...Date: | April 25th, 2012 | Subject: | Health Care Spending Growth and Reform | SUMMARY The following memo seeks to highlight the past and current problems facing federal health care expenditures within the U.S. It tries to answer the question if health care spending is now on more sustainable path along with giving projections for its current outlook. More specifically it addresses “supply-side” reforms, “demand-side” reforms and “voucher” reforms within the Medicare program, analyzing the benefits and downsides of each and what underlying problems these approaches contain. The memo summarises with recommendations as to which reform should be put in practice to achieve the desired results within the health care market. PROBLEM ANALYSIS 1. Health care expenditures are on an unsustainable path Reasons: * Aging of the population * Increase in health care costs due to excessive coverage * New medical technologies Under current law, spending for mandatory health care programs would increase from 5.6% of GDP today to about 9% of GDP in 2035. Total health care spending grew by 3.9% in 2010 and reached $2.6 trillion, or $8,402 per person. This is mainly caused by an aging of the population, an increase in retirement of the “baby boomer” generation, a rise in health care costs and a rapid innovation of medical technologies. All these factors lead to an increase in the federal budget deficit. Although recently health expenditure growth has slowed, the decline...
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...TORT REFORM AND ELDER LAW: A TORT REFORM EXAMINATION THROUGH THE LENS OF ELDER CARE Older Americans are one of the fastest growing demographic subgroups in the nation. The healthcare needs of this discrete subsection are unyieldingly broad; drawing from variances in traditional emergency medical attention, additional routine healthcare inspections, and even to custodial long term care needs. With this weighty class and the immense healthcare needs and requirements, come intricate liability and legal concerns. Countless challenges await the elderly in attempting to litigate healthcare suits, from state policy variances, to damage caps, to demonstration of harm. It is abundantly clear the legal framework should be retuned, and retuned, specifically,...
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...Affordable Care Act research topics 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 [...] Universal Health Care, A Moral Duty This 11 page research paper offers a current overview of the issues associated with the topic of universal healthcare provision and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Universal health care as a moral and ethical duty is stressed. Bibliography lists 11 sources. Minimum Wage, Healthcare Reform A 3 page research paper that covers two topics. The first half of the paper presents the history of the federally mandated minimum wage, and the second half discusses the Supreme Court's announcement that it will rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's required mandate for all Americans to purchase health insurance. Bibliography lists 2 sources. ESRD in NC, Access to Care for Underprivileged A 4 page research paper that examines the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it impacts care for underprivileged patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Bibliography lists 2 sources. Health Care Changes Resulting from the PPACA In a paper of ten pages, the author writes about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The author of this paper considers four changes within health care as a result of the act including changes of private insurance, changes for the state regulations, the individual mandate provision, also age related coverage and preexisting conditions. There are three sources cited in this paper. Healthcare Reform Policy...
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...A Research Paper on The United States’ Health Care Policy Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) I. Delineation and overview of policy under analysis a.) What is the policy to be analyzed? The policy to be analyzed is the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or colloquially referred to as Obamacare. The PPACA Bill was passed into law after Barack Obama signed it on March 23, 2010. However, it should be noted that specific provisions in the law is designed to be effective in staggered dates, that is, not all provisions in the law is effective the moment it was signed by Obama. Some provisions in the statute is designed to be effective beginning at the year 2020. b.) What is the nature of the problem being targeted by the policy? PPACA aims to improve the coverage of healthcare insurance. Thus, to achieve this, the policy targets people who do not have any health insurance. Unless exempted for the following reasons - religious beliefs, individuals who cannot afford the healthcare coverage, taxpayers whose income is below the income threshold, or any person deemed to belong from an Indian tribe- the statute requires individuals to avail a health care insurance plan or pay a penalty. II. Historical Analysis a.) What policies and programs were developed in the past to deal with the problem? Policies that were developed in the past to deal with the same problem of limited and reluctant healthcare coverage include the Medicare (1965)...
