...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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...Exercising while at work and the Health Benefits Unit 6 Project: Should Employers A lot Time to Exercise while at work Mary Jackson Kaplan University CM 220 College Composition II Professor Connie Maker June 25, 2013 Exercising While at work and the Health Benefits Should Employers A lot Time to Exercise while at work As we enter into the work force we are entering into a world of over worked, underappreciated group of people. We tend to become lazy stressed and depressed which can lead to negative impact on both our work and home life. There are studies that show working to much can lead to depression, stress and unhappy employees. Employers need to keep an eye on its employees and come up with a way to help reduce the depression, stress and turning unhappy employees into happy ones. Employees on average spend 8 to 12 hours a day at work; if they are not allotted time to exercise and help to reduce stress, depression then it will lead to unhappy employees. Employees who are happy tend to enjoy coming to work and production is generally up and there is less stress and arguments at work. Lack of exercise can lead to many health issues like diabetes as described by the American diabetes association. So exercising can lead to weight loss and a health body which will in turn help to lower diabetes and blood pressure. We need to get employers involved in a program to help with this on a daily basis. So how do we do this without a huge impact on Employers and...
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...The U.S. Health Care System Yusara Millan Phoenix University HCS/531 Kenneth Feldiman February 20, 2012 The U.S. Health Care System Today’s health care system is a constant focus of debate those who argue about the American system been the best health care system in the world but there is also the part that argues that the U.S. waste more in health care system than any other nation in earth and yet many Americans have not insurance coverage. The intention of this paper is to search the health care system of the U.S and identify as well as understand the structure of the health U.S. health care system. According to Chua, K. (2006) the United States has a very distinctive health care system; it is not like any other health care system in the world. The US health care system consists of private and public insurers in which the private component dominates the public component. Public Health Insurance Medicare is a federal program that covers disabled individuals as well as over 65 individuals, which is funding by federal income taxes, payroll tax shared by employers and individual premiums. According to Chua, K. (2006) the benefits of Medicare Part A covers all the hospital services, the Part B covers the physician services, and Part D offers prescription drug benefits. The Medicare Part C refers to Medicare Advantage, which is HMO’s that control Medicare benefits (Chua, K.2006). According to Chua, K. (2006) there is many breaches in the Medicare coverage, which...
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...Personal Health Assessment Paper John Martin Mubiru SCI/100 - PARADIGMS OF HEALTH September 18, 2010 Personal Health Assessment Paper Personal health assessment is a systematic functional data on health plans. It serves as a foundation of any successful wellness of health practices. Personal health assessment helps people to achieve the best health through proven health support technics, evidence-based actions, and caring coaches. (LM Health Works) Health describes wellness as an important aspect of a human being to live well. Wellness however is the positive approach to living good with a health body, health mind, and more important living without diseases. There are six dimensions of wellness in a healthy lifestyle. Namely, intellectual, emotional, social, physical, spiritual, and environmental. Three of these mentioned dimensions have been elaborated in details below. First, globally, the environmental dimension of wellness determines which kind of life a certain area can harbor. This in turn helps to develop different characteristics of the people and animals. The settlement of human life in an oasis found in a desert-like environment depends on the health of the planet. No human life can avail in the tropical rain forests, because of the abundance big trees, wild inhabitants and a concentration of billion insects. However, food security, water and the presence of penetrable areas enables human life to settle in many parts of the world. Furthermore, the...
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...EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & SERVICES While today’s organizations are recognizing employee diversity , most are finding that their personal services benefits packages to be either non-existent or out of date considering the new world market. But with the implementation of new laws and tax breaks for both employer and employee, many are moving toward programs that involve options that benefit the structure as a whole. As organizations compete in today’s marketplace , what become clear is that they must offer products and services that not only appeal to a variety of their employees and customers, but routinely maneuver through with a creative style where its organization strategies will lead to better perspectives of the organization’s sensitivity and its self-worth. In an article from C. Richard Weylman, in an article “Changes in Today’s Marketplace” he state “To win more customers and retain existing ones requires the relentless pursuit of improvement in every aspect of your business. If improvement is not a priority an agenda item for you and your team, the risk of becoming mediocre is very real. Complacency leads to mediocrity which ultimately leads to disastrous results in business as well as in life.” Upon reading this quote in one of my first thoughts was immediately focused upon the employees, their educational skills, experience, and culture. Second, I thought of the process of improvement and how might a business create an environment of improvement by advancing...
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...Optimism and Health Robin C. Hieronymus PSY 220 7/30/2010 William Goodwin Optimism and Health The affects of optimism on psychological and physical health. Optimism is the tendency to look on the brighter side of things or to expect and see the best in all things. Optimism can be linked to health as stress can cause damage to a person inside and out. Thinking positively will help you be happier, healthier and things will most likely turn out better for you as well. There are two independent types of optimism: dispositional optimism, which is similar to other personality traits, and explanatory optimism, which affects an individual's interpretation of success and failure. Individuals with high scores on optimism have better health outcomes, and when they are confronted with life-threatening illnesses, they will cope with it in a better, healthier way. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (C.B.T.) offers one potential intervention that may or may not increase a person's level of optimism with a corresponding increase in health. People who learn to maintain an optimistic attitude may not only avoid depression, they may actually improve their physical health, according to a controlled study by the University of Pennsylvania's Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and Gregory Buchanan, Ph.D (Discovery Communications, LLC., 2010). I know I have a lot of depression and a personality disorder as well, but I am definitely a pessimist, but would love to become more optimistic so that I can become...
