Efforts to lower health care spending in the US are hampered by an aging population and rise in chronic diseases. Chronic illnesses like cancer, diabetes and heart disease account for 75% of health care costs and treating them over a lifetime leads to increasing costs. While the Affordable Care Act aims to expand access and incentivize quality, Republicans oppose it and offer alternatives focused on free markets. The future of health reform depends on the 2016 presidential election, as Democrats generally support the ACA while Republicans seek to repeal it.
Assessing U.S. and International Experience with Health Reform and Implications for the Future by W. David Helms, Ph.D, President and CEO, Academy Health
Health care has undergone many changes within in the last few years. This presentation identifies the 5 macro-trends associated with the future of health care in the United States.
Assessing U.S. and International Experience with Health Reform and Implications for the Future by W. David Helms, Ph.D, President and CEO, Academy Health
Health care has undergone many changes within in the last few years. This presentation identifies the 5 macro-trends associated with the future of health care in the United States.
As Medicare costs continue to rise fueled in large part by new devices and pricey drugs, the federal government now spends 50% more on health care than it does to fund the department of defense—a monumental figure. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the largest driver of health care costs in the United States. By 2030 43.9 per cent of Americans are projected to have some form of CVD, driving a more than $550 billion increase in the total costs of CVD care annually.
Written by Adele Allison, National Director of Government Affairs, SuccessEHS.
The shape of the U.S. health care industry is changing every day, and this presentation sheds light on some interesting statistics including Primary Care Providers, The American Patient, Health Care and the U.S. Economy and more.
Physician Expectations and Primary Care Shortages: Evidence from the Affordab...Gerrit Lensink
This paper is the first installment in my undergraduate thesis on physician expectations and their effect on primary care shortages in the United States. Over following semesters I will be strengthening my research with econometric models and further analysis. Updates will follow as completed.
This is a training to introduce audiences to the problems with the health care system in Massachusetts, and to describe how a single payer health care system controls costs and saves lives elsewhere in the world.
Single Payer Systems: Equity in Access to Caresoder145
Presentation by Lynn Blewett at "The True Workings of Single Payer Systems: Lessons or Warnings for U.S. Reform' conference sponsored by the Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law, May 10 2008.
Running Head THE NEED FOR APPROACHES TO IMPROVE CAUSE ADMINISTRA.docxaryan532920
Running Head: THE NEED FOR APPROACHES TO IMPROVE CAUSE ADMINISTRATION AND REPAYMENT IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
1
THE NEED FOR APPROACHES TO IMPROVE CAUSE ADMINISTRATION AND REPAYMENT IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
10
Title: The Need for Approaches to Improve Case Administration and Repayment in the Healthcare System
Abstract
The medical care system of the United States of America for the past years has been considered to be the most expensive in the world. The government of the United States has to spend huge amounts of money for medical care in relation to the gross domestic product and these sums are systematically increasing. Now many scholars came to the conclusion that it is the government programs, which held the responsibility for the growth of uncontrolled spending on medical care, with which such growth is a threat to the financial stability of the United States. The issue is worth-discussing, thus, the given work is devoted to the overview of the structure and the main issues of the US healthcare system to find the effective solution.
Unlike other developed countries the medical care system in the United States of America demands more and more funds while its quality remains the same. 1/3 of the US citizens are still uninsured and there is no future hope for improving the situation. People suffer from rapidly growing prices of medical services and slow growth of salaries inclement. Furthermore, the department of insurance loses its integrity and honesty; since they use such an opportunity to fraud money as well as not paying the workers. The risk of becoming bankrupt is very high in medical care system because of unplanned budget. The insurance programs, financed by the state, are also becoming more expensive, and the government is forced to pay more and more money, which later brings about increase in state financial expenditure that immensely contribute to the poor economy. Employees do not have the free will to change their job due to the high cost of insurance and the monopolization (Stone, et al., 2008,p.2-57). This paper will provide evidences by giving the most effective solution to control this problem and also encouraging people make decisive market decisions by finding new approaches.
There are many ways of handling this subject issue of “The Need for Approaches to Improve Case Administration and Repayment in the Healthcare System,” but this research paper primarily will focus on the five articles that represent scholarly articles concerning the subject issue on this topic. The five scholarly articles are: Nolin, (2015) in his study about “Jail overcrowding a perennial issue for many counties; (Stone, P., Hughes, R., & Dailey, M. 2008)about “Creating a safe and high-quality health care environment: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2014). New HHS Data Shows Major Strides Made in Patient Safety, Leading to Improved Care and Savings; Unit ...
