Article Four Review The purpose of this paper is to serve as an overview and summary of the major points found in “Health Care Reform and Equity: Promise, Pitfalls, and Prescriptions” (Fiscella, 2011) This article outlines both good, potentially bad of health care reform and possible solutions to improve on the program. Key Points There are six major take away points from this article. The first key point discussed is “improving health care system access” (Fiscella, 2011). The poor under privileged are typically the people who have the least amount of access to effective health care. Once ACA provisions reach its projected coverage it will “still leave 23 million persons, including undocumented immigrants, without any coverage” (Fiscella, 2011). The second key point focuses on primary care. To be able to have health care that is functional and effective it starts with primary care. “A robust primary care system is the cornerstone for a more equitable health care system” (Fiscella, 2011). Restructuring of this program in certain areas is important “payment reform, enhancing the training pipeline, transforming practice, and buttressing the primary care safety net” (Fiscella, 2011). The third key is health information technology. In order to really change primary care hinges on this technology. To be able to access patient’s health records will ensure better care is given and equality of care is paramount. The fourth key point is payment models. In order to make sure quality health care is given across the board you have to follow the money. In this section it talks about an idea of restructuring the payment scheme. Using bundled payments “offer the potential for promoting equity by redirecting resources to health care values... ... middle of paper ... ...etter alignment between patient needs and resources” (Fiscella, 2011). "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish." (Psalm 9:18) MONITORING HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES Once health care is put into place that is really effective you need to sit back and monitor it. By closing the feedback loop between quality and equity reporting and corrective federal, state, and local policies will be critical given the enormous complexity of reforms” (Fiscella, 2011). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5: 17). CHALLENGES First fundamental challenge is “aligning health care resources with patient’s needs” (Fiscella, 2011). The second challenge “relates to revitalization of primary care, particularly for underserved patients” (Fiscella, 2011). Words 877
...ity, as well as inequalities in education, employment, and housing, all contribute to health discrepencies. Health care reform, as envisioned within the ACA, should be viewed as treatment of the symptoms of an unequal system, not treatment of the cause. To speak metaphorically, America has a pre-existing condition of institutional racism. Capitalist structure, political climate and discourse, and notions of imperialism, deny treatment. The Affordable Care Act addresses this condition as a localized disease, rather than a systemic one, that’s cause is rooted in the hegemonic reproduction of ideological superstructures. Only when health care is treated as a basic right, rather than an economic commodity, and health disparites are recognized in a greater political context, can health reform offer an opportunity to overcome racial disparities and achieve health equity.
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
There are several possible methods of addressing the healthcare concerns of today. I focused on three ways to address this issue. The first would it be to make electronic records universal. Secondly, focus on patient centered care. Lastly, start healthcare groups throughout the practice of medicine.
Yong, Pierre L., Robert Samuel Saunders, and LeighAnne Olsen. The Healthcare Imperative: Lowering Costs and Improving Outcomes : Workshop Series Summary. Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2010. Print.
As I began watching Reinventing Healthcare-A Fred Friendly Seminar (2008), I thought to myself, “man, things have changed since 2008.” And as the discussion progressed, I started to become irritated by how little had changed. The issues discussed were far-reaching, and the necessity for urgent change was a repeated theme. And yet, eight years later, health care has made changes, but many of its crucial problems still exist.
In recent years, the number of Americans who are uninsured has reached over 45 million citizens, with millions more who only have the very basic of insurance, effectively under insured. With the growing budget cuts to medicaid and the decreasing amount of employers cutting back on their health insurance options, more and more americans are put into positions with poor health care or no access to it at all. At the heart of the issue stems two roots, one concerning the morality of universal health care and the other concerning the economic effects. Many believe that health care reform at a national level is impossible or impractical, and so for too long now our citizens have stood by as our flawed health-care system has transformed into an unfixable mess. The good that universal healthcare would bring to our nation far outweighs the bad, however, so, sooner rather than later, it is important for us to strive towards a society where all people have access to healthcare.
