...NAME: PROFESSOR: INSTITUTION: DATE: NURSES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS’ INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPEMENTATION OF HEALTHCARE POLICY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: CASE SCENARIO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT BACKGROUND The argument that every American citizen should have a guaranteed healthcare cover takes two dimensions (Grover, 2007). Is it that all citizens should have access to the same level of healthcare? Or should they have a right to some minimum healthcare cover? The U.S government has selected the second option in relation to the policies it creates directed to healthcare. There are quite a number of policies that have been put in place to realize this goal since there is no single healthcare policy that can cater for all of this demands. The government has made a move to provide access to medical services. In the past, particular groups of people have been selected based on their economic status or their distinctive social circumstances. The policies include Medicaid (for poor children), Medicare (for the elderly), Veterans’ Administration (for veterans), Indian Health Services (for Native Americans) and renal failure security (for transplants and kidney dialysis). The purpose of this study The research’s main focus is to investigate the how government and nurses are involved in the development and implementation of healthcare related policies. The District of Columbia will be the highlight of this paper. Accordingly, the paper will put more emphasis on...
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...------------------------------------------------- medicare trust fund January 17, 2016 Charles gunter January 17, 2016 Charles gunter In 1965, United States instituted the most influential health program in our history. The Medicare and Medicaid program ensured that the aged, disabled, and poor had access to healthcare. The importance of a healthy society had finally made it to the mainstream and become a part of public policy. In this presentation, we will discuss the Medicare program. The Social Security Administration hosts the program and the “Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the federal agency that runs the Medicare Program” (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2015). To enable these programs to work, funds must be allotted for services. The Medicare Trust Fund is one such vehicle. Currently, although suffering a few hits over the years, the Medicare Trust Fund has expanded and contracted through healthy and unhealthy periods (mostly healthy). Fortunately for the rapidly expanding American elderly population, the current state of the fund is promising. The fund has historically faced challenges and may continue to do so, but policymakers are faced with such a large aging (and voting!) population that the health of Medicare will always be top priority. Many factors that create challenge include fund solvency, fraud, and the growth of the population who fall...
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...make the important decision on whether to vote for Senator Kerry or President Bush. This decision may very well depends on the individual as the elected candidate will cause a different impact for each American. This essay will examine the position and programs of each presidential candidate under the four main economic issues in the United States: healthcare, taxation, international trade and environment policy. The first economic issue is Healthcare. As we all know, healthcare cost in the United States is comparatively more expensive than other countries. This is also the reason why many workers in the United States require healthcare benefits. Cost in healthcare is simply too high for an average American to afford if anything happens to them and therefore, many people purchase health insurance. However, having health insurance does not solve the high cost in healthcare because premiums are expensive and not all could afford it. Senator Kerry plans to reduce the cost of health insurance, health care bills and medicine, as well as improving medical efficiency to cut administrative cost. He asserts to cut premium costs by reimbursing business for 75 percent of the cost of catastrophic care since a single catastrophic case can raise the price of health insurance dramatically for a small business. People who are uninsured, or have low income, could receive tax credits to help offset their insurance expenses. Senator Kerry also understands that drugs and medicine in the United States...
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...Tele Medicine: A New Era of Health Care Jessica Contreras University of Phoenix Health Care Organizations and Delivery Systems HCS/531 Lori Walker February 22, 2015 Telemedicine: A New Era of Health Care As healthcare evolves and enters a new era, we are faced with consumer demands for care, reduction of costs, increase in quality services, and customer satisfaction. Innovation is on the horizon. 58% of Americans indicated that increased funding for medical and health research is essential for their future health and economic prosperity, and 63% expressed their willingness to pay a modest amount in additional taxes to fund medical research (Shi, 2012. p168). Leading to the evolution and fast growing pace of telemedicine. For the purpose of my essay, I am going to focus on telemedicine. The term or product "telemedicine" is defined as distance medicine; it employs the use of telecommunications technology for medical diagnosis and patient care when distance separates the provider and client. It eliminates the requirement for face-to-face contact between the examining physician and the patient. It enables a generalist to consult a specialist when a patient's illness and diagnosis are complete (Shi, 2012). To meet the current and future demands of health care, telemedicine has been growing over the past years becoming a paradigm of medicine. Through the evolution of this model, we have enhanced the ability to reach out to patients. Accessibility, cost containment, and efficiency...
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...Health and wellness in the workplace Octavio Ponce COMM/112 September 18, 2012 Karen Hamilton Health and wellness in the workplace Health and wellness programs in the workplace can greatly benefit the company and their employee’s at personal and business levels. It is no surprise that a manufacturing company cannot run an efficient business without their employees being present at the job site. However, with health cost steadily keeps rising and costing the company lots of money, they cannot afford to lose employees for health reasons. Today, employers are suffering more than ever of losing money, not just because of the economy but also of their employees. Employees are being absent from work due to their poor health and lifestyles. Employers are implementing wellness programs to help employees get familiar with other options in changing their lifestyle. The question the employers should be asking is; are we doing enough to ensure the health of their workforce? The majority would simply say; they don’t know. Today, more employers are implementing wellness programs to assist their employees, who aim to better the current health status of the employee and also reducing costs to the company. Encouraging employees is a top priority to start a wellness program on the right track, it is not easy to change employee lifestyle like increasing physical activity, eating habits, reducing stress, and ceasing tobacco use (Lastowka, 2011). The link between the health of the employee...
