Second, health care reform is needed to improve the quality of care, which is the worst in the developed world. Chronic diseases cause almost 70% of deaths in the United States and effect 45% of all Americans. As our population ages, the incidence of this will continue to rise. By 2023 cancer and diabetes will increase 50%, heart disease 40% and hypertension and lung disease will be up by 30%. Each year, the cost of treatment totals $1.7 trillion, representing 75% of all health care dollars spent. The cost can be lowered through disease prevention and wellness programs (Amadeo, 2011).…
With implementation of the law, we have new opportunities to move to a health care system that focuses on increased access to primary care, improved care coordination and an emphasis on prevention and wellness—efforts nurses have focused on from the beginning. This is what the future of health care looks like, and it makes the work and expertise of America’s nurses more important than ever.…
Identify and explain the four elements of proof necessary for a plaintiff to prove a negligence case.…
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by the United States government and is the largest health care reform since Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. With this new legislation, there will be a huge transformation of the health care system we know today. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an organization that is independent of government and provides unbiased advice used in making informed legislative decisions about health care. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the largest philanthropy in the United States, collaborated with the IOM to evaluate and transform the nursing profession in order to provide quality, cost-effective care for the growing population in need. It is projected that 32 million Americans will receive insurance coverage with the ACA, exponentially increasing the patient load of health care providers. The IOM recognizes nursing as the largest profession in health care and states, “By virtue of its numbers and adaptive capacity, the nursing profession has the potential to effect wide ranging changes in the health care system” (Institute of Medicine, 2010). This paper will discuss how the IOM report impacts nursing education, practice in primary care, and the role of nurses as leaders.…
Health care reform in the United States is a hot topic and the source of legislation meant to make health care obtainable to Americans. Recent presidential elections have been platforms used to promote health care reform yet no one can agree on what the resolution will be. This paper will discuss ways recent health care reform measures have expanded or inhibited access to health care. This paper will discuss how changes to access may lead to influences in utilization. Concepts of what universal health care may be and how current care reflects or contrasts with this will be discussed. In addition, this paper will describe a personal experience with health care expansion either negative or positive.…
The Affordable Care Act was passed on March 23rd, 2010 and is part of the health reform which increases benefits provided by insurance companies. In Wisconsin insurance companies are now required to cover all preventative care, they are prohibited from dropping coverage of those who are diagnosed with costly diseases, they are unable to make an annual or lifetime limit, and soon they will be unable to “discriminate against anyone with a pre-existing condition” (Health care law, n.d., para. 1-2). “ The new law also makes a significant investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health, prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies” (Health care law, n.d., para. 2). This is just a portion of the new benefits and more will come during the health care reform. This increase in accessibility and increase in preventative treatment and education, in addition to the aging population, is going to call for a major increase in health care workers. In order to meet the near future demands, changes must occur in the way health care is provided. The Institution of Medicine of the National Academics wrote a report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health (IOM report). This report is already, or is going to be impacting nursing practice in general but specifically in primary care, nurse’s role as a leader, nursing education, and on my goals for my future professional practice during the health reform.…
The ability for people to seek quality, affordable health care means nurses will be taking on new roles. The center of the health care system will be changed to primary care and prevention and will allow more advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) to take on the primary care role. Nurses will expand their scope of practice and increase their responsibilities through teaching and counseling patients about their health care problems. They will coordinate care, act as an advocate and refer to physicians.…
When we look at the history of health care economics we can clearly see that we have come a long way since that house call from the doctor to our ‘little house on the prairie’ days. We are no longer a small population of townspeople needing a teaspoon of medicine from the bottle, out of the doctor’s black bag, that seems to be a cure for almost any illness. We are now a nation of millions and we have numerous doctors, nurses, technicians and many other healthcare professionals to choose from. We have access to many health care services that provide us with many levels of care, and we have advanced in medical technology. These advances in health care have not come without their toll on the economy; the health care industry has become a trillion dollar empire. The reason for this is people value their health above most other things and are willing to spend their money to stay healthy.…
The nation is in need of a sufficient Registered nurse supply. The adequacy of this supply is critical in providing quality health care. An integral role of Registered nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in primary care delivery helps to bring focus to the nation’s health care systems of patients’ and communities. The United States’ estimated shortage of nurses will grow to 260,000 by 2025, disturbing the nation’s health care delivery systems (American Nurses Association, 2011).…