A strong primary care foundation is fundamental to constructing an effective health care system. Patients who have regular access to a primary care physician are more likely than those who do not to receive the necessary preventative care before their conditions become too difficult or expensive to treat (Bindman, Grumbach, Osmond, Vranizan & Stewart, 1996). Additionally, primary care physicians are significant to providing better care to low-income patients. Access to primary care correlates positively with better management of chronic conditions and reduced mortality (Starfield, Shi & Macinko, 2005). Despite the necessity of primary care in regards to health system performance, there has been little value and investment in primary care for decades (McGlynn et al., 2003). Consequently, health care in the U.S. is left poorly coordinated and expensive.
In America the affordability and equality of access to healthcare is a crucial topic of debate when it comes to one's understanding of healthcare reform. The ability for a sick individual to attain proper treatment for their ailments has reached the upper echelons of government. Public outcry for a change in the handling of health insurance laws has aided in the establishment of the Affordable Healthcare Law (AHCL) to ensure the people of America will be able to get the medical attention they deserve as well as making that attention more affordable, as the name states. Since its creation, the AHCL has undergone scrutiny towards its effects on the government and its people; nevertheless, the new law must not be dismantled due to its function as a cornerstone of equal-opportunity healthcare, and if such a removal is allowed, there will be possibly detrimental effects on taxes, the economy, and poor people.
There has been a lot of talk and debate lately over Health Care Reform, as people are trying to answer the question – Should a universally accessible health care system be implemented in the United States (US)? This ongoing highly debatable issue remains a hot topic among US citizens from all walks of life, from the very poor to the very wealthy. Health Care Reform affects everyone. The vast majority of the US population is very dissatisfied with the current state of health care. According to the ABC News and Washington Post cooperative poll, 57 percent of Americans aren’t satisfied with the overall system of health care (Langer, 2009). Consequently, the issue of the Health Care Reform was born, but before analyzing the actual aspects of this reform it will be wise to brush up on those major attitudes and concerns which occupy ordinary people and how they respond to the unfolding changes in the area of health care and social security.
Reforming the health care delivery system to progress the quality and value of care is indispensable to addressing the ever-increasing costs, poor quality, and increasing numbers of Americans without health insurance coverage. What is more, reforms should improve access to the right care at the right time in the right setting. They should keep people healthy and prevent common, preventable impediments of illnesses to the greatest extent possible. Thoughtfully assembled reforms would support greater access to health-improving care, in contrast to the current system, which encourages more tests, procedures, and treatments that are either
High quality and less expensive healthcare can be achieved with a universal healthcare model. In fact, the United States is the...
Under the Affordable Care Act one of the most important provisions is to expand health care to low income families through Medicaid. This could have an effect on over eight million people who do not have access to health care currently. However 25 states have decided against expanding Medicaid benefits, leaving 13.5 million people less likely to receive basic health care and preventative ...
Primary care can be described as the foundation and pillar of health care. It is the ideal entry point of the health care system, and arguably an area of great influence on an individual’s lifetime experience with health care services. Studies show that patients who utilize primary care have a decreased risk of illness and death (Starfield, Shi & Macinko, 2005).
In order to achieve health wellbeing, the co-payment plan should be rejected since it poses negative effects on health especially for the underprivileged people and deterioration in health intervention due to the decreased efficiency in primary health care system. This lack of short term financial resources could not be full-filled by a $5 surcharge. In the ABC news video (2014), health policy expert Jennifer argued that key to maintain health care budget in other international countries is maintaining well-resourced and cost effective primary sector and creating the synergy between GP, nurses and other allied health practitioners. Therefore this policy is not efficient and needs to be rejected for future. Strong primary health care system yields positive outcomes in a long term since it helps to save finance and avoid the aggravation of illness.
Primary health care was based on mutuality, social justice and equality. As a strategy, primary health care focuses on individual and community strengths and opportunities for changes, increases the participation of the community, includes all relevant sectors and uses only health technologies that are accessible, affordable and appropriate.