NOTE ABOUT GUEST AUTHORS
-our guests posted in the "comments" instead of as a guest author-
One guest is a student at UW-Eau Claire.
Another guest is a patient living with HIV under an anonymous name.
Another guest is a nurse working in a local clinic.
Lastly a guest who is uninsured and has no permanent address.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Health Care Reform 4
Globally, HIV/AIDS has infected about 40 million people, with over one million of the cases being from the United States. From the diagnosis of HIV until death the most accurate estimate of medical care costs is $119,000 per person. These costs hinder anyone’s ability to pay for these life-prolonging medications without the help of Medicaid, especially low-income individuals, many of which are uninsured or underinsured. We are proposing that Congress pass legislation to offer coverage through Medicaid to individuals living with HIV.
The greatest obstacle for those living with HIV is meeting Medicaid’s prerequisites regarding eligibility. Medicaid requires a disability diagnosis; therefore HIV infected individuals can not receive the benefits offered through Medicaid until they have a confirmed AIDS diagnosis. Since the cost of combination drug therapy known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is $12,000 or more per year, treatment is often unavailable to many HIV patients in the United States. This treatment would normally help to prevent the decline of the immune system. Without any treatment, the chance of developing an opportunistic infection, which often times leads to the diagnosis of AIDS, would increase. By the time an individual qualifies for Medicaid, the prognosis of the disease has often times become too detrimental to benefit from current treatments offered or provided through Medicaid.
Although there would be an additional federal expense, the benefits would exceed the costs. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have calculated that expanding Medicaid coverage to low-income individuals with HIV prior to disability would amount to an additional federal expense of $393 million over a five-year period. Within in this five-year period, 18,000 more individuals would qualify for HIV treatment. When compared to the annual costs to treat an individual with advanced AIDS, HAART is much more cost-effective at $12,000 a year per person. Early treatment would not only save money, but it would prolong as well as increase the quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients. Individuals would be more likely to perform the daily duties they were able to prior to diagnosis, such as working.
Our proposal is important because HIV/AIDS affects so many people worldwide. Giving individuals Medicaid in an earlier stage extends and improves life which a dollar amount cannot be attributed to. The surrounding individual’s quality of life would also increase. With Medicaid covering the large medical expenses that comes with having HIV/AIDS, families are not put in a financial bind in order to support the HIV/AIDS individual.
References
(2003). Early Treatment for HIV Act. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from Until It's Over AIDS Action Web site: http://www.aidsaction.org/communications/publications/ETHA_facts.pdf
(August 2008). HIV/AIDS in the United States. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/Factsheets/us.htm
Obama-Biden. (2008). Barack Obama: Fighting HIV/AIDS Worldwide. Retrieved April 3, 2009. From http://nationalaidsstrategy.org/OBAMAFactSheetAIDS.pdf
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HIV/AIDS. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from AIDS.gov Web site: http://www.aids.gov/
The greatest obstacle for those living with HIV is meeting Medicaid’s prerequisites regarding eligibility. Medicaid requires a disability diagnosis; therefore HIV infected individuals can not receive the benefits offered through Medicaid until they have a confirmed AIDS diagnosis. Since the cost of combination drug therapy known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is $12,000 or more per year, treatment is often unavailable to many HIV patients in the United States. This treatment would normally help to prevent the decline of the immune system. Without any treatment, the chance of developing an opportunistic infection, which often times leads to the diagnosis of AIDS, would increase. By the time an individual qualifies for Medicaid, the prognosis of the disease has often times become too detrimental to benefit from current treatments offered or provided through Medicaid.
Although there would be an additional federal expense, the benefits would exceed the costs. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have calculated that expanding Medicaid coverage to low-income individuals with HIV prior to disability would amount to an additional federal expense of $393 million over a five-year period. Within in this five-year period, 18,000 more individuals would qualify for HIV treatment. When compared to the annual costs to treat an individual with advanced AIDS, HAART is much more cost-effective at $12,000 a year per person. Early treatment would not only save money, but it would prolong as well as increase the quality of life for HIV/AIDS patients. Individuals would be more likely to perform the daily duties they were able to prior to diagnosis, such as working.
Our proposal is important because HIV/AIDS affects so many people worldwide. Giving individuals Medicaid in an earlier stage extends and improves life which a dollar amount cannot be attributed to. The surrounding individual’s quality of life would also increase. With Medicaid covering the large medical expenses that comes with having HIV/AIDS, families are not put in a financial bind in order to support the HIV/AIDS individual.
