...ROMNEYCARE An In-‐Depth Analysis of the Massachusetts Healthcare Reform The American Healthcare System Final Research Report By Sara Mahmood, DDS and Camille Debi 1.0 Introduction In 2006, the state of Massachusetts initiated a health care overhaul by passing a reform law with the central tenet of providing healthcare to all of its residents. Widely popular and objectively successful, the law has been dubbed “Romneycare,” named after then Governor Mitt Romney who signed the legislation into action. The law mandates that nearly every resident of Massachusetts obtain a minimum level of insurance coverage and provides free health insurance for residents earning less than 150% of the federal poverty level. It also mandates employers with more than 10 full-time employees to provide health insurance. Among its many outcomes, the law established an independent public authority with the official title of “the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority”. However, it is commonly referred to as “the Connector”. The Connector acts as an insurance broker, essentially, offering free, highly subsidized and full-price private insurance plans to residents. The website serves as a portal for Massachusetts residents that allows them to access many of the Connector’s resources, as well as the ability to register online for an insurance policy. Although it has been amended significantly since...
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...and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is one of the most substantial reforms in Medicare since 1965. This is now considered the law of the land according to Douglas Holtz-Eaton. The PPACA portrays a “coverage first” strategy. “Sadly, a review a of the state’s experience bodes poorly for the future of national reform.” (Point/Counterpoint 177) There are two major driving factors in which could propose a threat for this reform. The first factor is it costs too much. Many decades ago, healthcare spending was at a minimum and not the focal point of American citizens. The statics show during 1970, national health expenditures were $1,300 per person and consumed 7 cents out of every national dollar, 7% of the GDP. Since the 1970, the spending per person has grown 2% more each year than income per captia. Therefore, healthcare costs have been increasing at such a high rate and will continue to threaten many decades to come. The second factor is the skyrocket of health insurance. This obviously is not mindboggling due to the fact that it is a reaction to the rapid increase of healthcare. Insurance costs have tripled over the past decade, making it hard for the average citizen to afford such outrageous premiums. As a result, less and less people are opting out of health insurance, which is no longer an option due to the new federal law making health insurance mandatory. The PPACA reform is looked upon with a “cost first” approach. This approach allows quality care to be inexpensive...
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...The first is abortion in its own and the second being the leadership of the governor. Through these two topics, it shows how the governor had signed the bills for abortion in Wisconsin in secrecy. The bill consists of multiple parts of procedures the doctor needs to perform before following through with the abortion. One bill is that doctors need to ask the patient alone if they want the abortion or if they have to oblige. The second bill is that no medical expense paid from insurance agencies unless the pregnancy is through rape, incest, or of people who need it medically. According to "Controversial Abortion Bill Among Several Walker Quietly Signed Into Law" (2012), "Another bill comes into play with Health Care Reform in 2014, banning abortion coverage sold through a health insurance exchange, except in cases of rape, incest or medical necessity” (para. 11). I do support the cause of why the governor is doing this; however, he is doing it for the wrong reasons. He signed these bills before he is leaving office and has done them secretly. According to "Leadership = Controversy With Civility" (2011), "Involve everyone in planning and problem solving. Avoid making decisions behind closed doors” (para. 10). This states that to avoid controversy that all decisions should avoid secrecy and allot everyone in the decision. This shows bad leadership by the governor. It also shows how the governor had made the decisions hastily because of the rush out of office and the want to passing...
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...you read regarding healthcare reform. Evaluate each source's CURRENCY, AUTHORITY, PURPOSE, OBJECTIVITY and WRITING STYLE on a 10-point scale (10 is the best score). You should write notes to yourself about why you scored each source as you did. If you don’t write notes, you will have a much harder time explaining your rationale for your scores. Bring this ranking sheet with you when you come to class. When you are done scoring, rank the five sources from 1-5 (#1 should be the best source; 5 should be the worst). You can discuss your rankings with your group and explain why you ranked the sources the way you did. Example: Z. Why I Hate Health Care Reform C:_9__ A:_6___ P: _5__ O: _1__ W: _9__ Total Score: _30_/50 Rating the Articles A. One Month Later: Making Healthcare Reform a Reality C:_7___ A:_5___ P: __5__ O: __5__ W: __4__ Total Score: __26__/50 Notes: B. The Five Biggest Lies in the Healthcare Debate C:__3__ A:___5 P: _6___ O: ___2_ W: ___6_ Total Score: ___22_/50 Notes: C. The Moral Case Against Healthcare Reform C:__2__ A:__6__ P: _2___ O: __6__ W: _3___ Total Score: _19___/50 Notes: D. What Happened to Healthcare Reform? C:__5__ A:__1__ P: ___7_ O: __2__ W: __9__ Total Score: __24__/50 Notes: E. Andrew Rubin on Healthcare Reform C:__4__ A:_5___...