As Medicare costs continue to rise fueled in large part by new devices and pricey drugs, the federal government now spends 50% more on health care than it does to fund the department of defense—a monumental figure. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the largest driver of health care costs in the United States. By 2030 43.9 per cent of Americans are projected to have some form of CVD, driving a more than $550 billion increase in the total costs of CVD care annually.
Written by Adele Allison, National Director of Government Affairs, SuccessEHS.
The shape of the U.S. health care industry is changing every day, and this presentation sheds light on some interesting statistics including Primary Care Providers, The American Patient, Health Care and the U.S. Economy and more.
Physician Expectations and Primary Care Shortages: Evidence from the Affordab...Gerrit Lensink
This paper is the first installment in my undergraduate thesis on physician expectations and their effect on primary care shortages in the United States. Over following semesters I will be strengthening my research with econometric models and further analysis. Updates will follow as completed.
This is a training to introduce audiences to the problems with the health care system in Massachusetts, and to describe how a single payer health care system controls costs and saves lives elsewhere in the world.
Single Payer Systems: Equity in Access to Caresoder145
Presentation by Lynn Blewett at "The True Workings of Single Payer Systems: Lessons or Warnings for U.S. Reform' conference sponsored by the Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law, May 10 2008.
Running Head THE NEED FOR APPROACHES TO IMPROVE CAUSE ADMINISTRA.docxaryan532920
Running Head: THE NEED FOR APPROACHES TO IMPROVE CAUSE ADMINISTRATION AND REPAYMENT IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
1
THE NEED FOR APPROACHES TO IMPROVE CAUSE ADMINISTRATION AND REPAYMENT IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
10
Title: The Need for Approaches to Improve Case Administration and Repayment in the Healthcare System
Abstract
The medical care system of the United States of America for the past years has been considered to be the most expensive in the world. The government of the United States has to spend huge amounts of money for medical care in relation to the gross domestic product and these sums are systematically increasing. Now many scholars came to the conclusion that it is the government programs, which held the responsibility for the growth of uncontrolled spending on medical care, with which such growth is a threat to the financial stability of the United States. The issue is worth-discussing, thus, the given work is devoted to the overview of the structure and the main issues of the US healthcare system to find the effective solution.
Unlike other developed countries the medical care system in the United States of America demands more and more funds while its quality remains the same. 1/3 of the US citizens are still uninsured and there is no future hope for improving the situation. People suffer from rapidly growing prices of medical services and slow growth of salaries inclement. Furthermore, the department of insurance loses its integrity and honesty; since they use such an opportunity to fraud money as well as not paying the workers. The risk of becoming bankrupt is very high in medical care system because of unplanned budget. The insurance programs, financed by the state, are also becoming more expensive, and the government is forced to pay more and more money, which later brings about increase in state financial expenditure that immensely contribute to the poor economy. Employees do not have the free will to change their job due to the high cost of insurance and the monopolization (Stone, et al., 2008,p.2-57). This paper will provide evidences by giving the most effective solution to control this problem and also encouraging people make decisive market decisions by finding new approaches.
There are many ways of handling this subject issue of “The Need for Approaches to Improve Case Administration and Repayment in the Healthcare System,” but this research paper primarily will focus on the five articles that represent scholarly articles concerning the subject issue on this topic. The five scholarly articles are: Nolin, (2015) in his study about “Jail overcrowding a perennial issue for many counties; (Stone, P., Hughes, R., & Dailey, M. 2008)about “Creating a safe and high-quality health care environment: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2014). New HHS Data Shows Major Strides Made in Patient Safety, Leading to Improved Care and Savings; Unit ...
CHAPTER 1History of the U.S. Healthcare SystemLEARNING OBJECTI.docxmccormicknadine86
CHAPTER 1
History of the U.S. Healthcare System
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The student will be able to:
■ Describe five milestones of medicine and medical education and their importance to health care.
■ Discuss five milestones of the hospital system and their importance to health care.
■ Identify five milestones of public health and their importance to health care.
■ Describe five milestones of health insurance and their importance to health care.
■ Explain the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.
■ Explain the concept of the iron triangle as it applies to health care.
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
■ When the practice of medicine first began, tradesmen such as barbers practiced medicine. They often used the same razor to cut hair as to perform surgery.
■ In 2014, the United States spent 17.5% of the gross domestic product on healthcare spending, which is the highest in the world.
■ As a result of the Affordable Care Act, the number of uninsured is projected to decline to 23 million by 2023.