On October 5, 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), released the report “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.” This detailed report explores the need of the nursing profession to evolve and prepare for the impact that will occur as a result of the health care reform and the transformation that will be seen to our complex health care system. With the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), millions of Americans who were previously uninsured now find themselves with the opportunity to seek out and obtain the much needed medical attention that was previously denied to them. With the heightened number of individuals who are now able to receive primary care, there is concern as to whether or not there will be enough providers available to handle the massive increase in patient load. The reformed health care system now brings on new challenges and these challenges offer nurses the opportunity to practice with more freedom in order help close the gaps within our health care delivery system. The IOM committee formulated key messages that structure its recommendation for this transformation, focusing on three crucial areas including nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing leadership.…
Affordable healthcare can enable Americans to live longer, lead more healthy lives and improve their economic potential (Hope Street, 2008). Changes in the healthcare system have been slow in comparison to the areas of industry in the twenty first century. With the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2012, there is an opportunity to seek a healthier American in advancing preventive healthcare. Our advances in healthcare have been outstanding but the area of providing affordable and accessible healthcare leaves us behind many others nations. This paper will discuss the plan of a visit with State Representative Steven Moscowitz, highlight the importance of expanding the advanced nurse practitioner role, and provide empirical evidence to support this worthy initiative. The goals of ACA are to decrease the amount of uninsured Americans and reduce the cost of healthcare. According to researchers, approximately 75% of chronic illness stems from preventable health conditions (Center for Medicare and Medicaid, 2012). This strengthens the need for a more effective healthcare system where people are able to seek medical guidance and coaching on healthy lifestyles.…
Historically, there have been many instances in American history where legislation and medicine allowed Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) to serve in expanded roles or definitions (Delgado, 2014). This was especially true in areas that were poor or underserved (Delgado, 2014). It is also possible to look back in history and see a direct relationship with times of increased demand for care, (i.e. war, economic depression), and the increased roles allowed and assumed by APN’s. Today, like many other periods throughout our history, there is an increase need for care related to similar events of the past (i.e. war, economic depression); but also related to the increase in access to care as provided by the Affordable Care Act, as well as the growth in our older population, which is a direct result of living longer and better access to care (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2015). Unfortunately, the customary allowance of role expansion for APNs to address this ever growing need has been slow to come or restrictive at best (Schiff, 2012 & Naylor & Kurtzman, 2010).…
health care system addressed in the movie “The waiting Room” includes the lack of resources within the community hospitals, the costs of health care, lack of insurance, and extremely long wait times. Based on a few topics that were discussed in the online class the cost of healthcare/lack of insurance is a relatable topic. Within the documentary majority people are without health insurance which means they are not able to afford the proper care that is needed. Online we discussed the affordable care act and ways we can improve it to make it cost efficient for those who are in need and simply cannot afford health insurance. Ways to improve the healthcare would be to expand scope of practice for mid-level practitioners; Under current regulations, providers like nurse practitioners and dental therapists are often prevented from practicing in underserved rural areas because of stringent licensing regulations. The federal government, however, could spend more money to bring down the costs that individuals and families face by raising the level of subsidies available for plans purchased on the exchanges or raising the income thresholds at which the subsidies phase out—or both. On the other hand, the government could offer a more generous subsidy to insurance companies, particularly those serving high-risk populations, in which case they wouldn't have to raise prices as much or impose such large…
The rising cost of healthcare in today’s economy is in desperate need of reform. The cost of healthcare has affected the number of people able to receive medical care. Individuals are suffering more than ever because of the inability to receive medical attention when it’s needed.…
However, there are numerous debates for and against the new changes to the healthcare industry. To be honest, I am unsure about where I tend to stand regarding the new healthcare industry changes. As a result, it seems that the healthcare costs are still going to be expensive for majority of Americans and it could be years before we determine if the changes implemented are effective. Consequently, the focus of the changes on preventive care, chronic disease management, quality of care, and reducing costs there has been a reduction in specialty care for individuals with chronic diseases and elderly patients with several comorbidities (Kuramoto, 2014). Therefore, future challenges can occur if there is no focus on specialty care due to the growing population of the elderly and/or high-risk patient profiles (Kuramoto, 2014). Overall, if some focus is set on specialty care for the high costs expenditures then clinical and costs outcomes can improve (Kuramoto, 2014). Furthermore, with focus on specialty care as well as preventive measures then the amount of hospital admissions will decrease, the readmission rate will lower, and it will lower unnecessary treatment protocols from primary care providers (Kuramoto, 2014). In addition, if Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurance companies decide to lower the reimbursement rates too low then a…