to health and back Essay

In the United States, the healthcare system for the most part is controlled by private hands; however, federal, city government, county, and state also own certain facilities. Hospitals give the greater part of inpatient care with limited outpatient care. There are various different specialty clinics for surgery, heart, children, bone, cancer, obstetric and gynecologic around the country. Almost every

The definition of health is the state of being free from illness and injury, it can also be used to explain a person’s mental or physical condition.

“The Bitter Pill: Why medical bills are killing us” written by Steven Brill delves into the question as to why medical bills are so high. As Brill begins his research he analyzed bills from hospitals, doctors, and drug companies. Additionally, he interviewed doctors, Medicare and insurance administrators, and gathered patient stories across the nation. He found that the United States spent more money on healthcare than any other developed countries, he stated “We may be shocked at the $60 billion price tag for cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy, [however], we spent almost that much last week on healthcare” (Brill 2013). He also noted “yet in every measurable way, the results our healthcare system produces are no better and often worse than the outcomes in those countries” (Brill 2013). From the charts and graphs that Brill provided shows that the sixty percent of personal bankruptcy filings per year are related to medical bills. Life expectancy in the United States is the lowest amongst the countries that spend most on healthcare, our infant mortality rank is fiftieth in the world, and that one pill cost as much as seven pills in other developed countries such as France. Brill found that in many similar cases, like that ones he presented in the article, Medicare would have at least paid for a small portion of the bill. However, those who don’t qualify for Medicaid and don’t have insurance are often asked to pay excessive prices.

Care for the uninsured: Caring for the uninsured causes immense financial burden on the healthcare organization as well as ethical dilemmas for the organizations and the healthcare providers.

In the current U.S. system the free market prevails and companies, in this case, major insurance providers “compete” for business. This competitive business approach should in theory drive costs down. For some reason, however, an argument can be made that it has produced the opposite result in profiteering. The nation’s largest insurer, UnitedHealth, boasted over a 10 percent revenue increase in 2013 according to Forbes (2013). Health insurance affordability contributes to the disparity in access to health care, as evidenced by the fact that there are millions that are still uncovered. A greater majority of certain minorities lack both health insurance and the financial resource to seek out either health care or insurance. While insurance companies reap huge profits the percent of private sector companies offering health insurance has dropped to less than 50 percent (Kaiser, 2013). There is decidedly a lack of coordination of care for this at risk population as well, since treatment is rendered sporadically and with continuously changing providers. The last major challenge is that of improving the quality of health care. According to a 2010 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG), an estimated 13.5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries experienced adverse events during their hospital stay and an additional 13.5 percent experienced a temporary

Another factor that has contributed to the over-utilization and increased treatment charges is the fact that providers set the prices for services. Patients were free to seek any type of healthcare services that they thought they required for their well-being, while providers set the costs for each service that was billed to indemnity insurance companies (Shi & Singh, 2015). Insurance companies had little control on the types of services that the patient received and prices billed for each service. The fee-for-service model encourages excessive and unwarranted procedures and offers no incentives to utilize economical services

With there being such a plethora of cultures in the world, there are so many different beliefs and practices involving health and wellness, that almost everyone has a different definition of health, and different views on disease and illness in general. My definition of health involves many different aspects, but most importantly living a healthy lifestyle overall; being free from illness, and doing everything possible to stay that way. Eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting plenty of sleep along with protecting your

Healthcare is the improvement of physical and mental health through the assistance of medical services. The right to health care is an internationally recognized human right. In 1948, 48 nations, including the United States, signed the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “In this document it is stated that everyone should have the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of oneself and one’s family, including medical care” (Right to Health Care ProCon.org). People have the right to receive the health care they deserve regardless of the costs. It is a basic human right to be provided with the medical care and assistance needed to live.

A healthcare organization such has a private hospital are classified as non-profit or for-profit institutions. According to Alliance for advancing non-profit healthcare; “ About 60 percent of community

There is no single national entity or set of policies guiding the health care system; states divide their responsibilities among multiple agencies, while providers practicing in the same community and caring for the same patients often work independently from one another. (Shih, Davis, Schoenbaum, Gauthier, Nuzum, and McCarthy, 2008)

The United States currently employs a multipayer system. The payers in this system include the government and private insurance companies., thus the collection of money for health care is a joint responsibility of both parties. Private insurance companies collect premiums and other payments from enrolled individuals and businesses. The government collects taxes from individuals and businesses. Regarding reimbursement, the private insurance industry reimburses providers for health care services delivered to privately insured individuals, while the government reimburses providers for health care services delivered to publicly insured individuals (e.g. people enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP, or the VA).

Nonprofit health care organizations are primary responsible and accountable to the communities and populations they serve. They are legally and ethically bound to do good for the benefit of their communities. Their governing bodies are comprised of leaders from the communities they serve. The earnings and reserves of nonprofit health care organizations are reinvested to benefit the community.(1).

Financing health services in the United States is very important and involves an excessive amount of health institutions and activities. Health services are supported by several methods to create revenue that most hospital, clinics, and treatment centers use for daily operational costs (World Health Organization, 2006). These methods are: general taxation of the state, county, or township/municipality, Medicare or Medicaid or other socialized health insurance plans, voluntary and private health insurance and lastly, donations to health charities accepted from non-profit organizations, donations

Health care is a system to deliver care to consumers as a whole. Evaluating and reporting on health care quality is very significant; it provides users and employers the ability to make knowledgeable elections and choose the greatest accessible care (NCQA.org, 2016). There are different levels of care, if you will, of health care. The first s primary health care, which is simply delivering basic treatment and or vaccinations as well as small

The sociological structure of medical insurance within the health care system affects the choices that individuals are able to make for their own personal care. And by thinking broader, the sociological structure is the Insurance Companies and the agency is the patient including myself. As these structures define our personal choices, at times we are left with little choice in the matter at all. Insurance, within the health care system, generally dictates the patient care. Firstly, the insurance company controls what doctors a person is allowed to see. Sometimes the doctor or specialist needed is not in the network the insurance covers. Therefore, unless the patient can financially afford to pay, one cannot seek that medical specialist’s attention even if it’s absolutely crucial to the health of the patient. Secondly, the insurance company determines the amount of time for visits and these may be done in only fifteen-minute intervals. And most often, but not always, the doctor will request a follow up visit. At times, one has to ask oneself if the appointment is purposefully short so that the hospital can bill the insurance twice. Thirdly, the insurance company determines what testing and medications they will pay for and what the company thinks is necessary. Doctors are then limited to the testing they are allowed to have performed for their patients. Unfortunately, medicine and the co-pays that come with insurance is a common problem patients have when they go to pick up