Health care reform in puerto rico and the obamacare plan: Challenges and opportunities

Puerto Rico has diverse health issues and challenges that need to be addressed.  Based on a Commonwealth government under U.S. jurisdiction, Puerto Rico’s health care system is an adapted version of the U.S. market competition model.  Health disparities exist fueled by poverty, major socioeconomic problems and an increasingly older population affected by chronic and acute conditions.  At the same time, recent mandatory reforms like the Health Information Exchange and federal Obamacare reform program have finally arrived to the local environment, with pressing compliance deadlines.  The purpose of this poster presentation is to examine the primary public health issues of Puerto Rico and to assess the health care delivery system’s responsiveness.  The analysis was based on a thorough literature review, including journal articles, government reports, monographs and statistics (secondary data) from the Puerto Rico Department of Health.  Findings on trends indicate that cancer will very soon become the first cause of death in the Island, followed by heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.  On the other hand, Obamacare Plan regulations and mandates only partially apply to Puerto Rico.  Policy implications of implementation impact of such initiatives are examined.  Challenges include increasing prevention as well as lifestyle changes to improve health conditions.