References
(2003). Early Treatment for HIV Act. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from Until It's Over AIDS Action Web site: http://www.aidsaction.org/communications/publications/ETHA_facts.pdf
(August 2008). HIV/AIDS in the United States. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/Factsheets/us.htm
Obama-Biden. (2008). Barack Obama: Fighting HIV/AIDS Worldwide. Retrieved April 3, 2009. From http://nationalaidsstrategy.org/OBAMAFactSheetAIDS.pdf
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HIV/AIDS. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from AIDS.gov Web site: http://www.aids.gov/
Monday, March 30, 2009
Health Care Reform 3
There are 46 million Americans that are uninsured and this number is growing. This population tends to be poor, less educated, working in part-time jobs, and/or working for small firms. We are proposing that Congress pass legislation to offer refundable tax credits for health insurance for low-income individuals and families. Tax subsidies already exist, but are targeted towards people with middle to high incomes. These tax credits that are refundable are close to a voucher and are income based. They can also be applied to work or private non-group insurance. Currently uninsured individuals could get access to coverage and many could see the costs of health insurance go down.
Cost, access, and quality would all be affected by this. We believe that costs should not have to rise in order to have access to health care. We also believe that the uninsured should have equal access and improved outcomes as the insured. With tax credits, the cost for health care would not have to increase if flexible tax credits were used. For example, if there was a single-purpose tax credit per worker, expanding it into a flexible benefits tax credit would not increase government budget costs. There are greater benefits to using a flexible tax credit rather than a single-purpose tax credit. Access to health care would be influenced by this as well. Flexible tax credits could expand coverage for workers as well as children and it could protect employer-group insurance and retirement savings. Access to health care would greatly increase, especially for low-income individuals and families. When people are covered by health insurance, they are more likely to use health care services. Some improved outcomes would include less uninsured, more protection, and benefits for workers. Tax credits could help create economic security for Americans.
According to the article, A Flexible Benefits Tax Credit For Health Insurance And More, A flexible benefits tax credit could offer many families aid that they can use for their different situations and needs as times change. In the article it states that the lack of health insurance coverage is usually only a problem for a short-time, from six months to a year. It also stated that a flexible tax credit would achieve the broadest extension of health benefits and economic security for American workers. In the article it considered two options for flexible tax credit. The first option described how a flexible tax credit could achieve health insurance coverage for workers and their families. This is the reform we are proposing. The second option described how flexible benefits tax credit could also be expanded to include retirement savings, withdrawal options for higher education, first time home purchases and catastrophic medical expenses.
Our proposal is more important than competing proposals because it is solving one of the biggest problems that our nation faces, the unbelievably large amount of uninsured. The tax credit option would be available to over 40 million uninsured people. These people and families would have fewer visits to doctors for extreme medical cases, resulting in less money spent. This aligns with our teams view on wellness. The tax benefits are promoting healthier lives for families.
Some people may believe our stance is less important because of the word “tax.” It is the people’s money going towards other people problems. The word tax is usually not associated with anything good in our society. However, we believe that the benefits would out way the costs in the end. The number of families benefiting from the tax benefits would be enormous. Families would avoid bankruptcy due catastrophic medical problems. They not only would be able to afford health insurance but also to pay for education or to buy a new home.
References
Burman, Leonard E. and Gruber, Jonathan. (2005) Tax Credits for Health Insurance
http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/311189_IssuesOptions_11.pdf
Health Affairs: The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere. (2001).
A Flexible Benefits Tax Credit For Health Insurance and More. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w1.1v1/DC1
Lynn, E. (2001). A Flexible Benefits Tax Credit for Health Insurance and More. The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere.
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w1.1v1/DC1
Meara, E., Rosenthal, M., & Sinaiko, A. (2007). Comparing the Effects of Health Insurance Reform Proposals: Employer Mandates, Medicaid Expansions, and Tax Credits. Employment Policies Institute.
http://www.epionline.org/study_detail.cfm?sid=104
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed., pp. 441-443). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Barlett Publishers.