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...Research Paper: Healthcare Services and The Affordable Care Act (ACA). Table of Contents: Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………...3 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….3 Background of the Affordable Care Act …………………………………………………4 The Affordable Care Act………………………………………………………………….. 5 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………...8 Collection of Data…………………………………………………………………………..9 Primary………………………………………………………………………………10 Secondary…………………………………………………………………………..11 The Environmental Working Group………………………………………………………12 Primary Survey…………………………………………………………………….13 Questions and Answers…………………………………………………………...14 Findings from the collection of information and data…………………………………..15 Conclusion and recommendations……………………………………………………….17 Appendix A: SWOT Analysis……………………………………………………………..19 Appendix B: EWG’s Business Strategy …………………………………………………26 Appendix C: EWG’s Business Analyses………………………………………………...32 Appendix D: References…………………………………………………………………..37 Abstract Healthcare has been a topic of debate since a long period of time. The recent changes in the government legislation have specified some employer-based requirements for the healthcare provision to employees. Many organizations have also been impacted by the legislative amendments. The following section will cover the introductory knowledge of the Affordable Care Act along with its objectives. Furthermore, we will discuss the impact of this act has on the American society...
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...Health Care Reform in the US Introduction Health care reform is a general term that is used for analyzing and discussing major health care changes and provisions. Most health care reforms are typically served with the responsibility of broadening the population so that they can receive adequate health care coverage through private or public insurance companies. Also they improve quality of existing health care system and decrease the cost (Weiner & Robert, 2009). The health care reform legislation act of 2009 is a bill that was enacted in USA to direct the health care insurance providers to draft and develop regulations in implementing a comprehensive policy aimed at providing effective and cheap insurance cover to all American citizens. Though beneficial to the public, since the bill was signed into law the implementation of the act has faced numerous economic, social and political challenges. In addition, the political climate is such that real challenges appear to be emerging, including legal challenges at the state level (Farber & Blustein, 2007). Finally, polls are showing that voters are not yet on board. In fact, some voters are unaware that a health care reform bill had been passed. Therefore this paper Identifies and describes the major challenges to health care reform implementation and gives an analysis of how these challenges can be resolved. Reasons and Recommendations for Health Care Reforms There is minimal question regarding the need to restructure the America's...
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...Medical Malpractice Tort Reform in the Healthcare Industry Medical malpractice reform, also known as tort reform, includes strategies to limit medical malpractice costs, deter medical errors and ensure that patients who are injured by medical negligence are fairly compensated. Tort reform has the potential to reduce health care expenditures by reducing the number of malpractice claims, the average size of malpractice awards and tort liability system administrative costs (Medical Malpractice Reform, 2011). Since the 1970s, medical malpractice has been a controversial social issue, which has caused physicians to have increasing concerns about the large number of lawsuits and the negative connotations that tend to go along with them. Physicians have started pushing for legal reforms to decrease the large monetary awards for damages whereas tort attorneys have argued that the negligence suits are an effective way of compensating the victims fairly and forcing the medical professions to follow a proper standard of care (Pozgar, 2013). An article from the Journal of Patient Safety estimates that between 210,000 to 400,000 people die every year in the U.S. from hospital medical errors and 1 in 14 U.S. doctors face a malpractice lawsuit every year (Corapi, 2014). Physicians and healthcare providers argue that the millions of dollars that are awarded in damages increase the cost of healthcare by passing this cost onto the consumer in the form of higher insurance premiums and...
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...improving Quality and Value in the U.S. Health Care System August 2009 Preamble The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a public policy advocacy organization founded by former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell. Its mission is to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. The BPC acts as an incubator for policy efforts that engage top political figures, advocates, academics, and business leaders in the art of principled compromise. This report is part of a series commissioned by the BPC to advance the substantive work of the Leaders’ Project on the State of American Health Care. It is intended to explore policy trade-offs and analyze the major decisions involved in improving health care delivery, and discuss them in the broader context of health reform. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Senators Baker, Daschle, and Dole or the BPC’s Board of Directors. The Leaders’ Project was launched in March 2008. Co-Directed by Mark B. McClellan and Chris Jennings, its mission is (1) to create a bipartisan plan for health reform that can be used to transform the U.S. health care system, and (2) to demonstrate that health reform is an achievable political reality. Over the course of the project, Senators Baker, Daschle, and Dole hosted public policy forums across the country, and orchestrated a targeted outreach campaign to...
