Posted: April 25th, 2025

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Complete a 3-5 page assessment template analyzing the impacts of The Affordable Care Act on the health care ecosystem we inhabit today and the related significance of one other health care initiative enacted since 2010. APA Style double spaced times new Roman 12 font 

Assessment 1
The Affordable Care Act and Beyond

Complete a 3–5 page assessment template analyzing the
impacts of The Affordable Care Act on the health care
ecosystem we inhabit today and the related significance of
one other health care ini”a”ve enacted since 2010.

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Introduc”on

The Pa”ent Protec”on and Affordable Care Act (PPACA
or ACA) was signed into law by President Barack
Obama in 2010. The ACA a#empts to increase access
to care, reduce cost, and improve quality. The primary
objec”ve was to provide healthcare insurance for
Americans who had none. The law also extended
coverage for those up to the age of 26 on their parents’
healthcare plans. It expanded Medicaid coverage to
include those who had incomes 133% or less of the
na”onal poverty level. It also prevented health
insurance companies from kicking people out of their
plans for preexis”ng condi”ons (Clobes, 2022). The law
has been controversial due to the mandate that all
people in the United States must purchase health
insurance.

The U.S. government plays a significant role in the
opera”on of the country’s health care system. The U.S.
federal government provides health services for
approximately 21.2 million Americans within unique
popula”ons, or 2.7% of the U.S. popula”on (CMS,
2020), through the Indian Health Service, Military
Health Service, and Veterans Affairs Health Services.
These services are generally provided through a
comprehensive integrated health system administered
by the Department of Health and Human Services
(Indian Health Services), Department of Defense
(Military Health Services), and Department of Veterans
Affairs (U.S. military veterans) (Clobes, 2022). The
Affordable Care Act (ACA) has further increased the
role and involvement of the government in health care.
All health care administrators must be knowledgeable
on the role of the government. Numerous governmental
organiza”ons exist, such as the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), the Na”onal Ins”tutes of Health
(NIH), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administra”on (FDA),
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS),
the Occupa”onal Safety and Health Administra”on
(OSHA), and the Office of the Surgeon General to name
a few. Each organiza”on exists for a specific purpose
and has a specific mission. Your role as an administrator
will be to understand the scope of these agencies and
to help your organiza”on meet or exceed the
governmental mandates imposed by each.

As leaders in our field, it is our responsibility to stay on
top of current issues and laws and to be visionaries for
our organiza”ons. Subscribing to email bulle”ns and
alerts from the various governmental agencies is one
way to stay abreast of changing regula”ons. The
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS.gov,
and Healthcare.gov are excellent resources that all
administrators should check on a regular basis. The new
care delivery model will need to op”mize clinical
opera”ons and automate consistent workflows
between providers, departments, and services (Clobes,
2022).

References
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2020).

Na!onal Healthcare Expenditures.

Clobes, T. A. (2022). Introduc!on to the U.S. Healthcare

System. Affordable Learning Solu”ons (AL$) &
California Alliance for Open Educa”on (CAOpenEd).

The U.S. health care system was impacted significantly
in 2010 by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Although the
ACA improved access to health care, it emphasized the
need for policies that increase funding and to streamline
enrollment. Since the implementa”on of the ACA,
newer reform policies and ini”a”ves such as the
Hospital Quality Ini”a”ve (2012), the Medicare Access
and CHIP Reauthoriza”on Act (MACRA) (2015), the
Merit-Based Incen”ve Payment System (MIPS), and the
American Rescue Plan Act (2021) have increased quality
ini”a”ves through regulatory laws. In this assessment,
you will review the Affordable Care Act and other more
recent ini”a”ves to understand the significance of
quality evolu”on.

Reference
Clobes, T. A. (2022). Introduc!on to the U.S. Healthcare

System. Affordable Learning Solu”ons (AL$) &
California Alliance for Open Educa”on (CAOpenEd).

Instruc”ons

Using the Assessment 1 Template [DOCX], analyze the
impacts of the ACA on the health care ecosystem we
inhabit today. As part of this analysis, discuss the
related significance of one other health care ini”a”ve
enacted since 2010. Select this ini”a”ve from a list of
the following four historical health care quality
milestones:

The Hospital Quality Ini”a”ve (2012).

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthoriza”on
Act (MACRA) (2015).

The Merit-Based Incen”ve Payment System
(MIPS) (2015).

Although MIPS is a component of MACRA,
you may choose to focus on it separately.

The American Rescue Plan Act (2021).

In your assessment template, include the following:

Title page.

Introduc”on.

Preview the main themes of your paper.

Annotated bibliography.

Demonstrate research ability by iden”fying
three quality sources suppor”ng the ACA.

Demonstrate research ability by iden”fying
three quality sources suppor”ng your
chosen focused topic in health care
legisla”on, a regulatory agency, or a quality
ini”a”ve.

Summarize each of the six ar”cles separately
to show comprehension of both topics.

Include APA cita”ons for each source.