Cost, access, and quality would all be affected by this. We believe that costs should not have to rise in order to have access to health care. We also believe that the uninsured should have equal access and improved outcomes as the insured. With tax credits, the cost for health care would not have to increase if flexible tax credits were used. For example, if there was a single-purpose tax credit per worker, expanding it into a flexible benefits tax credit would not increase government budget costs. There are greater benefits to using a flexible tax credit rather than a single-purpose tax credit. Access to health care would be influenced by this as well. Flexible tax credits could expand coverage for workers as well as children and it could protect employer-group insurance and retirement savings. Access to health care would greatly increase, especially for low-income individuals and families. When people are covered by health insurance, they are more likely to use health care services. Some improved outcomes would include less uninsured, more protection, and benefits for workers. Tax credits could help create economic security for Americans.
According to the article, A Flexible Benefits Tax Credit For Health Insurance And More, A flexible benefits tax credit could offer many families aid that they can use for their different situations and needs as times change. In the article it states that the lack of health insurance coverage is usually only a problem for a short-time, from six months to a year. It also stated that a flexible tax credit would achieve the broadest extension of health benefits and economic security for American workers. In the article it considered two options for flexible tax credit. The first option described how a flexible tax credit could achieve health insurance coverage for workers and their families. This is the reform we are proposing. The second option described how flexible benefits tax credit could also be expanded to include retirement savings, withdrawal options for higher education, first time home purchases and catastrophic medical expenses.
Our proposal is more important than competing proposals because it is solving one of the biggest problems that our nation faces, the unbelievably large amount of uninsured. The tax credit option would be available to over 40 million uninsured people. These people and families would have fewer visits to doctors for extreme medical cases, resulting in less money spent. This aligns with our teams view on wellness. The tax benefits are promoting healthier lives for families.
Some people may believe our stance is less important because of the word “tax.” It is the people’s money going towards other people problems. The word tax is usually not associated with anything good in our society. However, we believe that the benefits would out way the costs in the end. The number of families benefiting from the tax benefits would be enormous. Families would avoid bankruptcy due catastrophic medical problems. They not only would be able to afford health insurance but also to pay for education or to buy a new home.
References
Burman, Leonard E. and Gruber, Jonathan. (2005) Tax Credits for Health Insurance
http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/311189_IssuesOptions_11.pdf
Health Affairs: The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere. (2001).
A Flexible Benefits Tax Credit For Health Insurance and More. Retrieved March 23, 2009 from http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w1.1v1/DC1
Lynn, E. (2001). A Flexible Benefits Tax Credit for Health Insurance and More. The Policy Journal of the Health Sphere.
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w1.1v1/DC1
Meara, E., Rosenthal, M., & Sinaiko, A. (2007). Comparing the Effects of Health Insurance Reform Proposals: Employer Mandates, Medicaid Expansions, and Tax Credits. Employment Policies Institute.
http://www.epionline.org/study_detail.cfm?sid=104
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed., pp. 441-443). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Barlett Publishers.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Health Care Reform 2
We are proposing that Congress should develop state-wide programs to create better connections between supportive and clinical care delivery systems to improve the care of those with chronic conditions. Chronic illness and disability are the major cause of illness, disability, and death in the
Care provided in the current system is not cost-effective and often leads to poor outcomes for patients with chronic conditions. The medical care costs of people with chronic diseases amount to an estimated $1.7 trillion annually. People with chronic conditions are the heaviest users of health care services in all major service categories. They account for 72 percent of all physician visits and the majority of dollars provided my Medicare and Medicaid. People who have chronic conditions have trouble receiving quality care from the current health care system. Many have trouble accessing needed services such as medical specialists, mental health services, and in-home health care. Necessary services frequently extend beyond the clinical setting to supportive services such as home health care and personal assistance.
In the coming years, our health care system will devote increasing amounts of resources to the care for people with chronic conditions. Our reform proposal aims to make sure the chronically ill receive the care that is necessary for their daily functioning. This concept is important to ensure that these resources are spent wisely to maintain the health and functioning of this large segment of our population.
Anderson, Gerard, Robert Herbert, Timothy Zeffiro, and Nikia Johnson. (2004) Chronic Conditions: Making the Case for Ongoing Care. Retrieved
Bodenheimer, Thomas, Kate MacGregor, and Claire Sharifi. (2005).Helping Patients Manage Their Chronic Conditions. Retrieved
Monday, March 2, 2009
Health Care Reform I
We are proposing that Congress should pass legislation requiring all 50 states to offer non-profit insurance plans, or HIPs. Approximately 2.5 million people in the
Typically insurance companies keep between 15 to 25 percent of premiums they collect to cover administrative and marketing costs, plus profit. With our reform, states would have to offer insurance for these people and the money would be used for services and administrative costs only, none for big profits. HIPs would be financed by small assessments on premiums paid to private insurers, thus being able to spread the cost of covering the uninsured over a broader base than what is done currently.
Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose 5 percent in 2008. Workers on average are paying 12 percent more than they did in 2008. With non-profit insurance plans these increases would cease and premiums would be lowered. With cheaper premiums available more people would be able to afford health care. In 2006, the insurance industry made more than $15 billion in profit. With non-profit insurance plans in place, that $15 billion dollars could be kept in the hands of the people. Also, capping HIP premiums and imposing assessments on premiums provided by private insurers can keep HIPs affordable.
HIPs can increase access to health insurance by allowing the insurers to put people with pre-existing medical conditions into pools and subsidizing their premium. Currently, states that do not offer HIPs require private insurers to write policies for the medically uninsurable that creates problems for the insured majority, such as higher premiums, and maintains a larger number of uninsured. Access to quality medical care can be maintained with HIPs since there will still be free-market principles applied to health care and continued limited government involvement.
According to an article from the Alliance for Advancing Nonprofit Health Care, nonprofit health care plans act differently than for profit plans in regards to performance, efficiency, and contribution to safety net programs. A study was done on the
People may find that our health care reform will not work due to some increase in costs and more influence from the government. Although non-profit Health Care Plans are becoming more popular, it is unlikely the
It is unfair that many health care plans turn down people in the special population’s category. Our reform proposal aims to make sure this population is covered by health insurance. Ordinary health insurance usually does not work for people with pre-existing conditions. However, HIPs provide affordable health insurance to a much larger group of people. Moving to nonprofit care would eventually create fairness in the world of health care. Also, we would have a system that ultimately insures the uninsurable. This is an important concept in order to prevent the sick population from getting sicker.
American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations. (2009). Pharmaceutical and Health Insurance Companies are Pulling in Huge Profits. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from http://www.aflcio.org/issues/healthcare/facts_insurancecompanyprofits.cfm
Benefits of Nonprofit Health Plans to a Region (2008).
Meier, C. (1999). Extending Affordable Health Insurance to the Uninsurable. Medical Sentinel, vol. 4, 6 ed., 216-217. Retrieved February 27, 2009 from http://www.jpands.org/hacienda/meier.html
National Coalition on Health Care. (2009). Health Insurance Cost. Retrieved February 26,2009, from http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml
Shi, Leiyu, and Singh, Doughlas A. (2008) Delivering Health Care in
Friday, February 20, 2009
History/Overview
“Medically disadvantaged,” “medically underserved” and “American underclasses” are populations that face large disadvantages, specifically in accessing opportune and obligatory health care services.
Black Americans are not only more likely to be economically underprivileged than White Americans they also experience shorter life expectancies as well. Approximately twenty percent of Hispanic Americans in 2004 lived below the federal poverty line. Not only are they more likely to be uninsured and underinsured, they may not meet Medicaid qualifications making it harder to access medical care. Being foreign born and unable to speak English also creates barriers to access. Asian Americans (people from Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent) make up one of the fastest growing population segments. Korean-American men have a fivefold incidence of stomach cancer and an eightfold incidence of liver cancer. Beliefs and values of this culture may prevent women from obtaining regular breast cancer screenings and prenatal care. The incidence and prevalence of certain diseases for American Indians/Alaskan Natives such as diabetes, hypertension, infant mortality/morbidity, chemical dependency, and HIV/AIDS related morbidity are all high enough to create concern. Native Americans see seven times more death due to alcohol and 3.5 times more death due to suicide.
The uninsured represent a large, growing portion of Americans. The uninsured tend to be poor, less educated, working in part-time jobs, and/or employed by small firms. They face huge barriers to accessing healthcare. Almost half of the uninsured postponed seeking medical attention because of the cost. Lack of insurance results in a decreased use of preventative services and an increased use of tertiary services.
Millions of children lack appropriate health care. Children who come from low income families (those below the federal poverty line) have lower vaccination rates than those at or above the poverty line. Due to lack of adequate health care, children’s ability to learn can be hindered. Children’s voices are not heard and they are not as well informed as adults.
