In 1-2 paragraphs in a separate Word document, identify the specific type of health care provider you are selecting to be the focus of your study. In addition, tentatively identify two actual or potential changes in your chosen provider’s work resulting from the Affordable Care Act. (You can adjust these as you get deeper into your research – just inform your faculty member.)

Conduct research on the Internet or your library to explore specifics of the health care act. Here are possible sources:

1. The federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at http://www.healthcare.gov.
2. Medical Group Management Association at http://www.mgma.com.
3. American Hospital Association at http://www.aha.org.
4. American Medical Association at http://www.ama-assn.org.
5. Your Rasmussen College Online Library, which you can access through the Resources tab.

Remember that your focus is on potential changes in the work and management of your chosen provider as a result of the health care act. As stated earlier, these might include delayed insurance payments, pre-existing condition coverage, Medicare coverage changes, and so on. Be thinking about why the legislation might cause such changes as well as the short- and long-term effects.

In 2010, the United States Government passed landmark legislation with the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Beyond the obvious changes, elements of this legislation will result in fiscal and operational adjustments for every type of frontline health care provider.

Your project is to write an 8-10 page paper analyzing two actual or potential changes resulting from the Affordable Health Care Act on one type of frontline health care provider. Sample providers include physicians, hospitals, public health systems, and health insurance companies.

You must be specific in your analysis. For example, “financial change” is not specific enough. You must identify the specific change (that is, delayed insurance payments, increased annual revenue, and so on.). As you do so, please explain possible causes of the change as well as the short-term and long-term effects. Areas for consideration include business, impact of health care coverage as related to medical condition, financial, managerial, clinical, and operational changes required to meet the demands resulting from this legislation.

Due Date

Your final project is due Module 10. There will be individual assignments along the way. The module they are due are noted in bold in the time line below. As you can see, your first assignment “Identify Provider and Two Changes” is due this module.

Time Line

Requirements

• Title Page that includes your name, title of your project, and the name of this course.
• Outline that includes: introduction idea leading to thesis; body with at least two sections to cover the two areas of potential changes providers have or might experience as a result of the affordable health care act. Included here are suggestions for causes, short-term effects, and long-term effects. Conclusion idea wraps up main thesis of the paper.
• 8-10 Page Paper, including Title and References page. In all your writing, use clear, concise, complete sentences, transitions between paragraphs, standard spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Research sources. Use a minimum of four research sources for your project – at least two research sources for each of the two sections in the body of the paper.
• Citations for your research sources should be listed in APA format in-text and in the annotated bibliography, which you position in the References page at the end of the paper For APA guidelines, go to your college’s online library which you can access through the Resources tab.

Evaluation

Each assignment leading up to the final project is evaluated and graded independently. Your faculty member will provide specific grading criteria for each step of the project prior to its due date.

For Further Questions