Interim Assessment of the Affordable Care Act
through its collaboration with the SERC Pedagogic Service.
Summary
This assignment invites students to synthesize what they have learned about the American health care system and the theory of health care economics through an examination of changes in health care since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While the primary goal is to see what can be said already about the laws fulfillment of its stated goals, students will also come to understand the limitations of the data due to lags in data publication and changes in survey design.
Learning Goals
1) awareness of institutional details of the ACA
2) facility with economic models of health care
3) capacity to communicate economic theory
4) ability to support an argument with quantitative evidence presented in text, table, and graph
5) skill in working in teams.
Context for Use
Description and Teaching Materials
This assignment handout includes all relevant materials including links to data resources: Student Handout for ACA Interim Assessment Assignment (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 16kB Jul21 15).
This form allows students to provide feedback about teammates' contributions to the group's work: Peer Evaluation Form (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 12kB Jul21 15).
Teaching Notes and Tips
Present these limitations as positive aspects of assignment design (eg "Welcome to the complexity of the real world.") rather than as deficiencies in the assignment. This will help students come to understand the reality that we rarely get to work with the exact data we want.
Assessment
Grading is based on:
- Accurate, effective, and insightful presentation of the empirical facts
- Clear and effective explanation of relevant economic theories
- Quality of writing.