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...For US citizens covered by private health insurance, receiving treatment is not necessarily easy with many insurance contracts containing terms and conditions excluding treatments which would be covered under the NHS. This has led to scandals where individuals have died as a result of not reading the fine print on their insurance contracts a massive 21% of claims in California are rejected by private insurers. (Reuters 2011) The profit-driven running of companies that are essentially meant to provide coverage guaranteeing the maintenance of health has seen managers receiving salaries exceeding 13 million dollars compared with the NHS’s top salary of less than half a million US. Not covering an individual for expensive treatment thus saves the company money and provides stockholders with dividends or capital gain a very dangerous approach to the provision of healthcare coverage. An estimated 62% of individuals’ bankruptcies are related to healthcare bills, and of these,80% had health insurance numbers which would cause widespread revolt among Europeans. The private nature of US healthcare has resulted in pharmaceutical companies directly advertising to consumers the infamously endemic “ask your doctor if MagicMarioMix is suitable for you” tagline. Consumers thus ask their doctors about the advertised drug, and every 1 US dollar spent on advertising by pharmaceutical companies’ results in $4.20 of sales. The quick-fix or one-pill solution approach, rife among Americans, is reflected...
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...The article that I am reviewing is called “Healthcare Reform: The Importance of a Public Option” by Stephen Gorin. The article discusses the issues that we are now currently dealing with well the House and the Senate debate and try to create the healthcare reform that would make sure that everyone has healthcare coverage. The big issue within this article is creating a level playing field for all the parties: the non covered public, the already covered public, the healthcare companies and the government. As if you didn’t already know this is not the easiest task as everyone wants to have a say on how it is going to be accomplished. One of the big things discussed in this article is the public plan option that is currently being debated in the legislation. Many people don’t feel that it would create a “level playing field”. One person described the public option as "a Trojan horse for government control and the progressive destruction of Americans' private health insurance coverage.” They are stating that there would be no way that with a public option would insurance companies is able to compete with a government public option. They cover what would have to happen to make this plan also work. They stated that to make the public option work that they would have to reduce rates to providers who could in turn refuse to see these patients with this coverage. They then go to discuss that they would have to create a payment system to providers that is equal and they close the gap...
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...Mental illness policy under “The Patient protection and Affordable care Act” (ACA) According to Medicaid office, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, provides Americans with better health security by putting in place comprehensive health insurance reforms that expand coverage, hold insurance companies accountable, lower health care cost, guarantee more choice, and enhance the quality of care for all Americans. The attempts of 1985 case “Metropolitan Life Insurance Company V. Massachusetts to improve mental health system Act was extensively amended and failed coverage of certain mental health conditions. How? The Court went on to apply the deemer clause to conclude that the mandated benefit law could not be enforced-. Blackman J. (1985). This is an example of the health care dilemma. The healthcare disparity was shining upon the general population. The issue was patchwork in the public and private health care providers (hospitals, clinics, and doctors ‘offices) resulting in clear differences and no underlying safety among the vulnerable...
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...overcrowding, mental health, drug offenses, inequity and gun violence. American society keeps asking for changes to be made to each part of the system. Changes and the...
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...Week 1 Health Care Terms Worksheet Understanding health care terms is a prerequisite for both academic and professional success. This assignment is intended to ensure you understand some of the basic terms used in this course. Complete the worksheet according to the following guidelines: In the space provided, write each term’s definition. You must define the term in your own words. In the space provided after each term’s definition, use the term in a sentence as it applies to the health care industry. You may wish to consider the following: o How has it influenced heath care? o What role has the term played as health care developed over the years? Save the completed worksheet as a Microsoft® Word document with your name in the file name. Submit the file to your facilitator. Submitted by: [Type your name here.] |Term |Definition |Use the term in a sentence as it applies to the health care | | | |industry. | |Example: Electronic |Electronic health records are digital forms of |My doctor entered the diagnosis into his laptop and told me that | |health records |entering and storing patient information. |the information would go into my electronic health record. | |HIPAA |HIPPA stands for the Health Insurance...
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...Affordable Care Act research topics 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 [...] Universal Health Care, A Moral Duty This 11 page research paper offers a current overview of the issues associated with the topic of universal healthcare provision and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Universal health care as a moral and ethical duty is stressed. Bibliography lists 11 sources. Minimum Wage, Healthcare Reform A 3 page research paper that covers two topics. The first half of the paper presents the history of the federally mandated minimum wage, and the second half discusses the Supreme Court's announcement that it will rule on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's required mandate for all Americans to purchase health insurance. Bibliography lists 2 sources. ESRD in NC, Access to Care for Underprivileged A 4 page research paper that examines the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and how it impacts care for underprivileged patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Bibliography lists 2 sources. Health Care Changes Resulting from the PPACA In a paper of ten pages, the author writes about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The author of this paper considers four changes within health care as a result of the act including changes of private insurance, changes for the state regulations, the individual mandate provision, also age related coverage and preexisting conditions. There are three sources cited in this paper. Healthcare Reform Policy...