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...Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 The History of Healthcare Reform……………………………………………………………………………..…4 The Problem with the ACA……………………………………………………………………………………………6 The Current Policy………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Policy Alternatives………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Evaluation Criteria………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Policy Recommendation……………………………………………………………………………………………..12 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13 References………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….14 Introduction Recent health care reform legislation, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Education Reconciliation Act, which is now being referred to simply as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. Since the 20th century, several United States presidents have faced challenges in passing national health reform into law. Before the ACA was enacted, national health reform proposals under different governments in the United States faced strong opposition from various stakeholders and multiple interest groups. Therefore, the enactment of the ACA is revolutionary healthcare reform in the history of the United States. Healthcare insurance is a program that assists in paying medical expenses through privately purchased insurance or social welfare programs. In other words, health insurance is a system that provides protection against health costs. This newly legislated healthcare reform offers health insurance for...
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...Managed Care Lucille Purry Economics of Healthcare Faculty Sever South University 10 December 2013 Abstract Managed care, a deliver system for health care intended to reduce the cost of that care. Examples of managed care organizations are HMO, IPA, PPO, POS and PFFS. MCO’s operate through contractual agreements that are set to meet certain standards due to the fact that they don’t have direct control. Managed care provider and hospital reimbursement ranges from fee for service and capitation. Episode-of-care is where providers receive one lump sum for all the services they provide related to a condition or disease, and capitation is where the third party payer reimburses providers a fixed amount for a period. There are many other forms of reimbursement between these two methods and vary depending on service. Risk – based payment applies to both hospitals and providers. With so many choices in health care coverage and means of payments, it becomes necessary to be sure you have a complete understanding of what is expected from you, what is covered and not covered and to be sure any treatment is necessary. Along with managed care, we have to consider how this affects Medicare and Medicaid. These have changed the healthcare system and joined together to better serve the public. Managed care; advantages and disadvantages as well as how it came to be are to follow. Managed Health Care dates as far back as 1910; one example is when the Western Clinic in Tacoma, Washington...
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...Telemedicine: An Important Force in the Transformation of Healthcare 1. Introduction As we enter the new decade, healthcare for an aging population is a top-of-mind issue for government policy makers, business leaders and consumers alike. Healthcare costs have been steadily increasing, and a growing number of healthcare providers and patients worry that the recent budget crunches faced by healthcare providers will affect patient care in the years ahead. Healthcare providers are taking advantage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funding to launch telehealth initiatives to face down some of healthcare’s most daunting challenges. According to the American Telemedicine Association: "Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients' health status. Closely associated with telemedicine is the term 'telehealth,' which is often used to encompass a broader definition of remote health care that does not always involve clinical services. Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth." Following decades of media attention focused on the potential for telemedicine to transform health care delivery, the technology has matured, as has the acceptance of its use among providers and payers. ...
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...Universal healthcare for the United States has been a work in progress for many years. Since the United States doesn’t have universal health care, we refer to the Medicare and Medicaid system. Medicare is referred to as “the universal health insurance for elderly people” (Barr, 2011, pg.132). Medicare is a federal program that helps all people 65 years or older pay for healthcare. Those who qualify for Social Security benefits are automatically eligible for Medicare (Barr, 2011). When Medicare was passed in 1965, only 56 percent of elderly people have hospital insurance. It was a strong national consensus that none of the elderly in United States should face financial ruins because serious illnesses were seen as a threat to financial security of seniors (Barr, 2011). Due to that reason, Medicare was created to ensure financial stability. Not only does Medicare cover people 65 years and older, but it also covers individuals with certain disabilities, and individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease that requires dialysis or transplant (Medicare.gov). Unlike Medicare, Medicaid was not created as a program for all people who fall below that poverty line. It only covers certain subgroups of poor people (Barr, 2011). Medicaid provides medical benefits to groups of low-income people, some who may have no medical insurance or inadequate medical insurance, health care to children, pregnant women, parents, senior, and individuals with disabilities (Medicaid.gov). Medicare is made up of...
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...Long Term Care: The Public and Private Funding Debate Long term care is a growing need within the United States. Currently the U.S. population is 318.7 million with the older population comprising approximately 43.1 million in 2012. This amount is expected to jump to 88 million by 2050. Currently, 1 in every 7 or 13.7% to be exact, of the population is an older American. This amount increased by 24% between 2002 and 2012. This amount is projected to increase to 79.7 million by 2040. With advances in healthcare and other factors, persons reaching 65 years of age have an average life expectancy of an additional 19.2 years. Note: Increments in years are uneven. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates and Projections. ----- Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 1980-2012, National Estimates by Age, Sex, Race: 1900-1979 (PE-11) ; 2012 National Population Projections Summary Tables, Table 2. Projections of the Population by Selected Age Groups and Sex for the United States: 2015 to 2060, Middle Series. (NP2012-T2), Released December 2012; and Table 1. Projected Population by Single Year of Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin for the United States: 2012 to 2060, Released December 2012. Long term care can encompass many different facets. In general it is a range of services and supports that are done to meet personal...
