Question

 

Although preventative services such as routine well-care visits and immunizations have often shown to be beneficial in terms of preventing future, more expensive, health care encounters, not all insurance plans offer reimbursement for such things. In addition, health care policies have only recently begun to recognize the "worth" of funding prevention-related services.

Why do you believe that funding preventive health care services has taken so long to become a major component of health plans?

What do you think will need to happen to change the prevailing mindset of funding health care services reactively versus proactively from a third-party payer's and a provider’s? Why?

Answer 1

PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Just as health, preventive medicine comprises a variety of physical and mental states ( disease and disability) which are affected by environmental factors, genetic predisposition, disease agents and lifestyle choices. IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES: Because it helps to a) stay healthier and get more effective treatment ( through screenings and tests can able to catch the disease before it starts) b)pay less for medical expenses ( helps to lower the long-term cost of managing diseases and covered by insurance due to the ACA ( Affordable Care Act). REASONS : There are various reasons why preventive medicine has taken so long to be a major component of health plans. They are 1. widespread adoption of effective prevention measures carries financial risks. 2. Ageing- risk factors increases because of less exercise 3. Profits have largely decreased for insurance companies due to the fact of managing healthcare costs for people with pre-existing medical conditions and cover the entire costs of preventive services. # REACTIVE AND PROACTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES: Reactive health care involves reacting to an adverse disease, injury , condition or symptom. Proactive healthcare means that action is taking before symptoms manifest. HOW TO CHANGE THE MINDSET OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES: 1. effective disease prevention and health promotion 2. decrease the cost of treatment 3.cost-containment approach rather than population based is recommended for effective health care services.