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...are spent on health care related issues in the United States each year which is more than any other industrialized nation; the majority of the expense is related to treating and managing chronic diseases such as various types of cancers. The impact of the declining economy can be attributed to the significant rise in health care cost which has affected work productivity and reduced the quality of health care services (Wiseman, 2011). The paper will discuss the two major economic principles; Marginal analysis and opportunity cost that commonly used to underlie and evaluated the current health system of today. Marginal Analysis Marginal analysis in health care is defined as the examination of additional benefits or costs that arises from additional consumption of goods, in today’s health care industry more money is being spent on health related services because of the increase of supply and demand; to simplify the definition cost rise when the consumption of goods increase, it is the principle of economics that shifts or changes the mix of resources used in health care spending (Mitton & Donaldson, 2004). Marginal analysis in health care is the better option to use when prioritizing services or goods, prioritizing goods based on the total needs will lead to inefficient use of resources. Resource allocations in health organizations are generally conducted on the basis political patterns which can often lead to misuse of already limited resources and as the health care budget...
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...applied for the purpose of improving medical care, it leads to advanced techniques for a more precise diagnosis, more effective and less invasive therapies. Medical technology is seen to be a double-edged sword because in one respect it allows research to develop sophisticated diagnostic procedures, which then develop “cures” to increase longevity and quality of life. Yet, this new technology comes at the tremendous cost of conducting that developmental research. Then once this technology is available, there are costs associated with training staff to use it properly, facility upgrading and a higher demand from consumers and physicians for the utilization of the new technology (Shi & Singh, 2008). Not all technological advancements are created equal; and add a tremendous strain to health care spending. Electronic Health Records (EHR) replace the traditional paper records and help to streamline patient care by making it possible to access, share and edit patients’ records more efficiently. Widespread adoption of EHR will eventually lead to savings in health care costs. In the United States, the non-governmental and highly influential Institute of Medicine (IOM) has committed to a technology-led system reform and urged “a renewed national commitment to building an information infrastructure to support health care delivery, consumer health, quality measurement and improvement, public accountability, clinical and health services research, and clinical education.” (Gunter &...
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...diseases, and has aided in the prescription of effective drugs and averted those that pose dangerous side effects to patients. This essay explicates the manner in which genetic technology may contribute to personalized medicine, examples of the benefits of personalized medicine, and drawbacks of personalized medicine. Modern genetic technology has played an instrumental role in leading to personalized medicine. It has led to in depth understanding of the impacts of genetics in a given disease. The understanding of the impacts of the disease has helped in the development of personalized medicine, as practitioners are able to identify the correct prescription for different diseases. Modern genetic technology has also led to personalized medicine by helping practitioners understand the significance of genes in the normal development of human beings. Duke Medicine (2011) points out that these are easily linked with the certain diseases affecting human beings hence the development of personalized medicine. Practitioners are able to identify the different diseases affecting human beings before they get to their worst states with the use of modern genetic technology. Personalized medicine has had numerous benefits on...
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...HR 599 | WELLNESS BENEFITS | They’re a lifesaver in more ways than one… | Og512 2/24/2010 | Employees are faced with obstacles and stressors on a daily basis both professionally and personally. Ideally, one would like to keep the two separated. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Personal problems lead to undue to stress in the workplace and vice versa. This conflict causes a significant problem for employees and employers. Employees tend to develops mental and/or physical illnesses and as a result, employers are paying employees who cannot operate at full capacity. In an attempt to help combat this dilemma, employers began to offer Wellness Programs . Wellness Programs are organized and coordinated programs that have the goal of enhancing the physical, mental, and emotional status of individuals. Depending on the setting, a wellness health plan may also address spiritual and vocational well-being. Wellness plans are created for use by an individual at home, for employees in a work situation, or for members of a club, organization, or faith-based institution. Typically these programs are not self administered are usually done and provided in conjunction with the health care/medical benefits. These programs attempt to provide each employee with access to competent medical care, hopefully molding a lifestyle that includes proper exercise and diet, and cultivate a positive mental outlook. The plan is to help to minimize tensions in the workplace, create more of...