■ The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services predicts national health expenditures will account for over 19% of the U.S. gross domestic product.
■ The United States is the only major country that does not have universal healthcare coverage.
■ In 2002, the Joint Commission issued hospital standards requiring them to inform their patients if their results were not consistent with typical care results.
▶ Introduction
It is important as a healthcare consumer to understand the history of the U.S. healthcare delivery system, how it operates today, who participates in the system, what legal and ethical issues arise as a result of the system, and what problems continue to plague the healthcare system. We are all consumers of health care. Yet, in many instances, we are ignorant of what we are actually purchasing. If we were going to spend $1,000 on an appliance or a flat-screen television, many of us would research the product to determine if what we are purchasing is the best product for us. This same concept should be applied to purchasing healthcare services.
Increasing healthcare consumer awareness will protect you in both the personal and professional aspects of your life. You may decide to pursue a career in health care either as a provider or as an administrator. You may also decide to manage a business where you will have the responsibility of providing health care to your employees. And last, from a personal standpoint, you should have the knowledge from a consumer point of view so you can make informed decisions about what matters most—your health. The federal government agrees with this philosophy.
As the U.S. population’s life expectancy continues to lengthen—increasing the “graying” of the population—the United States will be confronted with more chronic health issues because, as we age, more chronic health conditions develop. The U.S. healthcare system is one of the most expensive systems in the world. According to 2014 statistics, the ...
Running Head HEALTH POLICIES, POLITICS AND PERSPECTIVES1.docxjeanettehully
Running Head: HEALTH POLICIES, POLITICS AND PERSPECTIVES
1
HEALTH POLICIES, POLITICS AND PERSPECTIVES
.
4
Week #1 Discussion #2:
Key Characteristics of the U.S. Healthcare System
\
In the USA, the healthcare system has three pillars, quality, access and cost. They influence accessibility of healthcare among the American citizens (Shi & Singh, 2015). The government has embarked on efforts to ensure that there is improved health access to its people and continually increase the good being of its people. The paper explores how various attributes related to the pillars in the delivery of healthcare in the United States of America.
Health policy that the government employ foster on safety. The patients' safety is a major priority of the USA government (Shi & Singh, 2015). Safety in healthcare is patient-centered to ensure that there is proper flow of information between the various shareholders in the market. Proper flow of information ensures that the needs of the patients are addressed as well as better disease prevention methods (Shi & Singh, 2015) (Goodnough, 2019). Thus, there is little or no room for intolerance among the healthcare practitioners that fosters patient safety. People are assured of safety due to the high quality of services that the people provide (Goodnough, 2019). However, costs for diagnosis and medication of some diseases is high that lower access among the middle and poor working classes.
Healthcare delivery is also efficient and effective. Efficiency in the United States is achieved through the utilization of technology. There is a continued use of technology to ensure that there are right diagnoses of diseases (Shi & Singh, 2015). Besides, the doctors and other shareholders within the healthcare sector use technology in the management of records. Management of records promotes the privacy of patients’ information. As a result, people have trust in healthcare providers. The government also improves the effectiveness of the healthcare system in the USA through increasing of insurance among the people (Goodnough, 2019). The USA has increased insurance covers among the people through the ACA act. The policy ensures that most of the people obtain insurance cover and consecutively increase access to the people (Shi & Singh, 2015). Another program is Medicare that provides insurance cover to the patients who are above 65 years. The programs cover patients who are above 65 years, those with disabilities and those with end-stage renal disease. Through the programs, the people obtain pharmaceuticals, and the healthcare providers are also better skilled that improve on the quality of services that they deliver to the American people. The major provider of healthcare services in the private sector since most hospitals are run by profit organizations (Goodnough, 2019). Healthcare providers firms compete over clients through the services that they offer. Competition fosters the quality of services that they provide as well a ...
11 minutes agoJessica Dunne RE Discussion - Week 3COLLAPS.docxdrennanmicah
11 minutes ago
Jessica Dunne
RE: Discussion - Week 3
COLLAPSE
Top of Form
NURS 6050C: Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health
INITIAL POST
Economic Challenges of Healthcare Policy
The economics of the healthcare system in the United States is complex and fragmented. Costs associated with care and the prices healthcare consumers pay are determined by a wide variety of factors making it extremely difficult to find a one size fits all solution. Knickman and Kovner (2015) argue that healthcare is neither a commodity or a service, because of the high variabilities in need, cost, and consumption. The United States spends 80% of all healthcare revenue on just 20% of the population. Health insurance can be provided by the government, the private sector, or an employer. Some citizens do not have any form of healthcare coverage. Regardless of type, insurance coverage generally only pays a portion of the total healthcare cost leaving the consumer to pay the remaining balance. Moreover, reimbursement standards differ for facilities and providers. The government reimburses healthcare facilities, such as hospitals a fixed amount per patient, which creates a higher incentive to work efficiently. Healthcare providers, on the other hand, are reimbursed based on a fee for service model, meaning the more services they provide, the more money they are reimbursed (Knickman & Kovner, 2015).
