...Long-Term Care Long-term care is vital in the United States health care system. As the population ages, more people will need assistance to recover from illness or injury, and others will need end of life care to ease their passing. People who use long-term care are all ages. From young to old, people can receive it if they cannot care for themselves because of a condition, an illness, or an injury that requires assistance for a period of 90 days or more. The concern people face when looking at long-term care is the funding. Medicaid will likely be drained of funds long before the country’s aging population is past its peak and while there are some options of insurance coverage, not everyone may afford them. There has been development since the 1980s of government programs to assist those needing long-term care in locating the services that fit their needs best. A couple of centers created are the Administration on Aging (AOA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRC). The purpose of these centers is to help people of all ages, disabilities, and income levels to more easily access long-term services and support and transition among various sites of care, make more efficient use of care options, and maximize available services (O'Shaughnessy, 2011). These organizations help so that where ever people enter the system, they find direction to what services best meet their needs. These organizations are state run...
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...in Fat: HOW OBESITY THREATENS AMERICA’S FUTURE 2010 JUNE 2010 PREVENTING EPIDEMICS. PROTECTING PEOPLE. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TRUST FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH IS A NON-PROFIT, NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SAVING LIVES AND MAKING DISEASE PREVENTION A NATIONAL PRIORITY. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need—the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. TFAH BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lowell Weicker, Jr. President Former three-term U.S. Senator and Governor of Connecticut Cynthia M. Harris, PhD, DABT Vice President Director and Associate Professor Institute of Public Health, Florida A & M University Robert T. Harris, MD Secretary Former Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Healthcare BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina John W. Everets Treasurer Gail Christopher, DN Vice President for Health WK Kellogg Foundation David Fleming...
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...Assignment 7.1: Children’s Health Insurance Program Jennifer Heuring Maryville University Dr. Jean Gordon NURS602 Assignment 5.1: Children’s Health Insurance Program Introduction It is of vital importance for Americans to have the ability to access health care to maintain health and wellness. Many disease processes are modifiable and even avoidable but the lack of proper access to healthcare can heighten the risk of people’s ability to reach their full potential in life. This issue ranges from older adults to newborn children. According to the Children’s Defense Fund (n.d.), 7.2 million children under the age of 19 remained uninsured in 2012. That is 1 out of every 11 of our children. The pediatric population does not have the ability or choice to change the circumstances that their life has handed them. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) seeks to provide health insurance to uninsured children. Working cooperatively between the federal government and individual state governments, SCHIP provides an alternative to families whose wages are too high to qualify for Medicaid yet too low to make private coverage affordable. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was created by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, enacted Title XXI of the Social Security Act. It has allocated about $20 billion over 10 years to assist states insure low-income children. Problem definition Research has found that people within the United States...
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...9, 2009 University of Texas at San Antonio Leadership Interpretation September 9, 2009 On September 9, 2009, the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, addressed a Joint Session of Congress to speak on comprehensive health care reform. A highly intelligent man, he received his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and his Juris Doctorate from Harvard University in 1991. To his credit, he was the first African-American to be President of the Harvard Law Review (Butterfield). Throughout his life, President Obama has displayed high degree of cognitive intelligence leading to his executive intelligence. His insight into common problems was evident as early as his days organizing community rallies up to his present position of President of the United States. His level of creativity fostered widespread support during his ramp up to becoming the 44th president. The country bought and continues to buy what he is selling, and this has allowed his campaign and presidency to get the biggest genuine grassroots support the country had seen to date. Health care reform was one of several promises Candidate Barack Obama made during the 2008 election season. Now, President Obama promises health care reform will no longer be an issue for the common American. In his speech to the Joint Session of Congress, he stated he was “determined to be the last” (Obama), in reference to past presidents who attempted to overhaul health care reform...
