The COVID-19 pandemic caused a high negative impact on the population. A wide spread of job layoffs and others voluntarily quitting for safety. As a lot of people lost their jobs, health insurance coverage was disrupted. Consequently, the need for health insurance was paramount for the management of the disease just like any other health issue. More than 40 million people filed for unemployment insurance between March and May 2020. The US hit the highest unemployment rate of 14.7% since the Great Depression (Agarwal & Sommers, 2020).
Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, the criteria for health insurance for people that lost their jobs were limited. Strict rules applied such as for adults without a disability, many states’ income cutoffs for Medicaid were well below the poverty line, and only people with dependent children could apply. Newly disabled people could apply for Medicaid if their savings and assets were low enough for them to qualify for Supplemental Security Income. The ACA brought with it more incentive coverage that provided health insurance unrelated to employment and will protect many recently unemployed people and their families from losing coverage. The Medicaid program expansion provided eligibility to all U.S. citizens and qualifying documented immigrants with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. Many newly displaced workers will therefore be able to apply for Medicaid (Agarwal & Sommers, 2020). This coverage provided insurance to people during the COVID pandemic and granted access to healthcare providers and resources. The DNP involvement during COVID-19 will continue in diagnosing, counseling, and treating the patients and making referrals where needed.
Reference
Agarwal, S. D., & Sommers, B. D. (2020). Insurance coverage after job loss—the importance of the ACA during the Covid-associated recession. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(17), 1603-1606.
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