Lights and shadows of Affordable Care Act and its influence on world civilization

Abstract

Purpose The Obama’s reform of the US healthcare system has been a major topic of debate in the USA. The USA feels the need to provide 48 million residents with health insurance. The Affordable Care Act has this goal, but the several factors have limited its capacity and implementation. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this reform, paying attention to its potential implications for the human and economic development of both the USA and the rest of the world. The authors show that developed countries also need policies for enhancing human development and also the developing world may benefit from policy changes in the “first world.” Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on discursive discussion. The argumentation first presents the reform, and highlights its advantages and its flaws for the citizens of both the USA and of developing countries. Findings The authors claim that the reform presents some flaws that render it still insufficient to cover all the health needs of the poor in the USA. However, the reform is likely to attract more immigrant workers to the USA, since it is likely to improve the living conditions of immigrants as well as those of their families. Originality/value The original point of the paper is the link between the reform and the benefits for non-US citizens. The extant literature has widely discussed the impact of the reform on the domestic market and on the US citizens. The authors widen this perspective showing that an important reform in a large country may be beneficial for people living elsewhere as well.