally envisioned. Demonstrations at the ground level often yield surprising results that further threaten the original objectives. There has also been a delay in developing successful payment models and quality reporting systems across different patient populations and payers. As a result, developing an iterative evaluation process that informs policy makers at regular intervals will be essential in assuring that the Affordable Care Act achieves what it set out to do.