StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Medicare and Medicaid in the US Healthcare - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Medicare and Medicaid in the US Healthcare" accents that private care providers and insurance companies play important roles, but the government is the main regulator through special programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and through legislation that regulates the sector…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.8% of users find it useful
Medicare and Medicaid in the US Healthcare
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Medicare and Medicaid in the US Healthcare"

 The healthcare sector operates under government regulation because it offers public and is sensitive. Private stakeholders such as private care providers and insurance companies play important roles, but the government is the main regulator through special programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and through legislations that regulate the sector. The ObamaCare act is an example of government’s regulation over healthcare and is significant to my capstone problem on treatment of hypertension and management of future risk of cardiovascular disease. This paper reviews the problem, the legislation, and possible effects of the legislation. Overview of the health problem High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are common health problems in the United States and other regions. High blood pressure is also a factor to cardiovascular disease and its prevention and management are therefore important. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, about 33 percent of adults in the United States suffer from high blood pressure, and only 47 percent of the fraction has manageable blood pressures. In addition, about 1000 people die daily in the United States because of high blood pressure (The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Further, 25 percents of deaths in the United States are attributed to cardiovascular disease with an average of 720000 people suffering from the disease in America annually. The high expenditure on the disease, with coronary heart disease alone demanding almost $ 109 billion per annum, also establishes significance of the disease. Several factors such as ethnicity, geographical location, age, and behavior contribute to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease to identify it as a universal problem (The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention1, 2014). The ObamaCare whose objective is to ensure accessibility and quality of care is therefore relevant to management of the high prevalence and mortality rates due to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Severity of the problem Statistics by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention identifies severity of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. One in every three people suffers from hypertension and the number of deaths per day is high. In addition, having 67 million patients is a burden to the nation’s healthcare facilities as well as to the patients’ family and friends. The fact that the problem does not show symptoms and that it can damage other body organs also shows its severity (The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Similarly, high incidence rate and mortality rate of cardiovascular disease establishes its severity. The fact that one in every four deaths is attributable to the disease means that it is the most significant disease in the United States, and possible in the entire globe. High incidence and mortality due to cardiovascular disease also shows its significance (The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention1, 2014). National initiatives such as efforts by the Joint National Commission, which recently developed the JNC 8 guidelines for medicinal management of hypertension (James, et al, 2014) and efforts by political institutions such as in creation of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission also shows significance of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (Arkansas Minority Health Commission, 2007). Awareness and intervention efforts by the different stakeholders shows significance of the problem and the role of management of blood pressure, through behavioral and drug based approaches, as appropriate intervention. Overview of the bill and stakeholders The ObamaCare offers provisions for better healthcare and therefore promises better services for prevention and management of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. One of the act’s provisions is “quality and affordable healthcare for all Americans,” and this means that hypertension and cardiovascular disease patients have better opportunities for managing their conditions (The Senate, n.d., n.p.). The law also establishes the role of government-sponsored programs, and improved quality of care services, measures that can reduce prevalence and mortality rates associated with the diseases. Explicit provision for prevention of terminal illnesses is another element of the legislation that relates to the problem because the two diseases are chronic. ObamaCare also provides for innovation in treatment measures that is also applicable to the problem. These further identify diversified stakeholders such as regulators in the healthcare sectors, politicians and political parties, care personnel, and patients and their associates. Political forces are likely to influence future of the law; regulators have influence over the law’s effectiveness while opinions among care personnel and the public are likely to influence change. Expected outcomes The bill is likely to earn support from the public, especially the poor who view affordability and accessibility of care as a privilege. Social groups such as human right and religious groups, as well as loyalists to the Republican Party are likely to support the current state of the law because of special and political interests. Allegiance to party and the president are likely to the political reasons while improved welfare are likely to the main reasons for the special groups’ support. Problems Despite possible support from citizens, due to benefits of the ObamaCare law, some citizens are likely to oppose the law because of its associated problems. It will increase the cost of healthcare for some people and families. The law also threatens job security and work conditions, and is therefore likely to yield negative reactions from employees, employers, investors, and special interest groups. Some employees may also be forced out of their preferred care plans to lead to opposition from the employees, their employers, and insurance providers. Policy makers are also likely to oppose the role of internal revenue service in implementing the law (House of Representatives, n.d.). Unintended consequences Despite the goal of ensuring affordable and accessible care, the law is likely to make care more expensive to some people. In addition, its effects on job creation are likely to reduce people’s ability to access care, and therefore make care expensive to the jobless. While shifting focus on the government’s insurance and increasing regulations on private insurance company, the law is likely to reduce the companies’ profitability and therefore reduce their employment capacity and have lead to policies that are less beneficial to holders. Recommendations Even though the law has disadvantages such as threat to job security, possible increase in care cost to some population segments, and undesired alignment of health insurance policies, these are limited to a small section of the national population. Benefits of the law, such as empowerment towards prevention and management of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, other terminal diseases, and other diseases and infection, and affordability and accessibility of care, especially among disadvantaged people, however outweigh the disadvantages. Support for the law, and further legislations that reinforce the law’s objective of better, affordable, and accessible care, should be encouraged. References Arkansas Minority Health Commission. (2007). Arkansas Minority Health Commission. Arkansas Minority Health Commission. Retrieved from: http://www.arminorityhealth.com/research_studies.html. House of Representatives. (n.d.). 37 reasons to repeal ObamaCare. Committee on ways and means. Retrieved from: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=333919. James, P. et al. (2014). 2014 evidence-based guideline for the management of high blood pressure in adults: Report from the panel members appointed to the eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8). JAMA 311(5): 507-520. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). High blood pressure. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention1. (2014). Heart disease. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/. The Senate. (n.d.). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Detailed summary. The United States Senate. Retrieved from: http://www.dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill04.pdf. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1”, n.d.)
Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1661624-health-policy
(Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 1)
Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 1. https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1661624-health-policy.
“Health Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1661624-health-policy.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Medicare and Medicaid in the US Healthcare

