The Impact of Medicaid Expansion from the Affordable Care Act in Arizona and Nationally: How the proposition has improved patient access to health care and future propositions may impact the future of Medicaid Patients

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was created in 2010 to ensure American Citizens to obtain healthcare in which one way is to apply for Medicaid as more persons became eligible under expansion of coverage. The policies concerning Medicaid expansion has not federally mandated that every state adopt Medicaid expansion by Supreme Court decision, therefore it has been questioned in its ability by the current presidential cabinet which has led the Republican House of Representatives to create reforms of the current health law. The reforms to Medicaid expansion included the use of block grants or per capita caps through the American Health Care Act (AHCA) in which either of the reform would give more power and funding rights to the states themselves. However, the Senate withdrew the bill before voting as majority did not agree with the provisions and wanted current health care law to remain as is. With this bill not having been passed, other options of reforms are going to be considered by the Republican House of Representatives and the President. In the meantime, it is evident that states that have not yet expanded Medicaid should apply for a waiver to adopt the Medicaid expansion policies. This is because under the ACA's Medicaid expansion there has been a decrease in uninsured persons nationally, including the state of Arizona.