Healthcare Costs
A number of factors have affected the costs of healthcare in the United States over the past 3 decades, and there has been a corresponding impact on the nursing field as a result. To determine the facts about these issues, this paper reviews the literature to identify those factors that have had an effect on increasing healthcare costs over the past 30 years following by an analysis concerning how nursing has been impacted by efforts to contain costs. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning factors affecting healthcare costs and their impact on the nursing field are presented in the conclusion.

Factors Affecting Healthcare Costs in Past 30 Years

Although the $2.8 trillion healthcare industry in the United States has become more efficient over the past 30 years, there have been some forces at work that have continued to drive increases in the costs of the provision…...

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References

Fischer, K. M. (2016, January 1). How the educational funding provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will affect the nursing shortage in the United States. Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy, 11(1), 54-57.

Medical cost trends: Behind the numbers 2015. (2014). Price-Waterhouse-Cooper: Health Research Institute.

The facts about rising healthcare costs. (2016). Aetna. Retrieved from  http://www.aetna.com/health-reform-connection/aetnas-vision/facts-about-costs.html .

Schreuders, L. & Bremner, A. P. (2012, June 1). Nurse perceptions of the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes: An exploratory study. Contemporary Nurse: a Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 41(2), 190-193.

Quality of Life
One thing that is extremely vexing and confusion about the United States is the amount of money spent per capita on healthcare and the supposedly related healthcare outcomes that are seen within that same country. Given how high the per capita spending happens to be, it would stand to reason that the healthcare outcomes in the United States would be better than countries that have lesser outcomes. However, that is simply not the case and it is worthwhile to explore why that happens to be the case. While it may be lifestyle choices, inefficiency of care or something else, there is clearly something amiss with the spending that is going on or what it is really having to address.

The eal Causes

Since the healthcare and societal structures of the United States are so complex, it is fairly obvious that there would also not be a singular cause for the…...

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References

Feirman, S., Glasser, A., Teplitskaya, L., Holtgrave, D., Abrams, D., Niaura, R., & Villanti, A.

(2016). Medical costs and quality-adjusted life years associated with smoking: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 16(1).  http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016 -

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Rudisill, C., Charlton, J., Booth, H., & Gulliford, M. (2016). Are healthcare costs from obesity associated with body mass index, comorbidity or depression? Cohort study using electronic health records. Clinical Obesity, 6(3), 225-231.

The results of this analysis highlight the need for hospitals to fine-tune their discharge process to reduce readmissions, and support the expenditure of additional resources for this purpose as a cost-effective intervention; as an example, author cites a hospital in Iowa that implemented a rigorous post-discharge planning process for patients with heart failure and 30-day readmission rates were reduced by 3-9% during the 3-month period following implementation.
Conclusion

The research showed that many elderly patients who suffer from congestive heart failure also suffer from a wide range of comorbid conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. These patients can be reasonably expected to require periodic or even frequent treatment in emergency departments and/or hospitalizations for these conditions, making the need for effective and seamless post-discharge planning especially important. In this regard, the research also showed that there are some valuable evidence-based practice guidelines available, though, that can help clinicians better coordinate post-discharge care,…...

Health Care Cost and Quality
The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between health care cost and quality. This study will select one public agency and one private agency and differentiate their roles and major activities in addressing cost and quality in health care and analyze current and projected initiatives to improve quality while simultaneously controlling costs. This study will additionally conduct a synthesis of indications for staff nurses and advanced practice nurses, including evidence-based practice, relative to cost and quality.

There are many initiatives presently underway to meet the growing need of health care for a population that is greatly under-insured and many that are uninsured.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services eport

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014) "Medicare is improving the way it pays for physician services. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) is exploring new payment models…...

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References

Advanced Practice Nursing: A New Age in Health Care (nd) American Nurses Association. Retrieved from:  http://www.nursingworld.org/functionalmenucategories/mediaresources/mediabackgrounders/aprn-a-new-age-in-health-care.pdf 

Health Care Costs (2014) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from:  http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/costs/health-care/index.html 

A 21st Century Health Care Workforce for the Nation (2014) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from:  http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2014/HealthCare_Workforce/rpt_healthcareworkforce.pdf

Introduction The delivery health care system takes into account the assimilation of physicians, healthcare facilities, together with other medical services with plan to facilitate the provision of the total continuum of medical care for its consumers. In a whole incorporated system, the three fundamental components including physicians, medical facilities and the membership to health plans are counterpoised in terms of equating medical resources with the necessities of patients and purchasers (Coddington, Moore, and Fischer., 1994). One of the key concerns in the present delivery of healthcare is cost. Increasing costs of healthcare has been a major worry in the past number of years, making the United States to have one of the most expensive systems of healthcare. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the different costs linked to healthcare delivery system, and delineate the manner in which these costs impact different populations and how it also affects health…...