Reindart (2010) maintains the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) created more strain on the system by adding approximately 30 million uninsured Americans to the market. The projected cost to provide such coverage is around 8 billion to 1 trillion dollars over the next decade. However, the estimated expense of healthcare with no legislative intervention is 35 trillion dollars over the next decade (Reindart, 2010). Laureate Education (2012) contends that the human resources required to provide healthcare to an additional 30 million people is another consideration the ACA does not address. The United States is already experiencing staff shortages for key healthcare jobs like nurses and physicians. Additionally, with baby boomers retiring from the workforce and simultaneously needing more healthcare resources as they age will inevitably exacerbate the shortage of providers (Laureate Education, 2012).
Ethical Considerations
It is important to recognize that the private sector often follows the public sector when deciding what services will be covered (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). Therefore, the implications of Medicare deciding not to pay for a drug or service will likely affect the entire population. Stein (2010) asserts that cost should not be a consideration in determining if medications or services will be paid for by Medicare. Nonetheless, that is what happened with Provenge, a vaccine indicated for late stage prostate cancer patients. The drug prolonged the lifespan of patients by about four months. Provenge costs around 93,000 dollars per p.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
The United States of America (USA) covers 3,717,727 square miles and is made up of 50 states
(Infoplease, 2010). The USA’s population in 2004 was 293,027,571 (U.S. Census, 2004). In 2010
the population reached over 307 million. The proportion of the population that is under 15 years
old in the United States (U.S.) is 21%, and the over-60 population proportion is 16% (UNO,
2004). Slightly more than 12.4% of the population were 65 years and older of which 1,557,800
(4.5%) were living in nursing homes (U.S. Census, 2010). The primary languages spoken in the
United States are English and Spanish. The largest ethnic groups are European American (75%).
African American and Latino groups each constitute approximately one-eighth of the population.
The largest religious groups are Protestant (over 50%) and Roman Catholic (25%).
The United States is the largest, most powerful nation in the industrialized (developed) world, and
it has a high literacy rate. However, in 2006, while it led the world in healthcare spending per
capita, it ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male
mortality, and 36th in life expectancy, earning an overall ranking of 37th in the industrialized world
in healthcare performance (Murray & Frenk, 2010, p. 1). Life expectancy in the United States is 80
years of age for European American women, 75.9 for African American women, 75.3 for
European American men, and 68.9 for African American men. The life expectancy rate for the
United States is among the lowest for the industrialized world, and infant mortality is among the
highest. Americans consider quality, affordable health care a birthright, an expectation. Yet, unlike
other world powers, the U.S. government plays a small role in ensuring that everyone has equal
access to quality health care and services.
Although the United States is envied for its wealth, high technological capabilities, and research
savvy, historically it has not kept pace with other industrialized nations in the area of healthcare
delivery. This is reflected by its poor outcomes in infant mortality and life expectancy. The
healthcare system is also overwhelmed by disparities and inequities in care and lack of access
(except for the most aff ...
Essay On Health Care
Essay On Home Health Care
Healthcare in the United States Essay
Essay about U.S. Health Care system
The Cost Of Health Care Essay
Essay on Definitions of Health
Health Care Persuasive Essay
Essay On Healthcare System
Home Health Journal Essay examples
Essay about Funding Healthcare Services
1. 1
Efforts to lower health care spending hampered by
population shift and increase of chronic diseases
Gerald Sanchez
HPA 301W
Professor Knarr
The Pennsylvania State University
2. 2
What is the Issue?
Health spending in the United States is currently $8, 915 per capita, which is one of the
highest among developed countries (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). In 2012, the
U.S. spent $2.8 trillion on health care (California Healthcare Foundation, 2014). Of the $2.8
trillion spent on health care, 75% went toward treating chronic illnesses (CDC, 2014). One study
from 2007 focused on the economic impact of seven chronic illnesses: cancer, diabetes,
hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and pulmonary conditions. According to the National Health
Council, the study concluded that the total economic impact was $1.3 trillion in treatment cost;
however, by 2023, the impact will be about $4.2 trillion annually (National Health Council
2014). U.S. health spending has been increasing and will continue to increase due to factors such
as a growing aging in population and an increase of chronic illnesses increasing (Mendelson &
Schwartz, 1993).
