In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making. A critical component of any policy design is evaluation of the results. How comfortable are you with the thought of becoming involved with such matters?

Some nurses may be hesitant to get involved with policy evaluation. The preference may be to focus on the care and well-being of their patients; some nurses may feel ill-equipped to enter the realm of policy and political activities. However, as you have examined previously, who better to advocate for patients and effective programs and polices than nurses? Already patient advocates in interactions with doctors and leadership, why not with government and regulatory agencies?

In this Discussion, you will reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.

To Prepare:

• In the Module 4 Discussion, you considered how professional nurses can become involved in policy-making.
• Review the Resources and reflect on the role of professional nurses in policy evaluation.

DAY 3 OF WEEK 9:

Select an existing healthcare program or policy evaluation or choose one of interest to you.

Review community, state, or federal policy evaluation and reflect on the criteria used to measure the effectiveness of the program or policy described.

Post an evaluation topic and a brief description of the evaluation. Discuss how social determinants impact this issue.

DAY 6 OF WEEK 9:

Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by suggesting additional opportunities or recommendations for overcoming the challenges described by your colleagues.

SOLUTION:

Evaluation Topic: The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, was enacted in 2010 as a federal initiative aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of health insurance. Its key objectives include lowering the rate of uninsured individuals through expanding public and private insurance options and reducing healthcare expenses for both individuals and the government (Isola & Reddivari, 2023). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) represents a significant transformation of the United States healthcare system over the last half-century.  Throughout the previous decade, the ACA has encountered various obstacles and undergone modifications, indicating an ongoing evolution of the law.

The effectiveness of the ACA has been evaluated based on several criteria, insurance coverage, affordability, and quality of care. Coverage expansion measures were implemented in 2014 with varying approaches taken at the state level. After a Supreme Court decision in 2012 made Medicaid expansion optional, some states decided not to move forward. By 2020, 39 states and the District of Columbia had opted to expand Medicaid, while 12 states had chosen to forego participation in the expansion initiative. The Affordable Care Act has successfully expanded access to healthcare coverage for many previously uninsured individuals, despite differences in its implementation across the country. Nearly 15.6 million consumers were enrolled in Marketplace plans as of February 2023 (across all 50 states and the District of Columbia), and 18.8 million people (across 38 participating states and the District of Columbia) were newly enrolled in Medicaid via the ACA’s expansion of eligibility to adults as of September 2022 (March 2023 ISSUE BRIEF 1 Health Coverage under the Affordable Care Act: Current Enrollment Trends and State Estimates, n.d.). According to the CDC, 7.6% or 25.0 million Americans of all ages did not have health insurance in 2023 compared to 10.3% or 33.2 million in 2019 (U.S. Uninsured Rate Drops by 26% since 2019, 2024)……………….KINDLY CLICK ON THE PURCHASE ICON BELOW TO ACCESS THE ENTIRE SOLUTION FOR $15