Question

This unit you have learned about the many issues effecting the quality of healthcare in the U.S. There are many policies and incentives the government has developed that attempt to address quality and the care that healthcare institutions provide to their patients. For this assignment, I would like for you to answer the questions below. I want to hear your opinion about the quality of care in the U.S. and use research to back up your opinions. What are some of the issues going forward with the quality of healthcare? How will reimbursement be influenced? What policies are on the table that could influence these issues? And how do you think the healthcare industry will be influenced? Write a minimum 1-page essay on the above questions. Be sure to clearly define equity in your own terms and use this to support your statements. The paper must be written using APA style. A minimum of 2 sources other than your textbook must be cited.

Answer 1

United States health expenses are projected to rise 5.3 percent in 2018, dazzling rising prices of medical goods and services and higher. The main drivers of the increased expenses include the aging baby-boom population that will add to enrolment in the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, a climb in the prices of medical goods and services and more disposable personal income. The prescribed drugs are expected to see the fastest annual growth over the next decade, raising an average of 6.3 percent per year, due to higher drug prices and more use of specialty drugs such as those for genetic disorders and cancer. Also the government medical programs for the poor and disabled are also expected to raise the health spending in the US economy.

a) Despite the increase in health care sector, there are multiple issues that are related to this.

Life after the Individual consent: . The consent/mandate requires Americans to buy their own health insurance or face a penalty if they are not already covered by their employer or by a government program such as Medicaid or Medicare. Subsidies are designed to offset premium increases by insurers in the health care marketplace, or the health exchanges that individual states operate. “As long as there are subsidies in place there will be people who will show up to claim them. That’s sort of an iron law of economics.”

Changes Ahead for Medicaid and Medicare? The end of the individual mandate is likely not the only administrative change that the health care sector Attempts to rework Medicaid could include instituting premiums for Medicaid beneficiaries, tightening standards for eligibility, and having some part of the Medicaid population purchasing coverage on exchanges, he explained.

Drug Prices: It is noted that 2017 saw new drugs brought to market, the most in a year since 1996, but that they carried high prices. “There’s the prediction that the rate of introduction of good new drugs will fall dramatically in 2018,”

CHIP Funding: Field described the Children’s Health Insurance Program as “incredibly successful” and one that enjoys strong support. However, the program still needs to make its case for funding at the cost of other competing initiatives.

Health Care as a Jobs Creator: There is unbelievable growth in health care in terms of jobs, which means there’s more money that is generated in that industry than ever before.” Also health care is the bright spot in terms of hiring

c) In other words, improving reimbursements begins with assessing the current state of affairs. Reimbursement for all health care services has been under down pressure for several years. Newspapers have published articles citing the "greed" of hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers. Congress has reacted by instructing Medicare to control payments in order to keep the Medicare trust fund "budget neutral." Consequently, the result has been decreased payments across the health care system to both hospitals and providers. Although there is ample research available, The Affordable Care Act (ACA) had the primary intent of controlling and lowering health care costs by spreading the risk among both the healthy and the unhealthy populations.Reimbursement will be influences by the insurance policies.

d) Factors influencing healthcare are :

1. Technology. Technology is attributed as having the most significant effect on healthcare spending growth. With new technologies for health cures, it adds as an important factor.

2. Healthcare product and service prices: Less the prices of healthcare products more the will be demanded in market leading to increase in healthcare sector.

3. Market power. Provider market power also drives spending growth. Hospitals, physicians and other providers have been consolidating at a rapid rate.

4. Health insurance coverage. Getting health insurance coverage can potentially reduce patients' incentives to seek the most efficient, lowest-priced care.

5. Demographics and patient characteristics. Changes in the age and health status of the population can make a significant difference in healthcare spending.

REF : http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-future-of-the-aca/, https://www.asha.org/Articles/Health-Care-Economics-The-Real-Source-of-Reimbursement-Problems/, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/5-factors-that-influence-healthcare-spending-growth.html