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...universities). There are currently four universities that offer RN to BSN completion programs; however, only Portland State University and Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) offer advanced degree programs (MSN & PhD). * I have a long-term career goal of breaking into the field of public health administration. From my experience working at OHSU I’ve gotten firsthand knowledge of how interconnected a health system is with the education and research institutions. I believe that it is this symbiotic relationship that will creates excellent care providers and in turn leads to exceptional patient care. Therefore, I chose this topic as I believe the relationship between Oregon healthcare providers and Oregon educational institutions is vital to the analysis and search for solutions to the current healthcare crisis facing the US. The Problem The United States is currently experiencing a Nursing shortage that will get exponentially worse in the next 10 years. The state of Oregon is no exception to this trend. There is a shortage in qualified clinical nurses on-the-job, and an even greater shortage of qualified faculty nurses in training institutions. Without qualified faculty we are not able to train replacement professionals at a rate that matches current and future nurse attrition and/or growth in staffing needs. The nature of the problem is not confined to a few states, hospitals or institutions....
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...* Private Practice Lactation Consultant Business Plan * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Executive summary Breastfeeding is not only a lifestyle choice but also an important health care choice. Any amount of time that a mother can do it will help both her and the baby. Many benefits of breast milk are noted for mothers, babies, and others. Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness, and even SIDS. Infant formula cannot match the perfect chemical composition of human milk, specifically the cells, hormones, and antibodies that fight disease. The private practice of lactation consultants has increased over the last decade. According to the CDC (2006), the rates of breastfeeding have slightly increased. Healthy People objectives for breastfeeding in early postpartum period, at six months, and 12 months are 75%, 50%, and 25%, respectively. Healthy People 2010 objectives for exclusive breastfeeding through three and six months of age are 40% and 17%, respectively. National data on exclusive breastfeeding are available only from respondents interviewed after 2005 and thus are not available for children born prior to 2003. The Private Practice of Lactation Consultants (PPLC) will provide care and assistance to any mother who is breastfeeding regardless of financial ability to pay. The need for lactation consultants outside of the hospital...
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...Financing and Structuring Health Care 1 Financing and Structuring Health Care Lisa Martin Strayer University Professor Tataw July 18, 2011 Financing and Structuring Health Care 2 1. Indentify and describe the three main types of health insurances in the U.S. The main 3 types are the commercial health insurance industry, Blue cross and Blue shield plans and Health Maintenance Organizations. With the commercial health insurance industry there are two distinctions, which are between mutual and stock insurers. Mutual insurance companies, are essentially owned by their policyholders, in contrast to stock insurance companies, which are owned in the more traditional corporate fashion by stockholders. Commercial health insurance companies are either “multiline” carriers or “single –line” insurers. The multiline insurers offer other insurance products like life, auto, homeowners, worker’s compensation, business liability and some offer renters insurance as well. There are some multi-line insurers that also offer a range of financial services, like pension and investment areas. The single-line health insurers offer health insurance ...
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...E P I DE M IC: R E SP ON DI NG T O A M ER ICA’ S PR E S CR I P T ION DRUG A BUSE CR I SI S 2 011 Background Prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically.1 The same survey found that over 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives, while approximately 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet.2 Additionally, the latest Monitoring the Future study—the Nation’s largest survey of drug use among young people—showed that prescription drugs are the second most-abused category of drugs after marijuana.3 In our military, illicit drug use increased from 5 percent to 12 percent among active duty service members over a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, primarily attributed to prescription drug abuse.4 Although a number of classes of prescription drugs are currently being abused, this action plan primarily focuses on the growing and often deadly problem of prescription opioid abuse. The number of prescrip tions filled for opioid pain relievers—some of the most powerful medications available—has increased dramatically in recent years. From 1997 to 2007, the milligram per person use of prescription...
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...Consumer Healthcare Ltd. | | Conduct on Behalf of the firms | 1 | Relations with Home Govt | It is the Company’s policy to comply fully with all applicable laws and regulations governing contact and dealings with government employees and public officials, and to adhere to high ethical, moral and legal standards of business conduct. This policy includes strict compliance with all local, state, federal, foreign and other applicable laws, rules and regulations. If you have any questions concerning government relations, contact the Company’s Legal Department at Complianceandethics@infosys.com. | GSK employees must ensure that dealings with Government Officials are carried out according to the highest standards of integrity required for all GSK business and in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. | How should the top management behave with respect to ….. | 2 | Relations with Customers | Customer Relationships If your job requires interfacing or contacting any Company customers or potential customers, it is critical to remember that you represent the Company to the people with whom you are dealing. Act in a manner that creates value for our customers and help build a relationship based upon trust. The Company and its employees have provided services for many years and have built up significant goodwill over the years. This goodwill is one of our most important assets, and you must act to preserve and enhance our reputation. | Interactions with Healthcare Organisations...
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