Even though women have a higher life expectancy than men, they still have higher rates of certain health problems that can result in short and long term disabilities. The main source of insurance coverage for both men and women comes from employment and because women are more likely to work part time, receive lower wages, and have interruptions in their work histories, this places them at a higher risk of being uninsured.
Throughout their lives, people living in rural areas have a higher tendency to not seek health care services. Rural areas don’t provide cost-efficient options for physicians to establish practices; therefore people living in these rural areas face the pressing challenge of fitting health care delivery into their communities.
An estimated 3.5 million people each year will experience homelessness. The economic status of homeless persons is terrible, which means that they lack both the educational and financial resources needed to access health care.
People who are chronically ill or disabled face great challenges when it comes to health care access. In 2005, about ninety million people were suffering from a chronic illness and of those ninety million, 11.9 percent of them had limited access to health care. 75 percent of the total medical costs come from those who are chronically ill or disabled. Chronic illness sometimes leads to disability, and close to 50 million Americans have some sort of disability.
The number of people living with AIDS in the U.S. has been on the rise. 341,332 individuals increased to 425,910 from 2001 to 2005. AIDS is believed to be caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). With a weakened immune system these individual are prone to opportunistic infections. In 2003, HIV infection was the sixth leading cause of death among person 25 to 44 years of age. The course of AIDS is illustrated by a continual decline in the patient’s physical, cognitive, and emotional function and well being. Therefore, this type of disease requires a range of care that can be quite lengthy and costly.
We believe this population is important because sometimes the voices of special populations aren’t heard. Their vulnerability rests on unequal social, economic, health, and geographic conditions, creating barriers in access to care, financing of care, and racial or cultural acceptance. With health costs are on the rise, the priority of special populations slowly seems to disappear. The care of these individual’s is of utmost importance especially since treatment occurs when the option of primary and secondary prevention does not exist, resulting in increased cost for treatment.
Sources:
(2009, January 15). Specific Populations. Retrieved February 18 2009, from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Web site: http://www.hhs.gov/specificpopulations/
Office of Information Services, (2009, February 18). National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Department of Health & Human services Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/hhs.html
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HIV/AIDS. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from AIDS.gov Web site: http://www.aids.gov/
Black Americans are not only more likely to be economically underprivileged than White Americans they also experience shorter life expectancies as well. Approximately twenty percent of Hispanic Americans in 2004 lived below the federal poverty line. Not only are they more likely to be uninsured and underinsured, they may not meet Medicaid qualifications making it harder to access medical care. Being foreign born and unable to speak English also creates barriers to access. Asian Americans (people from Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent) make up one of the fastest growing population segments. Korean-American men have a fivefold incidence of stomach cancer and an eightfold incidence of liver cancer. Beliefs and values of this culture may prevent women from obtaining regular breast cancer screenings and prenatal care. The incidence and prevalence of certain diseases for American Indians/Alaskan Natives such as diabetes, hypertension, infant mortality/morbidity, chemical dependency, and HIV/AIDS related morbidity are all high enough to create concern. Native Americans see seven times more death due to alcohol and 3.5 times more death due to suicide.
The uninsured represent a large, growing portion of Americans. The uninsured tend to be poor, less educated, working in part-time jobs, and/or employed by small firms. They face huge barriers to accessing healthcare. Almost half of the uninsured postponed seeking medical attention because of the cost. Lack of insurance results in a decreased use of preventative services and an increased use of tertiary services.
Millions of children lack appropriate health care. Children who come from low income families (those below the federal poverty line) have lower vaccination rates than those at or above the poverty line. Due to lack of adequate health care, children’s ability to learn can be hindered. Children’s voices are not heard and they are not as well informed as adults.
Even though women have a higher life expectancy than men, they still have higher rates of certain health problems that can result in short and long term disabilities. The main source of insurance coverage for both men and women comes from employment and because women are more likely to work part time, receive lower wages, and have interruptions in their work histories, this places them at a higher risk of being uninsured.
Throughout their lives, people living in rural areas have a higher tendency to not seek health care services. Rural areas don’t provide cost-efficient options for physicians to establish practices; therefore people living in these rural areas face the pressing challenge of fitting health care delivery into their communities.
An estimated 3.5 million people each year will experience homelessness. The economic status of homeless persons is terrible, which means that they lack both the educational and financial resources needed to access health care.