Epidemiological transition and the aging population has contributed to a rise in health
care spending. By 2030, about 20% of the American population will be over age 65 (Matthews,
2013). This population increase is due to the aging baby boomers generation. Baby boomers are
those born between 1941 and 1964; the total number of children born in this time was 76.4
million or 40% of the entire American population (History, 2010). A 2010 study showed that
80.1% of elders 65 and older live with one or more chronic illnesses (Gerteis et al., 2010). The
combination of the population aging and these people having one or more chronic illness will
increase the U.S. health spending (Mendelson & Schwartz, 1993).
According to Lynn Etheredge, an independent consultant working on health care and
social policy issues, one of the issues is different political ideologies (1986). These different
political ideologies bring about different types of policies. For example, democrats believe that
3. 3
Americans should have access to quality and affordable health insurance (The House of
Democrats, 2015). This democratic belief brought about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). On the
other hand, Republicans believe in a patient centered health care system via free markets to
increase competition and drive down cost (Republicanviews, 2014). These opposing ideologies
contribute to no policies being able to make it out of Congress.
What is Being Debated?
Chronic illness such as cancer, diabetes, and heart conditions is one of the many reasons
medical spending rises. According to an article by Robin Yabroff, an epidemiologist, Jennifer
Lund, a research assistant professor of Global Health, Deanna Kepka, assistant professor in the
college of nursing at the University of Utah, and Angela Mariotto, chief of the data modeling
branch within the division of cancer control and population sciences (2010), the estimated cost of
cancer was expected to increase 27% from 2010 to 2020. The medical cost annually for cancer is
$124.5 billion currently, and by 2020, the cost will be $157.8 billion (Yabroff et al., 2010).
According to the American Diabetes Associations research, the medical cost of diabetes will also
rise from $174 billion in 2007 to $245 billion in 2012 (American Diabetes Association, 2014).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease is the number
one leading cause of death in the U.S. In 2010, the total cost of cardiovascular disease was $444
billion (CDC, 2010). In total, about $846 billion will be spent on these three chronic illnesses
alone. Treating chronic diseases is different from acute illnesses because chronic means lifetime.
Treatment over time is necessary for those with chronic illnesses compared to those with acute
illnesses; these factors cause health care spending to increase.
In comparison to other developed nations, the U.S. ranks last on quality, efficiency,
equity, and patients living healthy lives (Davis, Stremikis, Squires, & Schoen, 2014). The
4. 4
Commonwealth Fund surveyed both patients and primary care physicians (PCP) from 11
countries (Davis et al., 2014). The Commonwealth Fund survey gathered data of each country’s
medical practices (see Appendix A). This survey also collected data on patients and PCPs views
on their country’s health care systems (Davis et al., 2014). The information was then ranked
from 1, being the highest, to 11, being the lowest in comparison to other countries. Counties
being compared in this survey include: the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, (Davis et al., 2014).
According to this data, the U.S. differs from these other nations in regards to not having
universal health care (Davis et al., 2014). David Squires, a senior researcher in the
Commonwealth Fund, found that 50 million people are uninsured as of 2014 (Collins, 2014).
Even though millions of people do not have insurance, “millions more… have some kind of
insurance, but the coverage isn’t really good enough to protect them fully if they actually become
ill,” said Squires in the October issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (Collins, 2014
para. 5). If the U.S. wants to increase access and quality, Congress will need to make regulations
that imitate those from other developed countries, countries such as Canada have more patient
access and quality at a lower cost per capita (Davis, Stremikis, Squires, & Schoen, 2014).
The ACA was created based on the belief of expanding access. One of the primary goals
of this act is to increase preventive care, resulting in fewer chronic diseases nationwide. As the
number of chronic diseases decrease, so will health care spending. Policies such as the ACA
could reduce healthcare spending in the long run. However, Republicans do not approve
requiring U.S citizens to purchase health insurance, stating that the mandate is unconstitutional
(Republicanview, 2014).