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...Health Care Spending Ninnette Paulino HCS/440 Economics: The Financing of Health Care August 25, 2013 Michele Burka America’s national health care spending grew by 3.9% each year from 2009 to 2011, the lowest since the federal government began keeping these records in 1960. That slow growth appears to have continued into 2012, when expenditures totaled an estimated $2.8 trillion. The biggest reason for this slowdown is that people have spent less on health care in weak economic times. As people were losing their jobs they were losing their health coverage and then hold off on seeing a physician. Even workers that are employed with company-sponsored plans they face large-out-of-pocket costs that they’d rather avoid unless it is truly necessary (Luhby, 2013). According to the Kaiser Family and Foundation and Altarum Institute, they predict that this dampened spending pattern is unlikely to last much longer. As the economy picks up, health care spending is expected to increase, rising to an annual growth rate of more than 7% annually by the end of the decade (Luhby, 2013). When President Obama released his fiscal 2014 budget he proposed a chained CPI- to shrink cost-of-living adjustments for retirees. The use of chained CPI in Social Security and elsewhere in the budget would reduce deficits by $230 billion over a decade. It is also includes $392 billion in savings from Medicare and other health programs by raising Medicare premiums for wealthy retirees and negotiating...
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...campaign, President Obama argued for health care reform by saying that health care is a right. In the outcome of healthcare reform, Americans ask the question; how can we pay for healthcare reform? This is a continuous debate on the Senate floor, and American politicians have many differences and if not solved it will continue to hinder the progress of healthcare reform. Both republicans and democrats are at debate over quality of healthcare. Many think American government is trying to take over. Health care is an incredibly intense industry. Every patient contact, care experience, and outcome must be documented in an accurate way. Accrediting bodies such as Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations review documentation to assess compliance with standards of care for a quality assurance. If a hospital is not accredited by Joint Commission Accreditation Healthcare organization it cannot receive healthcare which means healthcare record keeping is crucial. Patient record keeping is complex and complicated. Methods of organizing patient information require teamwork and the ability to track patient encounters from the time the patient is admitted until the patient is discharged. Healthcare quality may be defined in many diverse ways with differing implications for healthcare providers, providers, patients, third party payers policy makers, and other stakeholders. First high quality health services should accomplish desired health outcomes for individuals, matching...
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...University of Phoenix Material Health Care Museum As you learn about health care delivery in the United States, it is important to understand its history to develop a working knowledge as you progress through the course. You are the curator of the first Health Care Hall of Fame Museum that pays tribute to the five most significant developments in the evolution of health care in the United States. Prepare a proposal of the five main developments you would include. Be specific and draw from your readings or other research to demonstrate your understanding of newfound concepts, theories, and vocabulary. Include evidence-based information and your personal analysis describing why these exhibits should be included and how they shaped the current health care system in the United States. Descriptions and analysis must use complete sentences. Format your proposal consistent with APA guidelines. Part 1: Health Care Hall of Fame Museum Proposal | Description | Analysis (How does the development affect the current U.S. health care system?) | | Smallpox was a world wide epidemic that was so major it caused the fall of some empires. The fatality rate was 60% in adults, and 80-98% in infants. (Baylor University, 2005). Edward Jennings found a solution for a smallpox vaccination in 1796. He took the lesions from a lady who had cowpox and injected it into a young boy who had smallpox. The young boy was cured of the disease within 9 days. This made Edward Jennings realize...
