Question: Explain how health care reform has helped shift the focus from a disease-oriented health care system to one of wellness and prevention.

Expert answer

Health reform has helped to change the focus of health care from treating diseases to preventing them. This is because the goal of health reform is to make sure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. This means that instead of waiting until someone gets sick to provide them with care, we want to make sure that they can get the care they need to prevent illness in the first place.

One way that health reform has helped achieve this goal is by providing more people with access to preventive care services. These are things like vaccinations and screenings for cancer and other diseases. By getting these services, people can stay healthy and avoid getting sick in the first place.

Another way that health reform has helped is by making it easier for people to get the treatments they need when they do get sick. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover certain essential health benefits. This means that people with pre-existing conditions can’t be denied coverage or charged more for their insurance.

The ACA has also helped to make sure that people have access to affordable care by providing subsidies to help pay for premiums. And, the law created new marketplaces where people can compare and shop for health insurance plans.

Thanks to health reform, more Americans than ever before have access to quality, affordable health care. And, while there’s still more work to be done, these changes are helping to improve the health of our nation.