DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5fxqcl/pharmasphere_us) has announced the addition of the "PharmaSphere: US Healthcare Policy Update - Impact Analysis of the Affordable Care Act on Stakeholders" report to their offering.
On June 28, 2012, after months of suspense, the US Supreme Court announced its decision on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) (referred to hereafter, as ACA or the Act). The Court, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, ruled that the individual mandate, which compels individuals to purchase health insurance, is constitutional as a form of taxation. However, the Court also ruled that states do not have to expand Medicaid coverage - a key provision of the Act - for fear of facing withdrawn federal funding for the program as earlier threatened by the federal government (Supreme Court, 2012).
The healthcare landscape for payers, pharmaceutical and medical devices companies, and providers is expected to change remarkably over the next few years due to the various provisions of the ACA, some of which have already been implemented. The Act is expected to extend insurance coverage to approximately 25 million previously uninsured individuals by 2023 (CBO, 2013). Although this potentially increases top-line revenue growth for all players, new rebates, taxes, cuts, and fees are poised to decrease margins.
Universal Coverage: A Little Farther than Thought
When the ACA was passed, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that 30 million previously uninsured individuals would have access to healthcare. However, the Supreme Court's decision labeling the federal government's threat to deny states Medicaid funding if they fail to expand Medicaid coverage as unconstitutional, has caused the CBO to revisit its earlier estimates.
According to the CBO's latest forecast, about 25 million previously uninsured people will be insured by 2023, which is 16.7% less than the 30 million initially expected. Furthermore, it is estimated that Medicaid enrollment will increase by only seven million people by 2014, which is 46.2% less than the 13 million enrollees initially expected (CBO, 2012). Consequently, a projected 31 million people will still be left without insurance by 2023.
This includes undocumented workers and low-income persons living in the 26 states that have thus far, declined to expand Medicaid, including Virginia - a state known for having one of the strictest Medicaid eligibility standards in the US. If fully implemented, the ACA will potentially halve the number of uninsured individuals in the US - a significant improvement, no doubt - but this alone, will not completely solve the problem of a lack of universal healthcare coverage in the US.
Key Topics Covered:
1.1 List of Tables
1.2 List of Figures
2 Introduction
3 Industry Dynamics
4 US Healthcare Reform
5 Stakeholders' Analysis
6 Strategic Outlook: The Way Forward
7 Appendix
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5fxqcl/pharmasphere_us
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