Elected Officials Travel in Parallel Universes Regarding the Affordable Care Act

While the ink still was drying on this issue of the Journal of Allied Health, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) reached the ripe old age of 5-and-1/2 years. Simply mentioning this law to a great many members of Congress is the equivalent of administering a prick with a hot needle. Depending on whose opinions are sought, this significant piece of social legislation is considered either a monumental health policy triumph (according to a majority of Democrats) or a pitiful debacle (according to a majority of Republicans) in both chambers. Their respective points of view are aided and abetted by a small army of cheerleaders on the sidelines who inhabit pundit domains in foundations, think tanks, university policy centers, and radio/TV talk shows. Except in rare instances, neither side will admit that their opponents might be correct about some aspects of the law, because there really is not much pleasure derived from doing so. Despite their many enthusiastic proclamations regarding the ACA, it is not possible for both sides of the present controversy to be entirely correct. Hence, this essay represents an effort to describe various benefits associated with this key piece of legislation, along with some of its shortcomings.