ACA and EMS
The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is sure to change the way EMS operate in the coming years. Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), for instance, are now responsible for overseeing how reimbursements are paid out to those agencies that provide health care -- and at the same time they are responsible for gauging whether or not quality care is delivered by providers (Koury et al., 2014). This is a tall order for a new functioning body and the ACOs tasked with these orders will have an indirect impact on how EMS operates. To see how that impact will be effected, an examination of the ACOs and hospitals interact requires examination -- because it is that interaction that will inevitably alter the way in which the EMS goes about their business. This paper will examine the relationship between the ACA, ACOs, hospitals and EMS and show how an…...

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References

ACA. (2010). Sec. 1204, 124 STAT. U.S. Government Publishing Office. Retrieved from  https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-111publ148/pdf/PLAW-111publ148.pdf 

Ahmed, A. et al. (2015). Not just an urban phenomenon: Uninsured rural trauma

patients at increased risk for mortality. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 16(5): 632-641.

Alpert, A. et al. (2013). Giving EMS flexibility in transporting low-acuity patients could

The ACA and the U.S. Health Care System · The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was meant to promote greater quality care through increased implementation of preventive care; but as Lichtenfeld (2011) and Moynihan (2015) have shown, the health care industry remains committed to a course of treatments and tests because both are generally subsidized by the federal government—and, frankly, preventive care does not ensure that customers will keep coming through the door to make the industry money.
· The problem with the ACA has been that it has done little to reduce the putting of profits before people mentality that plagues the health care industry.
· It idealistically identified the right objectives—increasing access to care, increasing quality of care, lowering the cost of care, and increasing preventive care (Obama, 2016).
· However, in practice it failed to ensure that a mechanism was in place to actually enable the achievement of these objectives.
· Premiums began…...

Care work or social work akin with any other human endeavor has a host of different perspectives that are used either in unison or in combination to direct it.
Its dominant perspectives are the following:

ystem theory

This is the view that all systems interact and that when, for instance, one works with a patient one needs to involve the family and community too and take all of the patient "s life into consideration for each impacts the other. The whole works as a holistic whole and, for instance, the child's school can effect the child as much as the child can the teacher and so forth. ystems have interrelated parts, and tend towards equilibrium.

Care workers use this system in a practical way by forging networks between the different ecosystems (for instance between child's school, community, and family) and by drawing ecomaps and genograms for understanding the dynamics of a patient's life. The…...

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Source

OVERVIEW OF THEORIES OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR & THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

 http://ncsss.cua.edu/res/docs/field/theories.pdf

Health Care Reform
FDR's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society were early attempts for the United States government to play a broader role in creating more extensive social policies. More recently, when a recession pushed inflation to an all-time high, Ronald Reagan led a popular political campaign in which he pronounced that the federal government should have a smaller role in American society. He believed that socialism was an evil worth fighting. This sentiment undoubtedly caused the Clinton Presidency to fail when trying to enact a series of measures to reform Health Care. The debate has regained momentum with Obama who has enacted a health care reform bill known as the Affordable Care Act. Republicans who been vocal critics of the bill and have vowed to overturn in before its inception. This paper will introduce some of the economic mechanics that are responsible for fueling the debate.

Background on the Health…...

U.S. Healthcare
The final legislation should have incorporated provisions to boost the IVD industry. On its entirety, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act must have benefited the IVD industry. This would have increased sales in a span of five years that it is otherwise seen in the absence of the law. Most significant IVD sales drivers will result from the legislation as an expansion of in the number of insured citizens and new coverage of prevention and wellness programs. If various key provisions are included in the PPACA, coupled with the population demographics, IVD product sales will be stimulated. This industry will die or live based on the number of the test procedures and hence increase in the number of persons with healthcare coverage will be appropriate for IVD. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a sophisticated legislature, virtually affecting all aspects of healthcare and the majority of…...