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...SAMHSA Headquarters Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 1 Choke Cherry Road Rockville, MD 20857 SAMHSA Headquarters: I am writing to you in regards to The Mental Health Parity. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 25% of American adults (those ages 18 and older) and about 13% of American children (those ages 8 to 15) are diagnosed with a mental illness during a given year. Mental health disorders account for four of the top 10 causes of disability in established market economies, such as the US, worldwide, and include: major depression (also called clinical depression), manic depression (also called bipolar disorder), schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. With that being said, millions of Americans with mental health disorders do not have adequate insurance protection against the costs of treatment for their mental disorders. With the rise on Mental Health I strongly feel that The Mental Health Parity needs to be firmly imposed from state to state. According to an authoritative 2005 survey Americans will experience a major psychiatric or substance disorder at some point. For instance, the survey shown that only about 50 percent of Americans with a mood disorder had psychiatric treatment in the past year — leaving the rest at high risk of suicide. Approximately 90% of people with serious mental illnesses are unemployed. This means they do not have an employer-based health insurance plan. If they try to purchase...
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...The State of Mental Health The State of Mental Health- A Community Teaching Project. Mental health is an issue that effects all communities, and every aspect of the nursing profession. The lack of mental health resources in this county means that mental health issues become an even bigger social issue. As member of the health care profession we are in a unique position to shed light to the general public on this issue and the need for legislation to provide services and protection to those with mental health issues. Healthy People 2020 defines mental health as a state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with challenges. Mental health is essential to personal well-being, family and interpersonal relationships, and the ability to contribute to community or society. It goes on to describe mental illness as all definable diagnosis relating to mental health. (Healthy People 2020, 2016). One of the most common causes of disability in the U.S. is mental illness and as a result it places a tremendous burden on society. An estimated one in seventeen adults in the United States suffers from some form of mental illness. Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in the United States. Mental health and physical well-being are closely intertwined. Diseases like depression can limit a person’s abilities to participate in health promoting activities...
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...attempted to enforce The Health Security Act. His efforts to bring universal health care coverage to the United States is one that nearly ended his presidency. The intention of the President was to enhance the healthcare system and to provide universal health care coverage to Americans much like that of almost all other industrialized countries. The Health Security Plan, however, failed. There were both good and bad aspects of the plan but ultimately it was too flawed to even come before congress for a vote. President Clinton had the best of intentions when he attempted health care reform, he wanted to provide universal health care coverage with cost control. He felt that all Americans deserved health insurance and that inflation was skyrocketing and making health care unaffordable and unattainable for many Americans.The core element of the Health Security Plan were to enforce a mandate that requires all employers to provide health insurance coverage to all employees. Besides universal coverage and a basic benefit package, provisions included health insurance reform, regional alliances for structuring competition among health insurance plans, consumer choice of health plans, and provisions for Medicaid beneficiaries. Proposed mental health and substance abuse provisions included coverage of intensive nonresidential services, medical management, evaluation and assessment services, and case management. Initial limitations on coverage of inpatient mental health services and psychotherapy...
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...University of Phoenix Material Week 1 Health Care Terms Worksheet Understanding health care terms is a prerequisite for both academic and professional success. This assignment is intended to ensure you understand some of the basic terms used in this course. Complete the worksheet according to the following guidelines: In the space provided, write each term’s definition. You must define the term in your own words. In the space provided after each term’s definition, use the term in a sentence as it applies to the health care industry. You may wish to consider the following: * How has it influenced heath care? What role has the term played as health care developed over the years? * * Save the completed worksheet as a Microsoft® Word document with your name in the file name. * Submit the file to your facilitator. Submitted by: [Megan Hageman] Term | Definition | Use the term in a sentence as it applies to the health care industry. | Example: Electronic health records | Electronic health records are digital forms of entering and storing patient information. | My doctor entered the diagnosis into his laptop and told me that the information would go into my electronic health record. | HIPAA | HIPAA or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, keeps health information confidential and protected. It also enables millions of American families to have insurance coverage. It reduces health fraud with electronic billing | I was given...
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...University of Phoenix Material Week 1 Health Care Terms Worksheet Understanding health care terms is a prerequisite for both academic and professional success. This assignment is intended to ensure you understand some of the basic terms used in this course. Complete the worksheet according to the following guidelines: In the space provided, write each term’s definition. You must define the term in your own words. In the space provided after each term’s definition, use the term in a sentence as it applies to the health care industry. You may wish to consider the following: * How has it influenced heath care? What role has the term played as health care developed over the years? * * Save the completed worksheet as a Microsoft® Word document with your name in the file name. * Submit the file to your facilitator. Submitted by: [Megan Hageman] Term | Definition | Use the term in a sentence as it applies to the health care industry. | Example: Electronic health records | Electronic health records are digital forms of entering and storing patient information. | My doctor entered the diagnosis into his laptop and told me that the information would go into my electronic health record. | HIPAA | HIPAA or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, keeps health information confidential and protected. It also enables millions of American families to have insurance coverage. It reduces health fraud with electronic billing | I was given...
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