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...The future of Health Care in the United States is more uncertain than at any other time in the past fifty years. This new uncertainty was created by the U.S.Supreme Court’s decision to receive a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known by most as Obamacare. If you missed it, the oral arguments on the case were presented before the Court in an historic three days of hearings March 26-28. These were preceded by many briefs submitted to the Court from a broad spectrum of organizations. All of this information is available in the public domain. A detailed analysis of each day of the hearings may be found at healthaffairs.org.blog. A decision from the Court is expected in late June. There is no certainty about how the Court will rule in the case before it. There are widely divergent speculations which are interesting to read, for sure. This is usual and customary. On the other hand, there is a difference this time. The entire healthcare system is likely to be impacted, many millions of citizens will feel it, and the political races from coast to coast are expected to react regardless of the outcome. There is one certainty. The Justices of the Supreme Court have more power to influence the direction and content of how health care is provided and paid for than at any time in contemporary history with the possible exception of the era when Medicare and Medicaid were enacted in the mid 1960s. The Court’s decision will likely have substantial impact regardless of the decision...
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...Brian Ardizzoni Michael Neil English 1301, Composition 1 25 November 2012 Medical Malpractice For nearly forty years, tort reform constantly becomes an increasingly controversial issue affecting the medical community, the legal community and most of all, the victims of some very unfortunate accidents. Tort reform refers to laws passed on a state-by-state basis which place limits or caps on the type or amount of damages awarded in personal injury lawsuits. Those who advocate medical malpractice tort reform believe limitations should be set on the amount of damages a plaintiff or injured party can be rewarded by the court. These advocates usually include medical professionals and insurance companies. Their argument is that too many frivolous lawsuits lead to high malpractice insurance, the increasing cost of medical care and a burden on the taxpayers whose tax dollars absorb the extravagant litigation costs for these claims. They believe doctors will eventually be unable to practice medicine due to costly malpractice insurance premiums which may leave many Americans unable to obtain much-needed healthcare. In the past, as the rate of malpractice suits began to grow, so did the rate of malpractice insurance. This ended up having a dire impact on the medical profession. For one thing, many qualified doctors ended up leaving their practices and focusing more on preventative medicine. In other words, they...
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...Grand 2003). In health care, choice is a popular reform model adopted by administrations of di erent political orientations in many countries, including the US, the UK, Denmark, Italy (Lombardy), the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden. The belief is that by increasing choice for patients, providers of care or insurers will become more responsive to patient demand, which in turn will drive greater eciency in the delivery and funding of health care. However, whether enhanced patient choice will make hospital choice more responsive to quality is not well established, although the consequences of poor quality in health care can be dire. Patients' health can be severely compromised by poor quality care, including, as we show below, an increased risk of death. Thus there is a need to understand the responses of health care consumers when they are o ered more choice. This is exactly the issue we address here. To do this we exploit a reform which introduced patient choice and tie this to the estimation of a structural demand model that explicitly incorporates the institutional features of the reform. This enables us to identify the e ect of increasing choice on patient behavior. We use the model to quantify the gains from the reform in terms of patient welfare and survival and to analyze how the changes in patients' choices translate into changes in the competitive environment faced by hospitals. The reform we exploit is from the English National Health Service (NHS). In...
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...History of Informatics Current health care system stresses the need for safer, cost-effective, quality care based on evidence of the best practices. The understanding current and evolving technology for the management and processing of health information helps the nursing and other health care profession assume active role in evaluating and improving the quality of care, cost containment, and other consumer benefits. Nursing practice and the push for patient safety According to Hebda & Czar (2009), the information and technology is essential to assist in organizing and process of data related to nursing, the information is used to the nursing practice and delivery of care. During 1998 the association of American college of nursing and employers recognized the need for information and technology skill for baccalaureate nursing students in their curriculum. The Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) Initiative According to Schlak & Troseth, “The Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) Informatics Competency Collaborative was formed to develop informatics recommendations for all practicing nurses and graduating nursing students” (2013, pp19).The TIGER Initiative established noteworthy backing from education‐focused professional organizations including the National League for Nursing (NLN) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). They both revised their curriculum to include information and technology and IT become a core curriculum...
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