The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is to ensure everyone has quality, cost efficient health care, in order to transform the health care system and lower cost nationwide (ANA, 2017). There are multiple provisions addressed in the PPACA, which are quality, affordability, public programs, prevention of chronic diseases, transparency, integrity, access to innovative medical therapies, living assistance services, and revenue provisions (ANA, 2017).
Now with the PPACA, millions of people now have protection from losing or being denied health insurance (ANA, 2017). In this movement towards changing our current health care system, it is important to understand what critical function will affect the nurse's practice during this transformation (ANA, 2017).
The key provision that has the most impact on my current practice is section 4101, school-based health clinic (ANS, 2010). This section allows for title 1 schools grants to support the operation of school based health centers (U.S. Department of Education, 2015).
Title 1 school programs provide financial assistance to local educational agencies, and schools with a high number of low-income families, in order to help ensure all children meet state standards (U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Working in a title 1 school myself, I see the great benefit from these funds to help in paying for the equipment and supplies needed in health clinic that serve our students daily.
The other key provision that has an impact on my current practice is section 5202 for student loan programs, and the discretion to adjust the amounts based on the cost of attendance (ANA, 2010).
Working in a school setting has some draw backs, such as pay with a big decrease from what a nurse makes in the hospital setting, so help with my student loans to further my education is very important. In having a lower income paying nursing job, and the payments required to pay back my student loans, could become a great burden on my family, if help such as this was not possible.