Dra% a summary (1–2 pages) addressing how the
ACA and the other topic selected have impacted
today’s health care ecosystem.

Conclusion.

References.

Note: Your sources for this assessment must be
evidence-based research, peer-reviewed journal ar”cles,
or reliable primary sources from government or
professional organiza”on publica”ons.

Addi”onal Requirements

Length: Your paper must be a minimum of 3–5
double-spaced pages, not including the “tle page
and References sec”on.

Font: Times New Roman, 12 point.

References: Cite and summarize at least six peer-
reviewed scholarly journal ar”cles or reliable
primary sources from government or professional
organiza”on publica”ons.

Style: Format your paper according to APA style.
Refer to Evidence and APA for guidance.

Note: Please review the The Affordable Care Act and
Beyond Scoring Guide before you begin the
assessment.

Competencies Measured

By successfully comple”ng this assessment, you will
demonstrate your proficiency in the course
competencies through the following assessment scoring
guide criteria:

Competency 1: Analyze current health reform,
policy, and regula”on in U.S. health care.

Analyze peer-reviewed literature that
discusses how the Affordable Care Act has
impacted the quality of and access to care.

Analyze peer-reviewed literature that
discusses how ini”a”ves since the
Affordable Care Act have impacted the
quality of and access to care.

Evaluate ways in which quality has improved
or not improved since 2010.

Competency 4:& Communicate in a manner that is
scholarly, professional, and respec&ul of the
diversity, dignity, and integrity of others.

Write with minimal grammar, usage, spelling,
and mechanical errors.

Apply proper APA forma’ng and cita”on
style as required.

Scoring Guide
Use the scoring guide to understand how your
assessment will be evaluated.

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Criterion 1

Analyze peer-reviewed literature that discusses
how the Affordable Care Act has impacted the
quality of and access to care.

Dis”nguished

Analyzes peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how the
Affordable Care Act has
impacted the quality of and
access to care, and provides the
full APA cita”on for each source.

Proficient

Analyzes peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how the
Affordable Care Act has
impacted the quality of and
access to care.

Basic

Describes peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how the
Affordable Care Act has
impacted the quality of and
access to care.

Non Performance

Does not describe peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how the
Affordable Care Act has
impacted the quality of and
access to care.

Criterion 2

Analyze peer-reviewed literature that discusses
how ini”a”ves since the Affordable Care Act
have impacted the quality of and access to care.

Dis”nguished

Analyzes peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how
ini”a”ves since the Affordable
Care Act have impacted the
quality of and access to care, and
provides the full APA cita”on for
each source.

Proficient

Analyzes peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how
ini”a”ves since the Affordable
Care Act have impacted the
quality of and access to care.

Basic

Describes peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how
ini”a”ves since the Affordable
Care Act have impacted the
quality of and access to care.

Non Performance

Does not describe peer-reviewed
literature that discusses how
ini”a”ves since the Affordable
Care Act have impacted the
quality of and access to care.

Criterion 3

Evaluate ways in which quality has improved or
not improved since 2010.

Dis”nguished

Evaluates ways in which quality
has improved or not improved
since 2010, and provides
relevant examples supported by
current scholarly or professional
sources.

Proficient

Evaluates ways in which quality
has improved or not improved
since 2010.

Basic

Describes ways in which quality
has improved or not improved
since 2010.

Non Performance

Does not describe ways in which
quality has improved or not
improved since 2010.

Criterion 4

Write with minimal grammar, usage, spelling, and
mechanical errors.

Dis”nguished

Writes with superior grammar,
usage, spelling, and mechanics.

Proficient

Writes with minimal grammar,
usage, spelling, and mechanical
errors.

Basic

Writes with some grammar,
usage, spelling, and mechanical
errors.

Non Performance

Writes with many grammar,
usage, spelling, and mechanical
errors.

Criterion 5

Apply proper APA forma#ng and cita”on style
as required.

Dis”nguished

Applies flawless APA forma’ng
and cita”on style.

Proficient

Applies proper APA forma’ng
and cita”on style as required.

Basic

Applies inconsistent APA
forma’ng and cita”on style.

Non Performance

Does not apply APA forma’ng
and cita”on style.

Instruc”ons Resources Ac”vity 1

BHA-FPX4003 – Fall 2024 – Sec”on 02
Assessment 1

Assessment 1 Instruc”ons
 

WalkMe Chat

11/10/24, 12:09 PM
Page 1 of 1

1

The Affordable Care Act and Beyond

Your Name
School of Business, Technology, and Health Care

Administration, Capella University
BHA-FPX4003: Present and Future State Developments within

the United States Health Care System
Faculty

Date, Year
�Template Instructions (delete this page after reading)

• Review the assessment scoring guide before you complete
this template so that you understand the difference between
“Distinguished,” “Proficient,” “Basic,” and “Non-
Performance” grading levels.

• The headings in the template below are designed to
correspond to the scoring criteria. Please maintain these
headings.

