Explaining State Differences in the Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: A South/Non-South Comparison

Explaining State Differences in the Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: A South/Non-South Comparison

Objective. The passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 has been one of the most hotly debated policy issues in recent memory. Southern state politicians seem particularly opposed to the law, but data suggest that citizens of southern states would benefit from the law. This article explores the ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science quarterly 2016-09, Vol.97 (3), p.573-587
Main Authors: Travis, Rick, Morris, John C., Mayer, Martin, Kenter, Robert, Breaux, David A.
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Bills
Choices
Citizens
Health behavior
Health care services policy
Health policy
Implementation
Indexes (Measures)
Law
Memory
Motivation
Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act 2010-US
Patient safety
Patients
Policy analysis
Politicians
Politics
Protection
Public health
Social Policy
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Summary:Objective. The passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 has been one of the most hotly debated policy issues in recent memory. Southern state politicians seem particularly opposed to the law, but data suggest that citizens of southern states would benefit from the law. This article explores the choices made by states in terms of their acceptance and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act (PPACA). Methods. Employing standard explanators of state policy choices, coupled with common indicators of public health, we examine a cross-sectional, 50-state regression model to determine whether southern states are different from other states in their policy choices in this arena. Results. We find that southern state choices are driven by control of the governor’s mansion, while other factors drive non-South state choices. Conclusion. Our findings lend support to the notion of southern distinctiveness—southern states are driven more by politics, while non-South states are driven more by state circumstances.
ISSN:0038-4941
1540-6237