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References

Law, J. (2009). Big pharma: How the world's biggest drug companies control illness. London: Constable.

Parks, D. (2012). Health care reform simplified: What professionals in medicine, government, insurance, and business need to know. United States: Apress.

Ross, B.M.C., & Ross, B.M.C. (2013). Beating Obamacare: Your handbook for surviving the new health care law. Washington, D.C: Regnery Pub.

Schweitzer, S.O. (2007). Pharmaceutical economics and policy. New York [u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press.

"Studies of the relationship between managed care penetration in the health care market and expenditures for Medicare fee-for-service enrollees have demonstrated the existence of these types of spill over effects" (Bundorf et al., 2004).
Managed care organizations generate these types of spillover effects by increasing competition in the health care market, altering the arrangement of the health care delivery system, and altering physician practice patterns. Studies have found that higher levels of managed care infiltration are linked with lower rates of hospital cost inflation and lower physician fees are consistent with competitive effects. "Other studies demonstrate the impact of managed care on delivery system structure including hospital capacity, hospital admission patterns, the size and composition of the physician workforce and the adoption and use of medical equipment and technologies. More recent evidence has linked market-level managed care activity to the process, but not the outcomes of care" (Bundorf et al.,…...

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References

Altman, D.E. And L. Levin. (2005). The Sad History of Health Care Cost Containment as

Told by One Client. Health Affairs, 24(1).

Bodenheimer, T. (2005). High and rising health care costs. part 1: Seeking an explanation.

Annals of Internal Medicine, 142(10), 847-54.

Healthcare and Economics:
Health care costs have continued to increase in the past few decades despite of the numerous health reform initiatives. Currently, these expenditures account for more than 18% of GDP in the United States, a percentage that is expected to continue rising significantly. Actually, it's projected that the share will rise to 34% of GDP by 2040 if health care costs continue to increase at historical rates. The increased health care costs have considerable impacts on households, insurance companies, and government budgets. For instance, households with employer-financed health insurance will have a progressively minimal portion of their total compensation in the form of take-home pay. On the other hand, a progressively larger fraction of compensation will be in the form of employer-provided health insurance. Governments will be forced to cater for more than 50% of health care expenditures if they continue to increase at historical rates. Therefore, the…...

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References:

Harrington, L. (2011, May). Career Scope: Balancing Quality and Costs During Economic

Downturns. Nursing Management, 42(5), 46-48. Retrieved from  http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/JournalArticle?Article_ID=1163319&Journal_ID=54013&Issue_ID=1163211 

Philipson, T. (2013, October 31). Obamacare or Not, Healthcare Costs are Set to Soar. Forbes.

Retrieved December 3, 2013, from  http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomasphilipson/2013/10/31/obamacare-or-not-healthcare-costs-are-set-to-soar/

overwhelming connections between healthcare costs and the macroeconomic performance of the U.S. economy. The impact of healthcare industry on the macroeconomic performance is evident from the fact that in 2009 healthcare expenditure of the U.S. was 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. It was also estimated that should the healthcare costs continue to grow at historical rates, 34% of the U.S. GDP will compose of healthcare spending by 2040 (Whitehouse, 2009). The major sources of funding the healthcare costs are the Federal, State, and local governments of the U.S. Medicare is a healthcare program that subsidizes healthcare for citizens above 65 years of age. Medicaid subsidizes healthcare delivery for people below a certain income level. Approximately 50% of the healthcare expenditure is bore by governments at the federal, state and local level. It is also estimated that Medicare and Medicaid spending of Federal and State…...

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Bibliography

CMS. (2013, Nov). National Health Expenditure Projections 2012-2022. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Retrieved from:  http://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsProjected.html 

Kolstad, J.T., & Kowalski, A.E. (2012). Mandate-based health reform and the labor market: Evidence from the Massachusetts reform (No. w17933). National Bureau of Economic Research.

