Is patient protection and affordability act really affordable Research Paper

Is patient protection and affordability act really affordable - Research Paper Example According to CBO the Act will not only bend the healthcare cost curve, but will also help in reducing the deficit in the next ten years and beyond (PPACA Detailed Summary, n.d.). The aim of this paper is to evaluate the Act and find out if it is economically viable or not for the Americans. For this purpose I intend to explore the peer reviewed articles in order to understand the economic effects of the Act. Towards the end a conclusion shall be made based on the findings of the research. Howard (2011) has discussed in detail the economic consequences of the Act in his article â€Å"The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Economy, Employers and the Workforce†. Howard is of the view that the Act is neither affordable nor a solution to the healthcare problems of the Americans. Instead, it would lead to increased problems and cost pressures along with economic degeneration and unemployment. Reducing the fiscal deficit leads to economic growth and job creation. If the US government continues to spend money without any cost effective plans, the US economy will soon be crippled. Slowing the growth rate of the health care cost is therefore a good option. The Act however asks the middle class to purchase heavily subsidized health care insurance and doubles the size of Medicaid program because of the increased number of insured people. Howard (2011) is of the view that the Act is not a suitable way of bending the cost curve, as mentioned by President Obama. As more and more people are insured, the demand for health services would increase which would mean more expansion and spending on health care projects, such as Medicaid. The Act ensures more spending on health care and increased demand will lead to increased cost of health care goods and services. A prominent economist, Jonathan Gruber (quoted online in California Healthline, 2010), explained the Act as â€Å"a spaghetti approach† to cost control. It is just doing a lot without getting any optimal

International Relations in Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Relations in Future - Essay Example Yet, it is projected, that the basic construct of the international relations will have the same foundations, as it has today. Concepts of realism, liberalism and constructivism are among the most popular in the world of politics today. Understanding the future of the world in line of the same concepts would seem apposite, henceforth. Viewing the world in 2031, the first thing that may come to mind would be the national interest of the countries. Although the total number of countries may well have changed drastically, yet the basic reason why they keep forming and breaking would be the same - the primary interest of each and every one of them. The power struggle would nonetheless still be there, although in quite a different from. Countries would probably take form as 'cyber-states', wherein the interest of the countries would not be till the geographical/political borders, but actually to every nook and corner of the universe till where their electronic influence is involved. This would involve the extensive use of satellite warfare, and even wars over the territory in space! Not gold, not uranium, but the silicon chip will be the most sought after resource, and instead of weapons of mass destructions, a fatal electronic bug would be able to wipe out the entire defenses of the enemy. The concept of liberalism would also be very much in vogue. ... Though people would still have the right to express themselves, the great fear would be not to implore into the domain of the other person. With everyone having a diverse array of personal options available at hand, the exact paradigm of individual preference would be very difficult to determine, and hence the political leaders of every country would have a very difficult time to control the people according to the interest of the country. Constructivism would also have its say 25 years down the line. Establishing goals, ideals and ambitions in conformity with the rest of thee world would be an impossible task. Every person would be a potential friend and a probable terrorist. Transformation in such a time would be very difficult. Political reform would hence only be a consequence of scientific reform. People would only follow what has been conclusively ordained by the wise, and not the mighty. Religious theologies would still grow further apart, with death and destruction happening basically at the onset of intolerance. The political line of reasoning for the present time may seem old-fashioned or even too ambitious for the future - the exact combination of political theories may never be known. However, the reality is that even in Caesar's time, the primary constructs of politics were derived from realism, liberalism and constructivism. Therefore, there is every probability that in the next 25 years as well, the drastic changes in international relations will not be able to change the very foundations upon which the politics are played. Technology cannot change a politician's mind, only interests can. Hence, the changing time will provide changing