The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems.
As stated in the course text, Health Care Delivery in the United States, “the health care enterprise is one of the most important parts of the U.S. social system and of our economic system as well” (Kovner and Knickman, 2011, p. 4); however, with millions of citizens uninsured, rising costs, massive health disparities, and the need to improve quality and access, many view health care as a broken system. As such, it continues to be a significant political issue in the United States. The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems.
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Most agree that something needs to be done to fix the health care system, but the methods and solutions for addressing problems vary greatly, particularly with respect to the role government should play. Proponents of varying approaches often have strong, emotional opinions, making compromise difficult. In this Discussion, you will consider the role of government in health care, and you will examine the impact of a social, economic, technological, ethical, or legal issue on health care delivery. The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems. To prepare: With this week’s Learning Resources in mind, consider this question: Is health care a right or a privilege? Review the media presentation for this week, focusing on the role of the government in health care including the Affordable Care Act. Pinpoint a social, economic, technological, ethical, or legal issue that could, or has, affected health care delivery in the United States. Locate a current article from the popular press (within the past 6 months) related to the health care issue you identified. How does this article inform your understanding of the influence of your selected issue in the health care debate? Instructor:Betty Kohal. The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems.
Digital transformation during this 21st century has inspired the adoption of technology for use in the health sector to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the process of healthcare delivery. The most notable form of technology that has been embraced is the use of Electronic Health Records which has been practical in improving patient outcomes, especially those ones with chronic illnesses and tends to take longer in hospital admissions (Jones et al., 2014). By integrating the use of Electronic health records in the provision of care, the government has been able to realize a significant increase in the number of people enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare. Besides, the initiatives that reward hospitals that provide acute care with incentives for the services that they provide has been a successful program so far. The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems.
To safeguard health information and information systems that are supported by technology, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is clear. Several amendments have been done of this Act to ensure that the controls and direction is provided in the sharing of information and that client privacy and confidentiality are upheld in the care continuum and when it comes to coverage of health insurance (Jones et al., 2014). Basing on the fact that most uninsured citizens continue to enroll for care, it is likely that the number of citizens seeking healthcare services will also increase. This means that, the standards of information privacy in EHRs systems is likely to reduce (Jones et al., 2014). Therefore, there is need for the government to develop ways to combat fraud, abuse and waste of health information, more so electronic health records. The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems.
According to Jones et al., (2014), in embracing technology, healthcare providers should also be encouraged to share information on social media platforms on issues regarding practice, how to promote healthy behaviors, educating the masses and actively interacting with patients, caregivers and potential clients. However, the government should devise ways of punishing individuals who share the wrong information that may impact negatively on people’s health. This will help to ensure that only the right information is shared to patients, clients and the public in general (Jones et al., 2014). The Role of Government in the U.S. Health Care Systems.