The Whitehouse. (2009). Deficit-Reducing Health Care Reform. The Whitehouse. Retrieved from:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/reform/deficit-reducing-health-care-reform 

CBO. (2011, March). The Economic Case for the Health Care Reform. Congressional Budget Office: Executive Office of the President Council of Economic Advisers. Retrieved from:  http://www.cbo.gov/publication/22077

health care profession is undergoing fundamental change due in part to new laws and regulations. These laws and regulations, although well intended may result in unintended consequences for the nursing profession overall. In the future, the role of a nurse will be fundamentally altered. For one, regulation such as the Affordable Care Act will result in an entire population of insured patients needing care. As such, the role of a nurse will ultimately be predicated on a more individualized basis with specialization in certain aspects. Caring for diabetes is no different in this regard. The public is particularly prone to diabetes primarily due to dietary and lifestyle considerations. As such, the topic of proper care and prevention of this issue is paramount to community health. The population at risk, due in part to regulation, is now society as a whole. This presents interesting challenges and opportunities for the overall…...

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References:

1) Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S (2000). Krause's Food, Nutrition & Diet Therapy. 10th Ed., WB Saunders Co. Philadelphia; Reuters (2010)

2) Polonsky, K.S. (2012). "The Past 200 Years in Diabetes." New England Journal of Medicine 367 (14): 1332 -- 1340

3) Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Hirsch AG, Brandenburg NA (June 2007). "Lost productive time and costs due to diabetes and diabetic neuropathic pain in the U.S. workforce." J. Occup. Environ. Med. 49 (6): 672 -- 9

Healthcare Economics Evaluation
This report is about a proposed healthcare economics investigation. Some early research has been done and will be described based on what was found and how it was found. The report will conclude with a proposed plan for further economic evaluation on that same topic with a great deal the expected and proper form and function of that research to be described in that section. A conclusion will wrap up the report.

Critical Appraisal of the Evidence

Topic Selected

The author of this report has chosen how to make health care affordable and have the most amount of people possible covered in the United States as this is one of the more omnipresent issues and matters in American society in the modern time. Health care being at the forefront of the American news cycle is nothing new as it is has been a huge part of the political and social discussions…...

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References

Berkowitz, E. (2008). Medicare and Medicaid: The Past as Prologue. Health Care Financing Review, 29(3), 80-93.

Bovbjerg, R.R., & Schoenbaum, S.C. (2004). Malpractice Reform Must Include Steps To Prevent Medical Injury. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 140(1), 51-54.

Budget problems, Medicaid expansion main topics at SAMHSA meeting. (2012). Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, 24(32), 1-3.

CDC. (2013, March 19). CDC Online Newsroom - Press Release: October 17, 2011. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from  http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2011/p1017_alcohol_consumption.html

1. A diet or lifestyle related disease is one that is brought about specifically because of the type of diet the person has or the lifestyle he or she chooses to live. 2. Obesity causes many health issues. The most common are sleep apnea, type II diabetes, and heart disease. 3. Obesity is linked to both diet and lifestyle. Someone who overeats and also does not exercise can become obese over time. 4. In society, obesity causes higher health care costs, "fat shaming," and discomfort for many people because of a lack of ability to accommodate larger-sized people (think airplane and bus seats,....

As health care’s share of gross domestic product (GDP) grows, people are struggling with how to estimate the value of the health care industry in the economy.  While it might seem like a straightforward answer, simply looking at the total amount paid for healthcare in proportion to the total GDP, that valuation would be a gross oversimplification. Generally, GDP is viewed as a proxy for standard of living, but in the United States standard of living might actually drop for many people as the percentage of GDP attributable to healthcare grows.  It is important to keep in....

Third party payment, such as health insurance companies or government programs, can distort the healthcare market in several ways:

1. Increased demand: When individuals are not directly paying for their healthcare services, they are more likely to utilize medical services without considering the cost. This leads to increased demand for healthcare services, which can drive up prices and strain the resources of healthcare providers.

2. Lack of price transparency: Third party payment often creates a lack of price transparency in the healthcare market. Since patients are not directly paying for their services, they may not be aware of....

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) like AdventHealth aim to improve healthcare quality by enhancing care coordination, reducing unnecessary spending, and focusing on preventative care. Metrics often used to evaluate their impact include patient satisfaction scores, hospital readmission rates, and the management of chronic conditions. ACOs are compared through benchmarks in these areas, cost savings, and quality of care improvements.

Determining the impact of AdventHealth ACO on healthcare quality and metrics requires a deep dive into several factors. Here's a breakdown of key aspects to consider:

Metrics used for evaluation:

• Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores: These standardized measures assess preventive....