Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Understanding the affordable care act Essay Example for Free

Understanding the affordable care act Essay Understanding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(PPACA or ACA) can be difficult but it is not as confusing as it may seem. This paper will highlight some of the provisions that have already been implemented and will discuss how it affects me, healthcare workers, and the citizens of Arkansas. There are two provisions I will discuss that went into effect on January 1, 2011. One is known as the Medical-Loss Ratio(MLR) and the other is a policy focused on Bringing down healthcare premiums. The MLR policy will put an end to insurance companies being able to raise rates without explaining their actions, or justifying the reason for their high premiums. The policy aims to bring transparency to the healthcare rate changes by requiring â€Å"that all insurers seeking rate increases of 10% or more in the individual or small group market publicly disclose the proposed increases and the justification for them†. (Insurance Rate Increases, Posted: December 21, 2010, para. 4) These proposed increases will be analyzed further by the affected state before approval to determine if they are in fact reasonable. The ACA provides funding to states in order to strengthen or create rate review processes and consumers will be provided with detailed information on proposed increases from their insurance provider. The other significant policy made effective at the same time is one that will bring down the cost of insurance premiums. Under this provision, insurers must spend 80% (for individual or small group insurers) or 85% (for large group insurers) of premium dollars on health costs and claims, leaving only 20% or 15% respectively for adminis trative costs and profits. If an insurer fails to meet this requirement, there is no penalty, but a rebate must be issued to the policy holder. (Key Features of the ACA, n.d.) This affects me by protecting me from unreasonable rate increases. As I get older, I make more frequent visits to a healthcare provider for both acute and chronic illness. The costs add up quickly and with a limited source of income, anything that I can save helps greatly. A common feeling among insurance holders is that we are paying for something that we never use so the idea of a rebate for overpayment of premiums will be welcomed by all. There is one provision that became effective on September 23, 2010 that was a relief to my family in a time of despair. My mother underwent many procedures and surgeries in the last few years of her life and we were concerned about limits on annual or lifetime coverage placed on her by the insurance company. Under the law, insurance companies are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, and their use of annual dollar limits on the amount of insurance coverage a patient may receive will be restricted. Her medical bills were significant, but we never had to worry about her coverage expiring. The American Nurses Association has fighting for health care reform for many years. By doing so, the ANA is promoting our core value of patient advocacy. We have been taught that we should represent our patients’ best interests in regards to healthcare at all times. So supporting measures that will allow for more affordable healthcare, is what nurses should do. The ANA has been working to ensure that RNs are â€Å"fully included as leaders and eligible health care providers in new, patient-centered, team-based models of care, and accountable care organizations. ANA continues to urge federal agencies to include advanced practice registered nurses as primary care providers, and for nurse-managed clinics to qualify as essential community providers.† (Still The Law, August 2012, para. 7) Arkansas has put much effort into forming our Health Insurance Benefits Exchange, called the Arkansas Health Connector. It is a program through which our more than 500,000 uninsured Arkansas can shop for affordable health insurance. The plans are required to offer 10 essen tial services. Some of which include prescription drugs, emergency and hospital care, doctor visits, maternity and mental health services, rehabilitation and lab services. â€Å"The Arkansas insurance Department(AID) has been awarded a one year, $1 million planning grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight CCIIO) to assist with studying options for development of the best possible Insurance Exchange for Arkansans.† (Planning for HBE, n.d., para. 2) This Arkansas Health Connector makes it easier for uninsured individuals to shop for comparable and affordable health plans. The requirements placed on these plans are also greatly needed in order to provide complete healthcare and prevent future healthcare related costs. The only cons that I will mention are that not enough people know about the availability of this program and that if people do not already know, they will found out rather abruptly when they are assessed a $95 penalty on their filed income tax return. The ACA  outlines plans to reduce episodic based care and increase population(community) base d care. The idea is to provide a higher value of healthcare instead of volume, while reducing readmissions for nosocomial infections, preventable diseases, or complications from chronic conditions and illnesses. By implementing community based programs to promote healthcare, we can reduce healthcare costs and help patients live healthier lives with reducing the risks of significant and recurring medical problems as well as their associated costs. Regardless of arguments against the ACA, the most important aspect is that it helps Americans to become and remain healthier people. It teaches our next generation to value healthcare, and to take an active role in being healthier adults. The ACA will affect me professionally as well as personally. Another provision of the ACA provides for the increase of payments for rural healthcare providers. The majority of communities who are most in need of higher quality and more affordable healthcare, are located in the rural areas of our country. These communities often have trouble attracting and retaining medical professionals. My wife is also a nursing student, and we live in a rural area, so we plan to take advantage of these incentives to provide a hig her standard of healthcare to those in need. A similar provision worth mentioning calls for the rebuilding of the primary care workforce. In order to strengthen the availability and quality of healthcare, there has been increased funding for scholarships and loan repayments for primary care physicians and nurses working in underserved areas, as well as tax free student loan payments for these health professionals. (Key Features of the ACA, n.d.) Again this affects my wife and I directly through scholarship opportunities and reduced financial burden after we graduate. Also affecting me is the increase in the number of patients seeking healthcare due to more people have health insurance. This will increase the demand for both registered and advanced practice nurses in episodic based care as well as in the community. Our role as an educator will be more important than ever when teaching patients who have never had affordable health care. There are many arguments against this legislation, but as an aspiring nurse, I have yet to fin d one that suggests ACA is not the best option we have for making a healthier future for America. References Affordable care act is still the law. (August 2012). Retrieved from http://www.theamericannurse.org/index.php/2012/08/06/affordable-care-act-is-still-the-law/ Key features of the affordable care act by year. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/timeline-text.html#2010 Planning for the arkansas health benefits exchange. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hbe.arkansas.gov/Planning.pdf Shining a light on health insurance rate increases. (Posted: December 21, 2010). Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/ratereview.html

