Financing Health Care in the U.S.
Financing Health Care in the U.S. Financing plays a significant role in the process and structure of the U.S. health care system. It is impacted by politics, health consumers, reimbursement systems, for-profit industries, and special interest groups. The result is that many different groups work to place their agenda for health care spending and reimbursement in the forefront. This places a burden upon society and contributes to a disjointed system. How health care is financed shapes the types of services provided, who receives services, and how health care professionals are reimbursed for services. To prepare for this Discussion, reflect on your readings as well as the information provided by the experts in this week’s video presentation. With these thoughts in mind, select and evaluate one of the financing options/programs that pay for health care in the U.S. Then, address the following: •What are the issues associated with that option? •How does health care financing impact nursing practice?
Health care finance
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Medicaid spending is one of the public health care financing options in the US, and Medicare spending is an option that affects the way the federal health insurance program coverage for the families with low incomes. There were more than 46 million uninsured people in the years 2002 to 2005, which represented a growth of 7% (Coddington & Sands, 2008). Essentially, the program has not been able to increase health insurance cover of the vulnerable people. Medicare financing focuses on assets as one of the criteria to choose recipients of the insurance benefits, but since states make laws on people who are eligible it is necessary to harmonize details with the federal requirements. Patients who are not covered by health insurance typically require some form of “safety net”, with Nurse Managed Centers being one of the most sought after option (Smith-Campbell, 2005). Thus, there is a need to improve insurance health coverage for low income families accompanied with better quality of care.
Health care financ...