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...Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) H.R. 3590, or Affordable Care Act (ACA) for short, was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010 by President Barack Obama. The health care bill was designed to grant Americans a number of new benefits, rights, and protections and ensure that more US citizens have access to affordable, quality health care. ObamaCare was also designed to decrease the rate of growth in health care spending and to “fix” the current health care system, largely through health insurance reform. The two pillars and main purpose of this legislation are mandates on individuals (to obtain) and employers (to provide) health coverage; which has now set precedence for future bills. The secondary purpose of this piece of legislation was to bring about regulation on insurance companies. ObamaCare has become the “law of the land” and is reshaping, whether for better or for worse, the health care industry and one’s personal freedoms. Looking back to the beginning agenda of the bill, mostly Democrats and some Republicans had been working to create laws that would reform the American health care system for decades. Past Presidents had proposed health care reform but fell short with little unsuccessfully. The Affordable Care Act, which has elements of Massachusetts’ health care reform, was the first successful major national reform to health care since Medicare in 1965. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed in the Senate on December 24, 2009, and passed in...
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...States is rapidly increasing. It has been reported that aging Americans are living healthier, longer lives while enjoying greater wealth than ever before. There are diverse decisions that must be made that will support the well-being and health of the aging population as the Baby Boomers continue to grow larger. The growth of the aging population in the United States over the next 50 years is projected to have an exceptional impact on the United States health care system. The greatest challenge to the United States will be to provide affordable, appropriate, and adequate health care. According to Hales (2009-2010) in 2003 there were nearly 36 million people who were age 65 and over and accounted for about 12% of the total population in the United States. It has also been stated by Hales (2009) that “This number is anticipated to grow to 87 million by 2050, or about 25% of the total United State population” (558). A Majority of this increase will transpire by 2030 as the last of the baby boomers reach age 65 (Jacobsen, Kent, & Mather, 2011). However, providing health care for the increasing aging population will be costly, require an adequate health care workforce, and compete with other challenges such as in-home medical care and affordable prescription drugs. The increase in the number of aging Americans will have an overpowering influence on the age configuration of the United States population. The substantial majority of Americans are in the 65-to-74 age bracket that...
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...Williams ObamaCare (Final) Grantham University ObamaCare (Final) This essay is being written to debate the advantages and disadvantages of ObamaCare, aka Affordable Care Act (ACA), for the American people. While many are elated and view the government as taking responsibility for those who in the past have not seen a doctor on a regular basis due to having no insurance, there are still others who believe that the passage of the law will be detrimental to the country’s economy. Many are concerned that individuals will no longer have the choice of what type of medical attention they receive because the government will make those decisions for them. The truth is the Affordable Care Act requires certain types of coverage and ends discrimination that has led to higher costs and cancellations for women and people with pre-existing medical conditions. “The new ACA is a law aimed at reforming the American healthcare system. Its main focus is on providing more Americans with access to affordable health insurance, improving the quality of healthcare, regulating the health insurance industry, and reducing health care spending in the US.” In spite of the many attempts by the GOP to overthrow the ACA, the fact is that it is not Government provided healthcare, but an approach by the government to subsidize and regulate private health insurance and expand Government healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. There are ongoing arguments between Democrats, Republicans, and the American...
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...of my research. Looking at the rising statistics of obesity rates within America’s youth and researching why the weight of the United States community is significantly passing those of its surrounding countries. In researching this topic I hope to determine if the food stamp program is in any way responsible for this increasing health issue. As the years progress the health of today’s youth is rapidly decreasing. Although the lacks of exercise and poor food influences serve as a high influence on this issue, researching this topic has shown that the food stamp program has helped contribute to the issue at hand. Presenting Argument and Supportive Research To be classified as an overweight child, the body mass index is in the 85th percentile and the ratio of weight to height is unhealthy (Baun, 2011 p. 623). This number has increased drastically among America’s youth over the past decade. As obesity increases among youth, there is a decrease in physical activity as well as healthy eating habits. Healthy eating choices are the focus of my research, as I concentrate on the eating habits of children participating in America’s Food stamp Program. The heaviest children today are significantly heavier than the heaviest children 10 years ago. So I will use this as a chance to reiterate my beginning question: Is the food stamp program a significant contribution to this increasing obesity rate in America’s youth? The Food Stamp program is government assistance program that...