Key Policy Options and Strategies
5. 5
The ACA contains regulations that might reduce health care spending. According to the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy focused on health, the ACA
contains measures to encourage providers to create Accountable Care Organizations [ACO]
(2011). ACOs include healthcare providers such as physicians, specialist, and hospitals working
together to deliver care to patients (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). Increasing the
number of ACOs could save $4.9 billion through 2019, according to the Congressional Budget
Office [CBO] (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). Another way the ACA will decrease
cost is by incentivizing providers. Specifically, the ACA plans to lower Medicaid payments for
hospitals with high readmission rates (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). Starting in
2013, heart-attack and pneumonia will be the first two conditions that will be monitored for
readmission rates; the readmission rates will be compared to an expected readmission rate
(Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2011). If the current readmission rate is higher than the
expected rate then Medicaid payments will be reduced. This course of action will improve the
quality of care because the CBO estimates $7.1 billion will be saved over the next 10 years
according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2011). Another way the ACA will lower
cost is by monitoring Medicare and Medicaid fraud. According to the CBO, for every $1 spent
on investigating Medicare and Medicaid fraud, the government will save $1.75 (Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, 2011). The CBO predicts that these investigations will cause Medicare and
Medicaid spending to go down by $2.9 billion; revenues will also increase by $900 million over
the next 10 years because of fraud investigation, according to the CBO (Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, 2011).
Health reporter Sam Collins thinks that the ACA is a step in the right direction for
reducing health care costs (2014). Now, because of the ACA, the U.S. has established a shared
6. 6
responsibility amoung the government, employers, and individuals to ensure that all Americans
have access to health insurance (Mossialos, Wenzl, Osborn, & Anderson, 2015). However,
critics who look at European health care systems believe that this step is not enough; as long as
hospitals and private insurance can set prices on medical treatment, the cost of health care will
not go down (Collins, 2014). In comparison of developed health care systems, the U.S. has the
lowest results in terms of access and highest in regards to cost (see Appendix A). The ACA is
currently giving millions of middle class Americans access to health insurance; this act has
enabled 8 million Americans to sign up for private health insurance (The House of Democrats,
2015). The ACA provided three million young adults with health insurance because they are
now able to stay on their parent’s health insurance, until age 26 (The House of Democrats,
2015). An additional three million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid because of the ACA (The
House of Democrats, 2015). Even though the ACA has increased the access of healthcare to
Americans, political parties, such as Republicans are against this act.
Republicans are more patient-focused, meaning patients should be in charge of their own
health. For this reason, Republicans are against the ACA. More specifically, some of the
initiatives provided by the ACA, republicans believe, will backfire. For example, the
incentivizing of providers to increase the quality of care will encourage medical providers to hide
simple and innocent mistakes (Republicnview, 2014). The reason for this is because medical
professionals will be afraid of all the negative outcomes such as lawsuits and trials that will come
from making a mistake such as misdiagnosis and losing medical information; these errors could
mean the hospital will lose Medicaid payments (Republicnview, 2014). Republicans argue that a
reform in this law will allow providers to admit to their mistakes; when providers admit to their
mistakes, patients will be able to seek compensation if needed (Republicnview, 2014). One of
7. 7
the main reasons Republicans are against the ACA is because they believe that this law is just
increasing economic burden on the U.S. (Republicnview, 2014). The Republican Party sent
Obama a letter to discuss their ideas, this was back in December of 2013 (Republicnview, 2014).
All this time has passed and Obama has still not responded to the letter.
Republicans have created a Health Care Reform Act, to counteract the ACA
(Republicnview, 2014). If enacted, the Health Care Reform Act will abolish the ACA in order to
save money (Republicnview, 2014). By eliminating the ACA, thousands of dollars of taxes that
is currently being spent on the act will be eliminated in the process as well (Scalise, 2015). The
goal of this act is to provide more options for individuals and businesses. Increasing options and
expanding businesses this will increase competition and decrease health cost. According to U.S.
Representative Steve Scalise, this act focuses more on patients (2015). The Health Care Reform
Act contains tax reforms that allow health care cost deduction for families and individuals
(Scalise, 2015). This would also expand the access to health savings accounts, increasing the
amount of pre-tax dollars people can deposit into their portable savings account for health care
(Scalise, 2015). The Republican Party has created an act that rivals the ACA, the determination
of which act Congress will go to is based on who the majority will be in upcoming elections
(Chen, 2014), and who will win the White House in 2016.
