Simone Pauline
HCS/552 Health Care Economics
July 09, 2012
Amy Stoles

Abstract
The United States has a great consumer demand for health care services. The supply of these services or products, such as new medications or medical equipment, is affected by many factors. Factors such as the situation of a financial aspect, patient education and the quality of the services or products being distributed.

Care of the Dying

“Hospice care is palliative care given to individuals who are terminally ill, with an expected survival of six months or less. The focus of hospice care is on meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the dying individual, while fostering the highest quality of life possible.” (Rastegari RN, B.S.N., 2002, para.).
In the way that our world is becoming, we are seeing many individuals coming down with diseases that are either not curable or that it has ran its’ course in the body and that there is nothing that can be done to prolong life. This is when this type of service is needed and many of individuals, especially the minorities and the American Indians.

Many people do not understand what Hospice is all about. When they do find out about it, then they wish that it was known about sooner. The sole purpose of using this service is to help reduce both the physical pain and the emotional suffering of the patient during their final stages of the illness that they are dying from. According to "Evercare Hospice And Palliative Care" (2012) Hospice is not a physical place, it is a service that comes to wherever people live, whether that’s a hospital, an assisted living facility or a home.
Consumer Outlook
Many individuals do not know that such services are available to them and that they do not have to pay for them. Many do not know this, and in essence they are reluctant to use the service for fearing that the service will cost a lot of money.
Medicare will pay for the services rendered by the patient. Many of the people, who are dying from different illness, die in pain and suffer because they did not know that they had such a program that will not only ease their pain but will also take some of the financial burden from them.
Many of the individuals who are Medicare and Medicaid do not realize that the Hospice service needed is paid for. According to Hospice Care in Medicare, Recent Trends and a Review of the Issues (2004), "Its use has grown considerably in the last several years with matched increases in Medicare spending.”
With the way that our economy is, no one individual feels as if they can afford such a great program. What the problem is that there is not enough education about the program. Many people do not even have a clue that it is okay to expire but that there are ways to help ease how they go.
With that being said, everyone’s situation is so different and a personalized care plan is mad and it is always tailored to the loved one’s specific needs. Now does the way that the insurance pays for this service: yes and no. With the way that hospice works, it is based on fixed daily rates and it is related to case mix, the length of hospice and of course the enrollment care settings. Most of all the demographics of where the person lives are very important.
Demographics play a key role in how the services are used. Often times the reason why the service is not available is because the service is not available. It is almost like cell phone service. Many places just do not get service. So if you have a person who lives in an area where it is not easily accessible then to receive services is not on the game plan.
To be honest it is not fair that because an individual lives in remote area that they cannot receive services. As well if they work their whole life and has paid into their retirement and would hope that if they became ill to the point where they have the insurance and a way to help pay for their final days.
Hospice is a hidden service that is needed. That is only because not many know about the service and if they knew about it they think that they would have to pay for it. This is not the case. On June 29 2012 I had the pleasure of working with a family who had a family member who was dying of cancer. I was with them for 9 whole days and it was hard for them. The daughter did not know that many of the things that her father need was paid for by the services that she was using.
This is the problem that our society is having, is that we are not educating our people and letting them know that there is services out there to help them in their time of need. Even with the way that our economy is going our country has resources to alleviate the stress on acquiring the necessary equipment and supplies to the last days.
Every person has the god given right to die free of any type of pain and suffering. As well as the patient should and die with the face of dignity. As well as give the families the care and support that is needed until the loved one is passed.
In a long run it is obvious that many individuals regardless of what the nationally is that they do not realize that they have such services as Hospice that can not only help them financially with thins like undergarments, help to appointments and medication. Regardless of if they can pay or not the service is there. Te problem is that there is not enough education to let people know that the service is there.
In order to implement the ability to use such a precious service, I think that the first thing is to survey just how many individuals are doing and what type of services are being used. This will not only help with how to determine what is paid for and where to get the resources. As stated everyone’s situation is different and at times one individual can be able to pay for the service and at other times depend on the state.
It is up to every city within the state to do a survey to see what is needed especially when it is a life or death situation. It is also very important that the cities make it a purpose to let individuals know that there is services out there to help them whether they can pay for them or not. When we know what is available, we are better equipped to financially make a move

References

Evercare Hospice and Palliative Care. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.evercarehospice.com/
Hospice care in Medicare , Recent trends and a review of the issues. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.medpac.gov/publications\congressional_reports\J..
Rastegari RN, B.S.N., E. C. (2002, n.d.). Hospice Care Health Article. HealthLine, (), .