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...procedure that the child cannot consent to depending on his age. It has been said that “there have been efforts in a number of countries to forbid the circumcision of infants and children.” (Isaacs, 2011) Despite the current decrease in circumcisions the most common reasons for this procedure to be done on a child are due to religious traditions, that the child’s father is circumcised, and the health benefits. As a firm believer that there are health benefits to this procedure, this paper will go over some of the benefits of circumcising your male child as well as the risks involved in the procedure. One of the health benefits that a child obtains from being circumcised is the “protection against a horde of sexually transmitted infections.” (New Internationalist) Some of the sexual transmitted infections or diseases that are reduced in circumcised males are human papillomavirus or also known as HPV, genital herpes, and even human immunodeficiency virus or commonly known as HIV. Studies have shown that circumcision does not reduce the contraction of syphilis though. (Health.com) Other benefits that can be gained through circumcision are the reduced risk of developing penile cancer later in life, phimosis, and urinary tract infections. Although these are good reduced chances of contracting these infections or diseases, a...
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...MEMORANDUM DATE: November 29, 2010 TO: James Martin, Director of Human Resources FROM: Name, Assistant Director of Human Resources SUBJECT: Wellness Program Recommendations for Technicraft, Inc. Attached is the report on the implementation of corporate wellness programs. Due to rising health benefit costs and a rising number of health benefit claims, you requested that I investigate the implementation of corporate wellness programs as a way to reduce company costs. In order to determine whether it would be possible to improve employee health and lifestyle habits, while also cutting company costs, I analyzed the results that several companies had after launching their own wellness programs. I also considered and researched the potential disadvantages of implementing a wellness program. After a thorough investigation of all of these factors, I recommend that Technicraft, Inc. implement a corporate wellness program in order to improve employee health and productivity and reduce or stabilize company health benefit costs. I have enjoyed researching this topic and would like to meet with you to discuss my recommendation. I will call you early next week in order to schedule a meeting time or you may contact me at extension 5555. WELLNESS PROGRAM RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNICRAFT, INC. Prepared for James Martin, Director of Human Resources Technicraft, Inc. 4501 West 92nd Street Indianapolis, IN 46260 Prepared by Name, Assistant Director of Human...
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...The medical field has come a long way. In today’s era, we are learning more due to the technology that is available to us and making it possible for medicinal products to become personalized. In this paper I will be explaining how modern genetic technology may lead to personalized medicine; discussing the benefits of personalized medicine; and discussing the drawbacks and limitations of personalized medicine. Explanation of how modern genetic technology may lead to personalized medicine. In order to understand how modern genetic technology may lead to personalized medicine, we need to first understand what personalized medicine is. Personalized medicine is the ability to determine an individual’s unique molecular characteristics and to use those genetic distinctions to diagnose more finely individual’s disease, select treatments that increase the chances of a successful outcome and reduce possible adverse reactions. Personalized medicine is also the ability to predict an individual’s susceptibility to diseases and thus to try to shape steps that may help to avoid or reduce the extent to which an individual will experience a disease. With that being said, the advancement in technology has made it possible for doctors and geneticists use a person’s DNA to find out what kinds of diseases are in their future; thus making it possible for them to make a stepping stone to prevent them. “The completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 opened the door for better understanding of...
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...lifestyles, such as inactivity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and frequent alcohol consumption, are driving up the prevalence of chronic disease, such as diabetes, heart disease, and chronic conditions. These conditions have become a major burden, as they lead to decreased quality of life and increased health care cost. Furthermore, these diseases were thought to be the problems that occurred in old age in the life cycle o fan individual thus resulting is low productivity and reduced performance at work. There is a rising concern over the health care coverage and the impact of this sedentary lifestyle on an individual’s health, organizations have adopted and are promoting employee wellness programs in the organizations. These are programs that encourage a particular diet, reducing stress levels and promoting work life balance among the employees. Employee wellness or Health promotion is related to disease prevention which aims at fostering better health through behaviour and lifestyle change at work. A broad range of benefits are offered under the label ’employee wellness’, from multi-component programs to single interventions, and benefits can be offered by employers directly, through a vendor, group health plans, or a combination of both. What is Wellness? Wellness is "an active process of becoming aware of and learning to make healthy choices. Wellness means more than simply not being ill; it focuses on keeping your body in good condition...
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...the provision of health care services. One of the promises of cost-effectiveness analysis is that it can demonstrate how to maximize the health care benefits attainable within a specific budget.1,2 Despite this promise, cost-effectiveness analysis has been criticized for setting health care priorities in a way that violates people's values.3-5 For example, many people value equity in the distribution of health care resources, yet equity is not accounted for in cost-effectiveness analyses.6-13 A basic assumption of cost-effectiveness analysis is that one should always prefer a health care intervention that provides a population with more benefit per dollar than another intervention. However, sometimes budget constraints make it impossible to offer the most cost-effective intervention to everyone in the population, raising issues of equity.14 For example, suppose one has a fixed budget of $200,000 with which to screen a specific population for colon cancer. Test 1 costs $200,000 to offer to everyone in the population and prevents 1000 deaths from colon cancer. Test 2 costs $400,000 to offer to everyone and prevents 2200 deaths from colon cancer. Because of the budget, it is impossible to offer test 2 to everyone. However, it is possible to offer it to half the population, thereby exhausting the $200,000 budget and preventing 1100 deaths from colon cancer. Test 2 is more cost effective than test 1, because for the same number of dollars, it brings more benefit. With restrictions...
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