Monday, January 20, 2020

A Comparison of Fate in The Stranger (The Outsider) and Myth of Sisyphus :: comparison compare contrast essays

Fate in The Stranger (The Outsider) and Myth of Sisyphus  Ã‚   In his works, The Stranger (The Outsider) and Myth of Sisyphus,   Camus addresses the consciousness of Meursault and Sisyphus through their fate. Sisyphus knows his fate. He to Because he has the opportunity and does rationalize his fate, he has consciousness. As the rock rolls back down, he is able to look back upon his life and analyze it. Nothing could be more existentialist. Sartre’s Garcin wants to meet his fate face to face. So, Sisyphus, embodies this desire of Garcin, and is thus a hero to him. Similarly, Charles Dickens’ scrooge has the unique opportunity to become an observer to his fate in the past, present and future. While Camus’ Meursault does not care about his past, he expresses the same feelings as scrooge and Garcin in their desire to confront their fate. Indeed, this is why they are every man and Sisyphus is our hero - he has and will always confront his fate. He has the conscious power to contemplate and control his fate. Therefore, if we know that everyone faces death as their fate, consciousness equals the ability to deal with ones fate. If we know our fate, do our lives hold meaning? Meursault remarks, â€Å"Nothing, nothing mattered, and I know why.† He knows he will be executed by a society in which he cannot exist, but he resigns and thereby assures himself that the middle is meaningless. Before his arrest, he knew he would die. Perhaps this knowledge justifies his living moment to moment. His statement compares to Beckett’s Vladimir when he laments, â€Å"Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it is awful!† Both Meursault and Vladimir understand their insurmountable fate, but Meursault desires to confront it. This reveals Meursault to have the heroic qualities of Sisyphus. So, what Vladimir recognizes, Meursault confronts, and Sisyphus transcends. Sisyphus conquers his fate in spite of his immortality. Camus addresses the consciousness of Meursault and Sisyphus through their fate. By the ability to recognize his past, Sisyphus shows how Meursault lacks unhappiness. Meursault has nothing with which to compare the pleasure he feels instantly, so he is at the least continually content and possibly perpetually happy. Conversely, Sisyphus understands his past yet chooses not to compare his past to the present or his known future. When the priest asks Meursault if he would prefer a different life to his own, he remarks he wants a life â€Å"where I could remember this one.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Online Education vs. Traditional Education Essay