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...------------------------------------------------- Health for life An AHA Advocacy Issue June 4, 2014 By: Dwayne Mathis HSM-541 Portia Bonnett, Instructor June 4, 2014 By: Dwayne Mathis HSM-541 Portia Bonnett, Instructor The U.S. government, healthcare systems, hospitals, and communities have placed a large emphasis on health reform in this country. Yet the problems with our healthcare system are well documented. Chronic illness, such as cancer and heart disease, is growing at an alarming rate. The quality of health services and delivery are not where they need to be. For the American population to be able to enjoy optimal health, they must have access to high quality health care services and they must learn to be proactive in establishing health living habits. “Health For Life” is an advocacy issue of the American Hospital Association (AHA) which focuses on the need for better health and better health care. This paper will discuss why this topic is an issue, problems associated with this issue, and its impact on the U.S. health care system. It will also discuss AHA initiatives and offer a recommendation to help resolve this issue. The “Health For Life” initiative offers a framework for health reform in America. The building blocks of this framework are a focus on wellness; coverage for all, paid for by all; best information; highest quality care; and most efficient, affordable care. These blocks tell the story of why this is an advocacy issue to begin with...
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...loatient Protection and Affordable Care Act (RL. 111-148) (now more commonly called the Affordable Care Act [ACA]) are fully implemented by 2014, approximately 32 million Americans who currently do not have health insurance coverage will be covered, and coverage will be more affordable for many millions more. The ACA makes vital improvements to health care access, quality, and services for millions of Americans with health and behavioral health needs. Social workers practice as part of health caretailing the factors necessitating health care reform in the United States. Second, it analyzes whether a constitutionally protected right to make personal health care decisions exists under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments' Due Process Clauses. Finally, the article analyzes the susceptibility of government-sponsored health care-specifically proposals which include a public option-to due process challenges and makes suggestions to avoid any potential fundamental rights violations. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] quirement to purchase health insurance. It also examines some recent Canadian constitutional law cases to anticipate possible future legal challenges to health care reform in the United States. INTRODUCTION The question of the reform of the American system of financing health care has, of course, recently been a central focus of debate in American politics. Because the author of this paper is something of a "political junkie" and keeping current on this issue seemed a desirable...
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...Policy Analysis Paper The fate of uninsured Veterans: A policy Analysis University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing Define the problem and assemble the evidence Too many Veterans in the United States lack health insurance and are ineligible to receive care provided by the Veteran’s Health Administration. According to American Community Survey (ACS) conducted in 2010, one in 10 of the nation’s 12.5 million veterans under the age of 65 is uninsured. A veteran is defined by federal law as any person who served for any length of time in any military service branch. Contrary to the presumption of most, not all veterans qualify for free healthcare through the Department of Veteran Affairs. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) operates as a branch of the Department of Veterans Affairs and is the largest health system in the nation. It is recognized for its commitment to providing high-quality population specific healthcare. The VHA also works closely with academic medical centers across the nation. Haley and Kenney (2012) identify eligibility for health care provided by the VHA as being on veteran status, service-connected disabilities and income level. Other factors include demographic location and cost sharing requirements. Health insurance coverage for veterans as with other groups of nonelderly adults has heavy dependence on access to employer sponsored insurance (ESI) and the costs of obtaining it. It must also be considered that the majority of states...