Future Directions and Forecasting
Lanhee Chen, a writer for the Bloombergview said in 2014, “If Republicans capture
control of both houses of Congress in November, they will have a golden opportunity to lay the
groundwork for a market-based health-care overhaul -- a goal that can only be achieved after the
next presidential election.” (para. 1). The ACA has been enacted because our current president, a
Democrat, has been pushing for this act while ignoring the Republicans reform (Republicanview,
2014). Furthermore, 25 million Americans have been relying on the ACA for health care
8. 8
coverage. On the contrary, Republicans’ view is to scrape the ACA, going against the majority of
the public (Chen, 2014). Since the ACA currently has many different rules and regulations that
could theoretically reduce the cost, policymakers are still unsure if these regulations will yield
results. It is too soon to tell; more research on health care coverage and cost control will be
needed to make sure the ACA does all it is promising to do (Haberman, 2014).
The life of the ACA depends on who America elects as the president during the
upcoming 2016 election. The New York Times created a list of political candidates who are,
might, and will not run for president in 2016. According to the list there are four candidates who
are currently running for sure and these people are Hilary Clinton, a Democrat; Ted Cruz, a
Republican; Rand Paul, a Republican; and Jeb Bush, a Republican (Andrews, Parlapiano, &
Yourish, 2015). If Clinton becomes president, she will be pro ACA (Haberman, 2014). In the
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in Orlando, Fla., Clinton
said “I think we are on the right track in many respects, but I would be the first to say if things
aren’t working then we need people of good faith to come together and make evidence-based
changes.” (Haberman, 2014 para. 2). This means if Clinton where to go into office, she would
observe the effects of the ACA, then she would remove or add regulations to effectively reach
the desired outcome of increased access and quality at a lower cost. On the contrary, if Ted Cruz
were to become president, he would do everything in his power to counteract this law. Cruz has
often referred to Obamacare as “lawlessness on a breathtaking scale…in 2017 a new president, a
Republican president, will sign legislation repealing every word of it.” (Lerner, 2015 para. 8).
Similar to Cruz and other Republicans, Jeb Bush is also against Obamacare (Strauss, 2015). Bush
shares the same belief that Obamacare is "flawed to the core" (Strauss, 2015 para. 2). Unlike his
other Republican counterparts, Rand Paul is unsure if Obamacare should be completely scrapped
9. 9
(Volsky, 2014). Paul still believes that Obamacare “strips away your freedom to choose what
plan works best for you and your family” and urged Congress to “repeal this partisan mess of a
law so we can start over with real input from the American people and members of both parties”
(Volsky, 2014 para. 4). The continuation of the ACA depends on who becomes president. If a
Democrat becomes president the ACA will probably continue; Clinton would not oppose the law
but she would be open to changing regulations to benefit the U.S. health care. However, if
Republicans such as Bush, Cruz, and Paul, come to office, they will most likely oppose and
reject this act.
10. 10
References
American Diabetes Association. (2014, April 18). The cost of diabetes. Retrieved from
http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy/news-events/cost-of-diabetes.html
Andrews, A., Parlapiano, A., & Yourish, K. (2015, April 13). Who is running for president (and
who is not?). New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/
us/politics/2016-presidential-candidates.html?_r=0
California Healthcare Foundation. (2014). Health care cost 101: Slow growth persists. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.chcf.org/~/media/MEDIA%20LIBRARY%20Files/PDF/H/PDF%20Hea
lthCareCosts14.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2010, July 21). Heart disease and stroke
prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/
AAG/dhdsp.htm
CDC. (2014, May 9). Chronic disease prevention and health promotion. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/overview/
Chen, L. (2014, August 29). The republican Obamacare battle plan for 2015. Bloombergview.
Retrieved from http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-08-28/the-republican-
obamacare-battle-plan-for-2015
Collins, S. (2014, October 24). Before Obamacare, America’s health care system ranked last
among developed nations. Thinkprogress. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org
/health/2014/10/24/3584363/american-health-care-rank-developed-nations/
Davis, K., Stremikis, K., Squires, D., & Schoen, C. (2014). Mirror, mirror on the wall, 2014
update: How the U.S. health care system, compares internationally. The Commonwealth
Fund. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-
reports/2014/jun/mirror-mirror
Etheredge, L. (1986). Government and health care costs: The influence of research on
policy. From Research into Policy: Improving the Link for Health Services. Retrieved
from http://www.upenn.edu/ldi/etheredge1.pdf
Gerteis, J., Izrael, D., Deitz, D., LeRoy, L., Ricciardi, R., Miller, R., & Basu, J. (2010). Multiple
chronic conditions chartbook 2010 medical expenditure panel survey data. Department of
Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/
professionals/prevention-chronic-care/decision/mcc/mccchartbook.pdf
Haberman, M. (2014, February 27). Hilary Clinton defends Obamacare. Politico. Retrieved from
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/hillary-clinton-obamacare-affordable-care-act-
104027.html
History. (2010). Baby boomers. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/baby-boomers
Lerner, A. (2015, March 24). Ted Cruz says he’s going on Obamacare. Politico. Retrieved from
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/ted-cruz-enroll-obamacare-116363.html
11. 11
Matthews, S. (2013, October 3). How the aging population is changing the healthcare system.