While most believe online education is easy as the student is just sitting in front of the computer, attending class online is more challenging than attending class in a classroom because requires time management skills and requires self-discipline. Attending college online requires the college student to have excellent time management skills. The majority of online students have responsibilities other than attending school. Usually this is why the decision to attend school online is made. The online student must be able to balance school, work, and a family. Attending school at a traditional school is not as flexible as the time schedule is set in place and the student must arrange their schedule around school, work, and family. Online education allows more flexibility in the online class schedule. However, proper management must be maintained in order to balance all of the responsibilities and be successful in all areas. â€Å"Not only do students need to monitor their progress in an ongoing fashion and adjust their strategies for learning based on their progress, they also need to maintain a time management schedule in order to complete online learning activities in the allotted timeframes. † (Orellana, Hudgins, & Simonson, 2009, p. 470). The online student must be able to continue to work full-time and take care of family. All of these things must be done including attending school. Adding online education to the list of responsibility may assist the online student becomes well organized. An online student can possibly check-in the online classroom during lunchtime while at work. Homework assignments can be done during â€Å"homework hour† at home with the children. In order to be successful attending school online, the online college student must practice self-discipline. In a traditional classroom, the student the instructor holds the student accountable for all assignments and participation in class. While the same applies for the online college student, accountability is the student. There will not be a â€Å"reminder† from the instructor on a daily basis whether the student is participating in the discussion group or if the student has completed an assignment. â€Å"Online learning can be more convenient, effective and rewarding than traditional classes, but convenience doesn’t mean it’s easier,† says Gwen Hillesheim, interim chief academic officer and provost of Colorado Technical University, a leading provider of education for career-motivated students. â€Å"Successful online students need to be proactive in their studies and take responsibility for their own learning. It takes self-discipline and time management to do your best. But when the student is engaged, the learning can be significant and the experience fulfilling. † ARA, (2010, November 3, Creston News Advertiser). Online students must comply with the University participation requirements in order to succeed. Self-discipline is required as it is solely up to the student to log in each day and participate in class. Unlike traditional classrooms where the schedule is set and students are reminded by staff daily to participate; the University notifies online students that do not make the required participation requirements after they have failed to do so. Most individuals that opt to attend school online are returning to school to complete a college degree. Usually this option is chosen due to work schedule as well as time with the family. Online education is not for everyone as it takes great discipline and maturity in order to be a successful online student. â€Å"At the same time, online education is not for everyone — you have to have a certain level of maturity and self-motivation, since you have to juggle coursework with job and family responsibilities. It demands a great deal of individualized work and you have to manage your schedule to meet class requirements rather than attend at a specific time of the week. â€Å"Michele Smolik, Director of Instructional Technology at Columbia College. Traditional students usually are not full-time employees. A person attending a University on campus is usually either taking one class or a full-time student working a part-time job. Online education allows an individual to maintain a full-time job however in order to qualify as a full-time student two classes are taken at a time. Traditional students attending class on campus have the advantage of accessing the instructor during class instruction if a question should arise. Online students must communicate with instructors via email or by utilizing the message board located on the student portal. This type of learning is not the right choice for everyone as some need individual instruction. Some argue that online students are â€Å"teaching† themselves, as there is no verbal instruction from an instructor. At most online universities instruction is given weekly during the discussion group forum by the instructor. The online student must make it a responsibility to participate in weekly discussion forums as well as keep up with weekly readings. Students that delay themselves in participating in the discussion group usually maintain a low grade. All of this is vital in order to be a successful online student. Assignments for class are usually due weekly and due at the end of the week. Students must submit the assignment via the class portal. It is imperative that the student have the correct software in order to submit the assignment as it is the student’s responsibility that the assignment is submitted on time with no exceptions. This is not an issue for traditional students as instructors are able to accept assignments in person from students. Essays and other assignments can be submitted by hard copy, which eliminates the concern of computer complications or the non-compatibility of software with the University. Online education has been debated throughout the years of its brief existence however most will agree that it is much more challenging than traditional education. Attending school is challenging whether in a traditional classroom setting or attending school online as responsibility is the main factor. However, as an online student it is imperative to be organized, responsible, and maintain strict discipline in order to be a successful online student. These factors make attending school online much more difficult as it is magnified much more. References The Perfect Online Course: Best Practices for Designing and Teaching (Orellana, Hudgins, & Simonson, 2009, p. 470) ARA, (2010, November 3).