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...The Need for Health Care Reform HCA 410 Professor Henry O’Lawrence December 8, 2011 The Need For Health Care Reform Health care system is now faced with many problems such as high cost of insurance, high cost of medical services, significant numbers of people lack any form of healthcare insurance, and many more people are underinsured. Heath care is not affordable and easy to obtain anymore. With the rising of health care cost, reforms are needed to be more affordable with high quality and efficiency. There are over “46 million people lacking health insurance, but also for those who have insurance the economic downturn is a chilling reminder that under current system, virtually anyone facing a run of bad luck could be quickly wiped out by medical bill collectors”. State Healy, Bernadine M.D. (2009). Providing health insurance for people uninsured and low-cost insurance are major problems need to consider and take it seriously. The number of people uninsured is too high. There are many factors leading to be uninsured including poverty, the economic downturn leading to high rated of unemployment and some working families who cannot afford coverage because too expensive, besides, earn too much to be eligible for many programs which the state's healthcare provider. Offering the healthcare options with advantages for the uninsured with affordable price is needed to take to consideration. Many low income people cannot afford health insurance usually don’t go seek for medical...
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...the next 10 year “budget window”, during the week of February 3rd, 2015. Detailed in this report were some revisions to the previous baseline projection for the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A more defined explanation and history of ACA: Federal health reform uses an approach that starts with the health insurance system we currently have in place in the United States. Health reform builds upon our current health insurance system to provide more people with access to health insurance coverage, establish legal protections for consumers, and set up mechanisms for consumers to shop knowledgeably for insurance. On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,000-page plan for overhauling the US health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of the year. After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress where he addressed concerns over his administration's proposals. In March 2010, Obama gave several speeches across the country to argue for the passage of health care reform. After Obama announced an executive order reinforcing the current law against spending federal funds for elective abortion services, the House passed the version of the bill previously passed on December 24, 2009, by a 60-vote supermajority in the Senate. The bill, which includes over 200 Republican amendments, was passed without a single Republican vote. On March 23, 2010, President Obama...
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...Confronting America’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic How the Health Care Reform Law Will Help Prevent and Reduce Obesity Ellen-Marie Whelan, Lesley Russell, and Sonia Sekhar May 2010 w w w.americanprogress.org Confronting America’s Childhood Obesity Epidemic How the Health Care Reform Law Will Help Prevent and Reduce Obesity Ellen-Marie Whelan, Lesley Russell, and Sonia Sekhar May 2010 Contents 1 Fast Facts on Childhood Obesity 3 Introduction and summary 6 Provisions included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that address childhood obesity 6 Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project 7 Nutrition labeling 7 Community Transformation Grants 9 Broader measures in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to tackle childhood obesity 9 Prevention and public health 15 Primary care and coordination 18 Community-based Care 20 Maternal and child health 22 Research: Doing what works in obesity prevention 23 Data provisions that will help with tracking and providing improved outcomes to measure obesity prevention 25 What else is needed? 27 Beyond health care 29 Conclusion 30 Appendix: The White House Childhood Obesity Initiative 32 Endnotes 34 About the authors Fast Facts on Childhood Obesity Our nation’s children today are on track to have a lower life expectancy than their parents The obesity epidemic poses serious health problems for children including cardiovascular disease, mental health problems, bone...
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...Health Care Spending in America Teresa Foster University of Phoenix May 20, 2012 HCS/440 Instructor: Michele Burke Health care spending in America has been growing by leaps and bounds and has surpassed the national economy. There are many American's that are without proper health care services, because of losing coverage due to the reduction in employment and the recessing economy. With the constant conflict with the current health care reform, legislators are aware that health care spending needs to become a balanced solution. The current health care system in the United States has many holes to fix, the government has made many attempts to bring spending under control. The theory of bring more managed care and competition into health care can potentially aid in bringing spending in health care under control. Because health care expenses are becoming more of a burden on Americans, the choice of going to the doctor and paying living expenses is becoming more evident in most American households (Altman & Wallack, 1996). Current National Health Care Expenditures According to the National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA), it is estimated that health care spending in American has grown annually from estimates dating back to the 1960s. Expenditures include, the net cost for health care insurance, public health services, the cost for medical service and other health related goods, investments that are related to healthcare. During 2010, health care showed an increase...
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