• For this assessment, you will analyze the impacts of the
Affordable Care Act on the healthcare ecosystem we
inhabit today. As part of this analysis, you will also discuss
the related significance of one other health care initiative
enacted since 2010 selected from the following:

o The Hospital Quality Initiative (2012)
o The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act

(MACRA) (2015)
o The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)

(2015)
o The American Rescue Plan Act (2021)

• Please delete these instructions and all other instructions
[contained in brackets] throughout the template prior to
submitting this document for grading.

Introduction
[Provide a brief introduction to the main themes of your

paper here.]
Sources Addressing the Affordable Care Act

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (7th
ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Follow your citation [on a new line] with your information
about the source. Tab to move the first line over so the
annotation falls in line with the hanging indent. This could
be a summary or a critical analysis for why this would be
useful in addressing the topic of your paper. The entire
page is double-spaced with no extra space after the
paragraph. Your references will be in APA7 format with the
hanging indent and in alphabetical order.

Author’s last name, First name initial. Middle initial. (Year of
publication). Title of the book in italics. Publishing
company. DOI or URL if available
Follow your citation [on a new line] with your information
about the source. Tab to move the first line over so the
annotation falls in line with the hanging indent. This could
be a summary or a critical analysis for why this would be
useful in addressing the topic of your paper. The entire
page is double-spaced with no extra space after the
paragraph. Your references will be in APA7 format with the
hanging indent and in alphabetical order.

Author’s last name, First name initial. Middle initial. (Year of
publication). Title of the article. Title of the Journal in
Italics, volume number(Issue number), pages used. DOI
number
Follow your citation [on a new line] with your information
about the source. Tab to move the first line over so the
annotation falls in line with the hanging indent. This could
be a summary or a critical analysis for why this would be
useful in addressing the topic of your paper. The entire
page is double-spaced with no extra space after the
paragraph. Your references will be in APA7 format with the
hanging indent and in alphabetical order.

Sources Addressing [enter here the health care initiative
after the ACA that you selected]

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (7th
ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Follow your citation [on a new line] with your information
about the source. Tab to move the first line over so the
annotation falls in line with the hanging indent. This could
be a summary or a critical analysis for why this would be
useful in addressing the topic of your paper. The entire
page is double-spaced with no extra space after the
paragraph. Your references will be in APA7 format with the
hanging indent and in alphabetical order.

Author’s last name, First name initial. Middle initial. (Year of
publication). Title of the book in italics. Publishing
company. DOI or URL if available
Follow your citation [on a new line] with your information
about the source. Tab to move the first line over so the
annotation falls in line with the hanging indent. This could
be a summary or a critical analysis for why this would be
useful in addressing the topic of your paper. The entire
page is double-spaced with no extra space after the
paragraph. Your references will be in APA7 format with the
hanging indent and in alphabetical order.

Author’s last name, First name initial. Middle initial. (Year of
publication). Title of the article. Title of the Journal in
Italics, volume number(Issue number), pages used. DOI
number
Follow your citation [on a new line] with your information
about the source. Tab to move the first line over so the
annotation falls in line with the hanging indent. This could
be a summary or a critical analysis for why this would be
useful in addressing the topic of your paper. The entire
page is double-spaced with no extra space after the
paragraph. Your references will be in APA7 format with the
hanging indent and in alphabetical order.

Impacts of the ACA and [enter here initiative you chose]
on the U.S. Health Care Ecosystem

Affordable Care Act Overview
[Explain the history, structure, and purpose of the

Affordable Care Act.]
[Enter here the initiative you chose] Overview

[Explain the history, structure, and purpose of the (enter
your selected initiative here).]
Impact on the U.S. Health Care Ecosystem

• [Explain the relationship between the ACA and your chosen
initiative.]

o [What groundwork did the ACA create to make your
chosen initiative possible?]

• [Explain the present and future impacts of the ACA and your
chosen initiative on the U.S. health care system.]

o [What groundwork does your chosen initiative create
that could be expanded or extrapolated in future
initiatives?]

o [Cite at least one scholarly/professional source to
support your prediction(s).]

Conclusion
[Based the sources and analysis you included in this paper,

answer the following question in one paragraph: “Does the
future of U.S. health care appear to improve or decline?”]

References
[Lastname, C. (2018). Title of the source without caps except

Proper Nouns or: First word after colon. The Journal or
Publication Italicized and Capped, Vol#(Issue#), Page
numbers.]

[Lastname, O. (2019). Online journal using DOI or digital
object identifier. Main Online Journal Name, Vol#(Issue#),
159–192. doi: 10.1000/182]

[Lastname, W. (2021). If there is no DOI use the URL of the
main website referenced. Article Without DOI Reference,
Vol#(Issue#), 166–212. http://www.mainwebsite.org]

[NOTE: The above references are SAMPLES ONLY. For more
information and example related to references, visit Capella’s
Writing Center. You are responsible for submitting appropriate
in-text and reference page citations.]

11/10/24, 12:10 PM
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