People who are chronically ill or disabled face great challenges when it comes to health care access. In 2005, about ninety million people were suffering from a chronic illness and of those ninety million, 11.9 percent of them had limited access to health care. 75 percent of the total medical costs come from those who are chronically ill or disabled. Chronic illness sometimes leads to disability, and close to 50 million Americans have some sort of disability.
The number of people living with AIDS in the U.S. has been on the rise. 341,332 individuals increased to 425,910 from 2001 to 2005. AIDS is believed to be caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). With a weakened immune system these individual are prone to opportunistic infections. In 2003, HIV infection was the sixth leading cause of death among person 25 to 44 years of age. The course of AIDS is illustrated by a continual decline in the patient’s physical, cognitive, and emotional function and well being. Therefore, this type of disease requires a range of care that can be quite lengthy and costly.
We believe this population is important because sometimes the voices of special populations aren’t heard. Their vulnerability rests on unequal social, economic, health, and geographic conditions, creating barriers in access to care, financing of care, and racial or cultural acceptance. With health costs are on the rise, the priority of special populations slowly seems to disappear. The care of these individual’s is of utmost importance especially since treatment occurs when the option of primary and secondary prevention does not exist, resulting in increased cost for treatment.
Sources:
(2009, January 15). Specific Populations. Retrieved February 18 2009, from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Web site: http://www.hhs.gov/specificpopulations/
Office of Information Services, (2009, February 18). National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved February 19, 2009, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/
Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from Department of Health & Human services Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/hhs.html
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, HIV/AIDS. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from AIDS.gov Web site: http://www.aids.gov/
Friday, February 13, 2009
Politcal Stance
Special populations include ethnic minorities, uninsured children, women, people in rural areas, the homeless, those with mental illnesses and disabilities and those with HIV/AIDS. These populations face great hurdles in the health care system.
Our team aligns with President Obama. He is familiar with special populations and the problems they face. President Obama often spoke of his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer. She battled the disease and the insurance companies who refused to pay for her treatments. Obama said, “I know what it is like to see a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken health care system.” Obama is requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so people regardless of illness or disability can receive health care. President Obama understands there is a large underinvestment in preventive medicine. He understands that screenings and immunizations are vital for change from an illness to a wellness system.
Our group values life and care of special populations. We value the quality of care that is delivered; that health care is equal and appropriate and not diminished due to disabilities or race. We also believe in wellness and not just the lack of disease. Special populations have greater risks of health problems and having a wellness approach reduces these risk.
We believe in equal access for special populations. Special populations are disadvantaged and usually do not have access to medical treatment. We believe that health care should be a public resource. Special populations receive and obtain less medical care due to costs and access. As a public resource they would receive the proper care when needed. Lastly, we believe that heath care should be affordable even if you have a disability or need special care as special populations do.
Our beliefs and values will influence cost, access, and quality. Costs will rise because it is more expensive to care for special populations. Special populations require more specialized care including long-term care at the tertiary level. Also, it will cost more to pay for the millions of more people that will be receiving care. Between 9.2 and 9.7 million children are without health insurance and as a result of receiving services, costs will increase. As a public resource there would be an influx of new patients, equaling higher prices and effecting access.
Access for special populations will also be influenced. Special populations do not have the same access to health care as the rest of the population. Many immigrants do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. With the influx of special populations it could result in longer waiting lists for health care services.
We hope that the quality of health care services improves over time. We strongly believe in prevention which will eventually lead to healthier lives. By valuing the care and lives of special populations we believe that their overall quality of healthcare will be improved and appropriate.
A study in 2008 interviewed adults with chronic conditions from eight industrialized countries who received health care. The countries participating in the survey represented a mixture of insurance designs and systems. The U.S stood out for the most expensive system and gaps in coverage. The U.S also ranked the highest for negative patient experiences and lowest for access, care, and patient-reported safety concerns. U.S. patients indicated the most that the primary care system had problems with errors, delays, duplications, and higher use of the ER.
People may believe that our political stance may not work in our society. Many Americans value capitalism and entrepreneurism. The possibility of loosing the private sector of health care to the government goes against those two values. Health care is seen as a good or services provided by the people that the individual makes their own choice on. Also, there is a chance that taxes could rise to cover costs and people have expressed many times that they are not interested in higher taxes.
