American Access to Health Care

Health care in the United States is driven by a patchwork of services and financing. Americans access health care services in a variety of ways — from private physicians’ offices, to public hospitals, to safety-net providers. This diverse network of health care providers is supported by an equally diverse set of funding streams. The United States spends almost twice as much on health care as any other country, topping $2 trillion each year. (WHO.INT 2000) However, even with overall spending amounting to more than $7,400 per person, millions of individuals cannot access the health care services they need.(Foundation 2009) So when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a the Affordable Care Act or ACA) was passed in the summer of 2010, It was perfect timing that this was my first course in the MMI program. The goal of the course was to provide students with a deeper understanding of how Americans access care. Therefore, it was suitable that a significant portion of the course focused on how access to care would change once the act was implemented.

In order to understand the origins of the legislation, the course began with an examination of the health behaviors of Americans. In the first discussion board post, the class was asked to whether or not the federal government should undertake initiatives to modify health behaviors in the U.S. due. My agreement advocated government involvement with one specific criterion. As long as health care education was provided to the citizenry in an unbiased fashion, I was a full supporter. As discussed in the initial sessions, research has shown that preventative health-care services centered on positive health behavior changes (healthier diets and increased physical activity...

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...d reimbursement systems based on quality and strengthens fraud and abuse protections. The establishment of quality measures will not only increase patient access but also create the perfect mechanism that will ensure that patients receive care that is focused on evidence and best practices.

Overall MMI 401 was the best way to start my start of medical informatics. In order to understand how technology will improve the access and quality of healthcare, it is important to understand the challenges the system is currently facing.

Works Cited

Foundation, K. F. (2009). "Health Care Costs: A Primer." Retrieved January 22, 2011, from http://www.kff.org/insurance/upload/7670_02.pdf.

WHO.INT (2000). "World Health Organization Assesses the World's Health Systems." Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.who.int/whr/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/.