The patient protection and affordable care act: implications for geriatric nurses and patients.

T Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which became law in 2010 and was recently upheld on June 28, 2012, by the Supreme Court, addresses a number of significant changes in health care access and services in the United States (National Federation on Independent Business Et Al. v. Sebelius Et Al., 2012; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2012a). As the nation faces full implementation of the PPACA by 2014, it is imperative that nurses who care for older adults have a firm understanding of the implications of this legislation on our practice and research. To a great extent, no one— policy makers, health care professionals, providers, and consumers—can easily predict what health care services will look like over the next 5 years. Simply, we know this legislation has put levers in place to increase access to care and create opportunities for quality, preventive services, efficiencies, and innovations. However, it will be up to all stakeholders, especially nurses—the largest and most ubiquitous members of the health care workforce—to create the future for care. As geriatric nurses, we are responsible for understanding the changes in this health care law that will have the greatest effect on you and your patients so you can best advocate for them. Therefore, the following outlines the major changes affecting geriatric nurses and patients.