LP1 Assignment : Health Care Supply And Demand Analysis

Rising health care costs became an issue after the Medicare and Medicaid programs were formed in 1965 and have continued to be a factor in the United States economy since then. “By1970, U.S. government expenditures for health care services and supplies had grown by 140%, from $7.9 billion to $18.9 billion.”() By the 1990s the annual increase in the government health care expenditures was finally brought under control and has fluctuated between a 5% and 8% increase each year since then. This essay will discuss the different factors contributing to the rising costs of health care in the United States, as well as how the cost of health care affects the accessibility and quality of medical care throughout American history.

Throughout the history of the United States, the economics of the health care system has experienced many changes. There are many factors to consider that has been the drive behind many of the changes within the health care system. Medical and surgical technologies are some factors that relate to the changes in health care. Besides these factors, allocating sources to fund health care services has always been the most critical factor. One might consider the economic term supply and demand when looking at the history of health care economics and the primary funding source. Health care funding

This paper will look at the impact of Affordable Care Act on supply and demand in healthcare. The goal is to show if there is equilibrium of supply and demand since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. This has been done by looking at a variety of articles such as The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Health Care Workforce. The Affordable Care Act has created provisions to address some of the supply shortages. Through the provision it will take time for the full effects to come to light. This paper will provide valuable information regarding the Affordable Care Act impact on supply and demand.

One of the issues is the increasing cost of healthcare which is dominating the health policy in U.S. this is accompanied by an increase in spending on healthcare. According to projections by the government, the spending on medical care will continue to rise. U.S spends more money on health care than any other nation globally (Holtz, 2013). The increase in the spending is as a result of improved tools for disease diagnosis, better surgical interventions among others. This raises an issue for the policy makers on the maximum GDP percentage that a country has to spend on healthcare, and whether the nation will afford the cost that is continually growing. In contemplating any change in the health policy, policy makers should consider the cost of the healthcare and the ability of the nation to support that high cost.

“The amount people pay for health insurance increased 30 percent from 2001 to 2005, while income for the same period of time only increased 3 percent.” (Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). The rising cost of healthcare is a huge problem in America today. In this paper I will analyze the different issues and causes for the increase in cost.

On March 23, 2010, the President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) which represents the most significant regulatory that impacts the U.S. healthcare systems. With PPACA, 32 millions of Americans are expected the coverage and expanded access to health care and medical care. Due to the baby boomers and the downfall of the economics, there will be millions of people are seeking for low rates medical care which will create great impact on U.S. healthcare. According to Commonwealth Fund analysis, the U.S. healthcare ranks last on every cost-related. Therefore, healthcare becomes the top social and economic problem that American is dealing with. Like all other well-developed countries, there are both private and public insurers in the U.S. health care system. ‘What is unique about the U.S. healthcare system in the world is the dominance of the private element over the public element’ (Chua, 2006). Healthcare system in the Unites States can be divided into three different groups: Medicare, Medicaid, and Managed Care. Each plan provides different coverages for different groups of people.

A challenge that the healthcare nation is facing is to provide the quality of care that is expected and obtain low healthcare cost. Working hand in hand with the private sector and government is in hopes of improving the quality of care that each patient deserves and maintaining the cost so that research can continue. The purpose of this paper is to look into relationships between healthcare cost and quality healthcare.

The cost of healthcare has and will continue to rise in the United States. Some factors that contribute to those hikes are due to the consumer demanding more complex services from health care providers. Things such as new technology, equipment, research and testing procedures, along with pharmacy, and the number of uninsured are all dynamics of the increased cost in health care. The U.S. health care system relies heavily on third-party payers; these payers include commercial insurers and the Federal and state governments. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, the National Health Expenditure grew 3.6% to $2.9 trillion in 2013, or $9,255 per person, and accounted for 17.4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Id.

One of the issues that is widely discussed and debated concerning the United States economy is the healthcare system. Unlike in the majority of developed and developing countries, the healthcare system in the United States is not public, meaning that the state does not provide free or cheap healthcare services. This paper addresses many of the factors contributing to the rising cost of healthcare.

The cost of care has been a growing problem throughout developed nations during the last 15 years. For example, across 34 nations that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the average per capita health care expenditure increased by more than 70 percent between 2000 and 2010. However, the biggest spenders — such as

Healthcare industry in United States has been an important industry for a long time. It is one such industry that has representation from both public sector and private sector. The current health care system is segregated and fragmented in America. Some states have very effective and efficient healthcare system while some states lack the desired infrastructure. The evolution of healthcare system in USA can be traced back to 1750. The period from 1750 to 1849 is termed as preindustrial period where the care of sick people was primarily handled by families (Brian, 2010). The period of 1850 to 1969 is termed as postindustrial period which reflects the growth of organized medicine and systematic healthcare delivery.

The demand for medical care has a consumption component and an investment component. The consumption component is the part that you expect to use lets say on a yearly basis. You probably go to the doctor 's office about once a year for a checkup. The investment component is the part that you hope doesn 't happen but just in case you will be able to finance for the occasion. "Individuals who are willing to invest in a college education are the same individuals who are willing to spend time and money on improving their health (Henderson p.150). One of the most efficient ways to produce health is to educate oneself. The more knowledge you know about your own health the less you will have to go to the physician 's office. Education has been proven statistically to lower demand for healthcare. The ‘Elasticity for education is approximately equal to one-tenth (Weiss Lecture 9/9/99). This means for every ten-percent increase in medical care there is a one- percent increase in health. A proper diet and daily exercise are also important to improving ones health. Both of these factors have produced positive elasticity measures as well. The are two factors that affect the demand for medical care. The first is the patient factor. The patient factor is composed of three variables. A patient 's health status, demographic characteristics and economic status are the three variables that are the most efficient way to produce health. Patients most often seek treatment for

Cost is a critical component of any health care system. Proper health care system ensures that a large part of the population can access good quality health care at low cost. If not well organized it might take a large part of national income and still not be able to serve a significant part of the population. The health care delivery system of United States is excellent compared to that of other countries; however, the health care alone takes 17% of gross domestic

Economics is described as the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, or the material welfare of humankind. The timeline of healthcare is very important because it helps to show what has happened and why the country is where it is today with the healthcare industry. It changes all the time so the timeline will always be changing and it is important to keep up to date with what is going on. This paper will help to show how the country has come to where it is today.

The demand for medical care is a derived demand from the demand for health and is generally determined by several different factors. Some of which one can control such as individual lifestyle and others that one cannot control such as environmental factors and genetics (Laureate Education). Once sick the demand for health care increases, as the services needed increase.