You ask yourselves, why should I believe in this group’s stance towards health care and special populations? According to our text, Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach, a health care delivery system should have two objectives: to enable all citizens access to health care and those services should have quality standards that are cost-effective. Our fragmented system fails on both levels and it greatly affects the special populations. We need to place these individuals at the front of improving our health care system since most of them share a disproportionate amount of national spending.
Sources:
Bivesn, J. & Gould, E. (2008). Obama Health Plan Out Performs McCain Plan in Coverage and Efficiency. Retrieved February 12, 2009. from Economic Policy Institute. https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.epi.org/publication/entry/pm126/
Obama-Biden. (2008). Healthcare. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
From https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.barakobama.com/issues/heatlhcare/
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
The Health Center Program: Special Populations (2008). Retrieved February 12, 2009, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/specialpopulations.htm
The Number of Uninsured Americans Is At An All-Time High.(2006). Retrieved February 12, 2009, from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cbpp.org/8-26-08pov.htm
Our team aligns with President Obama. He is familiar with special populations and the problems they face. President Obama often spoke of his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer. She battled the disease and the insurance companies who refused to pay for her treatments. Obama said, “I know what it is like to see a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken health care system.” Obama is requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so people regardless of illness or disability can receive health care. President Obama understands there is a large underinvestment in preventive medicine. He understands that screenings and immunizations are vital for change from an illness to a wellness system.
Our group values life and care of special populations. We value the quality of care that is delivered; that health care is equal and appropriate and not diminished due to disabilities or race. We also believe in wellness and not just the lack of disease. Special populations have greater risks of health problems and having a wellness approach reduces these risk.
We believe in equal access for special populations. Special populations are disadvantaged and usually do not have access to medical treatment. We believe that health care should be a public resource. Special populations receive and obtain less medical care due to costs and access. As a public resource they would receive the proper care when needed. Lastly, we believe that heath care should be affordable even if you have a disability or need special care as special populations do.
Our beliefs and values will influence cost, access, and quality. Costs will rise because it is more expensive to care for special populations. Special populations require more specialized care including long-term care at the tertiary level. Also, it will cost more to pay for the millions of more people that will be receiving care. Between 9.2 and 9.7 million children are without health insurance and as a result of receiving services, costs will increase. As a public resource there would be an influx of new patients, equaling higher prices and effecting access.
Access for special populations will also be influenced. Special populations do not have the same access to health care as the rest of the population. Many immigrants do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. With the influx of special populations it could result in longer waiting lists for health care services.
We hope that the quality of health care services improves over time. We strongly believe in prevention which will eventually lead to healthier lives. By valuing the care and lives of special populations we believe that their overall quality of healthcare will be improved and appropriate.
A study in 2008 interviewed adults with chronic conditions from eight industrialized countries who received health care. The countries participating in the survey represented a mixture of insurance designs and systems. The U.S stood out for the most expensive system and gaps in coverage. The U.S also ranked the highest for negative patient experiences and lowest for access, care, and patient-reported safety concerns. U.S. patients indicated the most that the primary care system had problems with errors, delays, duplications, and higher use of the ER.
People may believe that our political stance may not work in our society. Many Americans value capitalism and entrepreneurism. The possibility of loosing the private sector of health care to the government goes against those two values. Health care is seen as a good or services provided by the people that the individual makes their own choice on. Also, there is a chance that taxes could rise to cover costs and people have expressed many times that they are not interested in higher taxes.
You ask yourselves, why should I believe in this group’s stance towards health care and special populations? According to our text, Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach, a health care delivery system should have two objectives: to enable all citizens access to health care and those services should have quality standards that are cost-effective. Our fragmented system fails on both levels and it greatly affects the special populations. We need to place these individuals at the front of improving our health care system since most of them share a disproportionate amount of national spending.
Sources:
Bivesn, J. & Gould, E. (2008). Obama Health Plan Out Performs McCain Plan in Coverage and Efficiency. Retrieved February 12, 2009. from Economic Policy Institute. https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.epi.org/publication/entry/pm126/
Obama-Biden. (2008). Healthcare. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
From https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.barakobama.com/issues/heatlhcare/
Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
The Health Center Program: Special Populations (2008). Retrieved February 12, 2009, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/specialpopulations.htm
The Number of Uninsured Americans Is At An All-Time High.(2006). Retrieved February 12, 2009, from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
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