6053wkdb

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Walden University *

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6053

Subject

Medicine

Date

Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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2

Uploaded by EarlFog4778

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Main Question Post: I have carefully considering today's issues, such as the increasing healthcare costs. Due to the continued increasing costs of everything, patients in my community have changed their decisions to remain at home and not seek medical care for long-term medical conditions for multiple reasons. The cost of treatment and the price of medications to treat long-term comorbidities are beyond their means. Several patients have told me they had to decide whether to purchase food or drugs or didn't have gas money to go to the doctor; that's what landed them in the hospital. Being noncompliant is a choice for some, but most individuals would like to do right and follow doctors' orders. However, they can't afford to pay for their medications and maintain scheduled doctor appointments due to out-of-pocket costs. Honestly, this choice should never have to be made. The healthcare system should be designed so patients can be seen anytime and all medications free if they can't afford them. Medication costs have more than doubled in the past decade (Wang et al., 2021). The medications the doctors order are lifesaving and a requirement for most. Patients must attempt to make medications stretch by decreasing dosage amounts themselves or using them sparingly to survive. It is heartbreaking to me to know that today, some people want to be compliant and do right but can't afford to. The social determinants of health affecting these issues are access and to quality healthcare. With the problems at hand, consistent, affordable care is not happening. The low access to healthcare and medications causes poor management of chronic illnesses—delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, and delayed prevention impacted health conditions. Receiving necessary care improves health outcomes and decreases risks of complications. Chronic medical conditions would be less expensive to treat if caught in time and can be prevented if patients that are adequately managed (Heron, 2021). However, some choose not to seek professional medical advice or care due to rising healthcare costs. How do we resolve this problem? Our economy has faced hardships for years, and the healthcare system has declined. High and increasing pharmaceutical drug prices have contributed to these patients' difficulties (Wineinger et al., 2019). Individuals are unable to sustain life without the medications required to maintain life, missed appointments because of copays or deductibles, and some physicians will refuse to treat you if you don't have the money. Where does it stop? Financial programs are available in the hospital where I work, and social workers assist with applying for Medicaid, Medicare, and governmental programs. Other patients experiencing financial hardships can have their bills written off. This is explained upon admit, which relieves some of the stressful burdens of wondering how they will pay for care. Before discharge, our social worker and nurses ensure that the patient can obtain and afford medications and is being discharged to a safe, stable home environment with all items needed for quality care. Prescriptions are reviewed to provide insurance coverage. If something new has been added, the nurse's complete paperwork,it is sent to pharmaceutical companies to obtain medication at little to no cost. No facilities can afford to provide free patient care. However, if everyone does their part in assisting patients to obtain medications and the healthcare needed to continue living, compliance and better patient outcomes can happen. References
Heron, M. (2021). National Vital Statistics Reports Deaths: Leading Causes for 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-09-508.pdf Wang, Y., Park, J., Li, R., Luman, E., & Zhang, P. (2021). National Trends in Out-of-Pocket Costs Among U.S. Adults with Diabetes Aged 18–64 Years: 2001–2017. Diabetes Care, dc202833. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc20-2833 Wineinger, N. E., Zhang, Y., & Topol, E. J. (2019). Trends in Prices of Popular Brand-Name Prescription Drugs in the United States. JAMA Network Open, 2(5), e194791. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4791
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