Affordable Health Care

There are several health agencies that currently plays a role in the United States Health Care system. Some of the main ones are the National Center for Health Statistics, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The two agencies that I want to focus on are U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The Joint Commission. These two agencies have two very distinct roles in the United States health care system. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focus is “to help more Americans achieve the security of quality, affordable health care for themselves and for their families.” (citation 1). The Joint Commission key role is “the nation’s

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) key role in the United States health care system is to act upon the different new provision that the Affordable Care Act implemented. It’s role on the Affordable Care Act is to “expand coverage, emphasize prevention, improve the quality of health care and patient outcomes across health care settings, ensure patient safety, promote efficiency and accountability, and work toward high-value health care” (citation 1). The HHS has 11 different division that is set up to tackle the issue that the Affordable Care Act placed on the United Healthcare system when it was passed. The one that focuses on quality of healthcare is the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHQR). The AHQR main goal is to perform research on different intervention to prevent or reduce hospital-acquired conditions. They have done extensive research on Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection, Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections, and Adverse drug event, which are the three main ways patient stays in the hospital for an extensive period. According to the statistics that they have compiled, they have saved the United States government approximately $28 million dollars because of their research on Hospital-acquired conditions (AHRQ). The Joint Commission contributes to the United States health system

According to The Joint Commission the standard that they set “are the basis of an objective evaluation process that can help health care organizations measure, assess, and improve performance” (TJC). The Joint Commission accreditation plays a pivotal role in health institution quality and cost. The first way that the accreditation helps an institution is “strengthens community confidence in the quality and safety of care, treatment and services” (TJC 2). If patients are confident that your hospital is one of the best around the area, specially where number of hospitals stands, having the accreditation will give an institution an edge. It also guarantees that the current standards in place are of quality and up to date on the current research. Another benefit of having accreditation is “Provides deeming authority for Medicare Certification” (TJC 2). What this entails is, depending on what state you are in, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid would not need a separate visit to your institution if the Joint Commission was there prior. Their standard and the Joint Commission standards are up to par, this means that your primary source of reimbursement will be intact even without a visit. But the most key role that the Joint Commission play is “Helps organize and strengthen patient