Everyday Health. Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/aging-
and-health/pressures-on-healthcare-from-booming-senior-population.aspx
Mendelson, D. & Schwartz, W. (1993). The effects of aging and population growth on health
care costs. Health Affairs, 12(119-125).
Mossialos, E., Wenzl, M., Osborn, R., & Anderson, C. (2015, January). International health
profiles on health care systems. The Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved from
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/fund-
report/2015/jan/1802_mossialos_intl_profiles_2014_v7.pdf?la=en
National Health Council. (2014, February 29). About chronic diseases. Retrieved from
http://www.nationalhealthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/AboutChronicDisease.pdf
Oberlander, J. (2014, Winter). Between liberal aspirations and market forces: Obamacare’s
precarious balancing act. Journal of Law, Medicine, & Ethics, 42(4). 431-439
Pope, C. (2013). Legislation low prices: Cutting cost or care? The Heritage Foundation.
Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/08/legislating-low-prices-
cutting-costs-or-care
Republicanviews. (2014, November 25). Republican views on healthcare. Retrieved from
http://www.republicanviews.org/republican-views-on-health-care/
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2011). How does the ACA control health care cost?
Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/issue_briefs/2011/
rwjf71451
Scalise, S. (2015). The health care reform act. Retrieved from http://scalise.house.gov/bill/
american-health-care-reform-act
Sood, N., Ghosh, A., & Escarse, J. (2007, September). The effect of health care cost growth on
the U.S. economy. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from http://aspe.hhs.gov/health
/reports/08/healthcarecost/report.html
Strauss, D. (2015, February 6). Where does Jeb Bush really stand on Obamacare? Talking Points
Memo. Retrieved from http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/jeb-bush-obamacare-president-
2016
The house of Democrats. (2015). Implementing the affordable care act& strengthening medicare.
Retrived from http://www.dems.gov/healthcare/
Volsky, I. (2014, May 31). Rand Paul suddenly unsure if Obamacare should be completely
repealed. Thinkprogress. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/
05/31/3443519/rand-paul-suddenly-unsure-if-obamacare-should-be-completely-repealed/
12. 12
World Health Organization [WHO]. (2013). United States of America. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/countries/usa/en/
Yabroff, R., Lund, J., Kepka, D., & Mariotto, A. (2010). Economic burden of cancer in the U.S:
Estimates, projections, and future research. NCBI. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3191884/
Appendix A
Note: Adapted from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2014/jun/mirror-mirror
![2
What is the Issue?
Health spending in the United States is currently $8, 915 per capita, which is one of the
highest among developed countries (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). In 2012, the
U.S. spent $2.8 trillion on health care (California Healthcare Foundation, 2014). Of the $2.8
trillion spent on health care, 75% went toward treating chronic illnesses (CDC, 2014). One study
from 2007 focused on the economic impact of seven chronic illnesses: cancer, diabetes,
hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and pulmonary conditions. According to the National Health
Council, the study concluded that the total economic impact was $1.3 trillion in treatment cost;
however, by 2023, the impact will be about $4.2 trillion annually (National Health Council
2014). U.S. health spending has been increasing and will continue to increase due to factors such
as a growing aging in population and an increase of chronic illnesses increasing (Mendelson &
Schwartz, 1993).
Epidemiological transition and the aging population has contributed to a rise in health
care spending. By 2030, about 20% of the American population will be over age 65 (Matthews,
2013). This population increase is due to the aging baby boomers generation. Baby boomers are
those born between 1941 and 1964; the total number of children born in this time was 76.4
million or 40% of the entire American population (History, 2010). A 2010 study showed that
80.1% of elders 65 and older live with one or more chronic illnesses (Gerteis et al., 2010). The
combination of the population aging and these people having one or more chronic illness will
increase the U.S. health spending (Mendelson & Schwartz, 1993).
According to Lynn Etheredge, an independent consultant working on health care and
social policy issues, one of the issues is different political ideologies (1986). These different
political ideologies bring about different types of policies. For example, democrats believe that](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)