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Cómo Declarar la Pérdida de Pasaporte con Visa Americana

Si usted ha perdido su pasaporte con una visa americana, debe actuar rà ¡pidamente para evitarse problemas futuros y no perder su visado. Tenga en cuenta que si usted extravà ­o su documento o le fue robado puede que otra persona lo està © intentando usar para entrar a Estados Unidos (suplantacià ³n de identidad). Reportar la Pà ©rdida Fuera de Estados Unidos: Apenas se de cuenta de la pà ©rdida o robo escriba un correo electrà ³nico al consulado correspondiente siguiendo estas formulas: ciudad del consuladovisasstate.gov o ciudaddelconsuladonivstate.gov Asà ­, para el consulado en Lima el correo serà ­a: limavisasstate.gov o limanivstate.gov. En el asunto del correo escribir: â€Å"Lost† para el caso de visas extraviadas y â€Å"Stolen† para el de robadas y en el cuerpo del correo aà ±adir: Nombre completo del titular de la visa, tal y como aparece en el pasaporte extraviado o robado.Nà ºmero de pasaporte, si se tiene.Fecha en la que se produjo la pà ©rdida o el robo.Nà ºmero de telà ©fono de contacto.Si hay un reporte policial, incluirlo en la comunicacià ³n. Informacià ³n detallada de lo sucedido. Una vez reportado el robo o pà ©rdida la visa serà ¡ cancelada y ya no se podrà ¡ viajar con ella. Reportar la Pà ©rdida Dentro de Estados Unidos: Apenas se de cuenta de la pà ©rdida o robo usted deberà ¡: Acudir a la policà ­a y reportar el robo o extravà ­o.Conseguir una copia del reporte policial.Conseguir una copia   del I-94 que indica hasta cuando puede estar usted en Estados Unidos.Contactar con la embajada o consulado del paà ­s de origen y conseguir un nuevo pasaporte o documento que le permita salir de Estados Unidos y entrar a su paà ­s de origen. Reportar el robo o el extravà ­o de la visa a la embajada o al consulado que la emitià ³, siguiendo las instrucciones seà ±aladas arriba para casos de pà ©rdida fuera de Estados Unidos. Si su pasaporte extraviado tiene una visa de turismo B1/B2 vigente usted puede pedir una renovacià ³n de la misma siguiendo los mismos pasos de aplicacià ³n de la visa original. Aquà ­ encuentra un listado de las direcciones oficiales de los consulados en la pà ¡gina oficial del gobierno e informacià ³n adicional de cà ³mo reportar  el robo o perdida. Consejos Para Conservar la Visa Americana Una vez recuperada su visa revise la siguiente informacià ³n para conservarla sin problemas: Las 10 situaciones que le pueden traer problemas con su visa.La frecuencia con la que puede  ingresar a Estados Unidos.Consecuencias de estadà ­as mà ¡s largas que las permitidas. Informacià ³n en forma de   test sobre visas. Este artà ­culo es meramente informativo y no pretende ser asesorà ­a legal.