US Medicaid and Medicare program and Australian Medicare programs

The Medicare and Medicaid programs have been applied in the us in securing medical cover for patients.... edicare is simply a social insurance structure that is administered by the government in the us and by the Australian government.... The system in the us almost has close resemblance to single-payer healthcare programs, although this is not.... Evaluation and Discussion The Medicaid program got enacted in the year 1965; just the same time the Medicare program was created in the us....
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper

Understanding the Role of Medicaid in the US Health Care System

The paper "Understanding the Role of medicaid in the us Health Care System " discusses that the Medicaid program plays a large part in our Country's health care system.... A plan to provide every individual with health care coverage is now being implemented through the use of the medicaid program and its expansion.... The new Affordability Care Act, signed this previous March has provisions within to expand the entire medicaid program.... medicaid is attempting to make cutbacks where it may in most States to conserve as the price of health care continues to rise....
14 Pages (3500 words) Research Paper

Medicare vs. Medicaid

art A, referred to as Hospital insurance, financed by the Compare medicare and medicaid Assistance Programs and Explain How Each Program Impacts a Health Care Professional Medicaid and Medicare are health and medical programs funded by the Federal government.... Payments by the State are made to the healthcare providers based on a fee for service terms or through health maintenance organizations.... As the healthcare sector undergoes reforms, there is expected rise in demand for health services and consequently workers....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Medicare and Medicaid Module 4 ( Case)

eforms initiatives in healthcare have impacted medicare and medicaid in many significant ways.... Medicare is totally different medicare and medicaid Module 4 medicare and medicaid Module 4 Although most people regard Medicaid and Medicaid as being the same, the two are totally different.... Healthcare reforms have guaranteed more coverage for medicare and medicaid; health insurance assists patients access healthcare systems making those individuals who are not ensured to be unable to access medical care thus make the obliged to be ensured....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The UK Medical-Healthcare Changes

The paper "The UK Medical-healthcare Changes" describes that counselling would thus assist patients to cope with their medical ailments, establish the risks of taking the tests and notify the patients prior to taking the test, hence giving them a chance to know if they are sick or if they are not.... Chronic ailments are now being accorded 24/7 healthcare, where the practitioners take the medical practice to the homes of the patients.... eriatrics, a new healthcare approach, has also been introduced....
7 Pages (1750 words) Assignment

Medicare Nutrition Therapy

The benefits include reimbursement for medical doctor consultations and other related healthcare services.... The plan permits anorexia nervosa members to avail of healthcare services from healthcare providers outside the group's umbrella of healthcare providers (Psychguides.... The plan reimburses employee patients for actual healthcare expenses incurred.... or multiple healthcare procedures, WellCare offers different reimbursement benefits....
6 Pages (1500 words) Assignment

Medicare and Medicaid

"medicare and medicaid" paper is a discussion of the transformation of healthcare initiatives over the past 50 years.... The intention was to bring reforms that would reduce the overall costs of medicare and increase revenue from the enrollment plans.... The healthcare program has undergone key milestones that have impacted the overall cost and plans for healthcare.... Major historical milestones have shaped medicaid and Medicare over the years as the country continues to debate on the administration of the Accountable Care Act and Obama Care....
6 Pages (1500 words) Coursework

Healthcare Survival Medicaid vs Medicare

The Centers for medicare and medicaid Services or 'CMS' is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).... "healthcare Survival Medicaid vs Medicare" paper focuses on Medicare, a national program that offers insurance for people who are 65 years and older and for people under the age of 65 who have chronic kidney failure or who have specific disabilities.... The CMS manages medicaid, Medicare, the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)....
10 Pages (2500 words) Case Study
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us