NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
... the medical profession. Early reports from the USA suggest that the consequences for patients will be even more unfortunate than we have seen to date. The rising cost of primary care for all patients is tremendous. This often results in ill children being forced out of hospitals before fully recovering. The American Journal of Diseases of Children reports that some aspects of HMO policies were found to operate against the interest of families with chronically ill children.
In particular, HMOs commonly made specialty services available only when significant improvement was expected within a short period. Also, HMOs typically limit on the amount and duration of mental health, subsidiary services, and certain other services needed by chronically ill children. Yet resources are scarce, and childcare is not alone in the battle for a bigger budget. On this other end of the age scale, geriatrics, for example, still has many needs that warrant attention as well. With the increase of Americans over 60 years old, the field of geriatrics has grown steadily. "Lack of services to the elderly, especially in the poor rural areas continues to be a problem, " according to Dr. Paola Timiras, a professor of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California at Berkeley and an expert in geriatric medicine. "Especially in the rural areas, there is an increased need for educated and dedicated health workers, and more training for homecare workers. " Aging Magazine reports that in 1986, non-metropolitan areas had 44 % fewer doctors per 100, 000 people than urban areas, and between 1981 and 1988, 190 rural hospitals closed.
Secondly, because of age, the natural weakening of the immune system, chronic diseases and disabilities requiring health care are more prevalent among the elderly. "Acute and chronic conditions, such as arthritis and hypertension, have become more frequent, " says Prof. Timiras. The elderly are the heaviest users of health services, and they are hospitalized for chronic illnesses about twice as often as children. Medicare only covers about half of the total cost of hospital visits and a third of that is concentrated during the final year of life. Approximately 7 % comes from private insurance, 13 % from Medicaid, and 25 % comes out of the patient's pocket. Inquiry Magazine reports that in pediatrics, Medicaid covers approximately 70 % of costs.
The combination of the rise in the cost of health care and the increase in number of elderly in long-term care advocates the allocation of a greater share of health care funds in geriatrics. The necessity for resource allocation towards geriatrics is clear, making it arduous to appropriate further affluence to other areas, such as pediatrics. But, the benefits in preventative pediatric care would be undeniable. Immunizing people early in life decreases their susceptibility to many of the ailments that they may encounter later if not immunized, such as influenza.
An improved health care system for children would lead to healthier adults, more capable of giving back to society; moreover, many health problems of the middle aged, such as pneumonia, brain damage, and heart problems, could be averted. In addition, problems in a managed care system aimed at cutting costs, particularly in childcare, can be partially ameliorated. Medical Economics states that funds set up by HMOs for pediatricians to pay for testing and hospitalization do not cover the costs patients incur. As a result, many primary-care physicians lose money and the ability to provide services to their young patients. STEP 5. CONCLUSION/SUMMARY: A. ) What do you believe should be done about the problem?
I personally believe that the market forces should take care of the given problem. In other words, the government should not be so much caring about the people when they are sick, but should rather care about them before such incidences and provide them with the opportunity to save more money for their future personal expenses for either personal or private health care plans. The companies should also be motivated by the government (via tax cuts) to create reasonable insurance plans for their employees. B. ) What are the chances that your solution (s) can be adopted? The chances of my solution being adopted are rather slim for the fact that the US government considers it more appropriate not to reduce much taxes but rather appear like a helping hand by providing the health in the time of need when people actually need the medical support.
Yet, still with the recent G. Bush Jr. statements that he plans to reduce taxes it is quite possible that some taxes will be reduced for a purpose to motivate companies and individuals to get involved in the personal health insurance package formation rather than keeping ones fingers crossed and waiting for the US government come and help in times of disease. I believe that my solution to let the company and the invisible hand rule with the minor financial help from the US government would allow individuals to form the perfect health insurance packages on their own and not become dependent on the standard health insurance package developed by the US government. I believe that the freedom of choice, teamed up with the knowledge of all the benefits the health insurance provides to the policy holders will certainly contribute to the universal purchase and formation of the health insurance packages by companies and individuals while the government role would be regulatory and advisory rather than fatherly. C. ) What is your prediction as to the future history of the problem?
My personal predictions as to the future of the problem are rather optimistic. I believe that the US government already understood that technically it is impossible to force everyone to be insured if these people do not want to do so. To the best of my knowledge in the former USSR, people were forced to get insured (the certain amount was taken away from their paychecks), yet still the government was unable to provide the quality insurance that would suffice the needs of each individual. The same can be said about the US government that should give people more opportunities to insure themselves and their families and not give them some money when they already need help.
I view the US government as to drastically reducing the taxation of the corporations that provide lavish health insurance to their employees and thus removes the government from the role of the care-giver to the person should they get sick. At the same time much attempt will be done for the preventive medicine, motivating people to attend gym, swimming pools and saunas. The expenses associated with the building of these health factories will certainly be tax-deductible and therefore would act as main motivators for the US companies to insure their employees as well as provide them with the proper preventive tools for health amelioration. -STEP 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Hack, K. R. , and C. A.
Rocchio. "Serving Families of Persons With Severe Brain Injury in an Era of Managed Care. " Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation 10. 2 (1995): 57 - 65. Hughes, S. L. , et al. "A Randomized Trial of Veterans Administration Home Care for Severely Disabled Veterans. " Medical Care 28. 2 (1990): 135 - 45. Hughes, S. L. , and D.
Dunlop. "The Prevalence and Impact of Arthritis in Older Persons. [Review]. " Arthritis Care & Research 8. 4 (1995): 257 - 64. Hui, E. , et al. "Outcomes of Elderly Stroke Patients. Day Hospital Versus Conventional Medical Management. " Stroke 26. 9 (1995): 1616 - 9. Hurwicz, M. L. "Physicians' Norms and Health Care Decisions of Elderly Medicare Recipients. " Medical Anthropology Quarterly 9. 2 (1995): 211 - 35. Jacks, J.
C. , and L. Jacks. "Chronology of the Birth and Death of a Health Bill. " Journal of Health Care Finance 21. 3 (1995): 59 - 67. Jackson, M. E. , et al. "Eligibility for Publicly Financed Home Care. " American Journal of Public Health 82. 6 (1992): 853 - 6. Johnston, M. V. "Outcomes of Community Re-Entry Programmes for Brain Injury Survivors.
Part 2: Further Investigations [See Comments]. " Brain Injury 5. 2 (1991): 155 - 68. Johnston, M. V. , and K. M. Hall. "Outcomes Evaluation in TBI Rehabilitation. Part I: Overview and System Principles. [Review]. " Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 75. 12 Spec No (1994): SC 1 - 9; discussion SC 27 - 8.
Johnston, M. V. , and R. A. Keith. "Cost-Benefits of Medical Rehabilitation: Review and Critique. [Review]. " Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 64. 4 (1983): 147 - 54. Johnston, M. V. , and L.
S. Miller. "Cost-Effectiveness of the Medicare Three-Hour Regulation. " Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 67. 9 (1986): 581 - 5. Jonsson, B. , and S. E. Larsson. "Functional Improvement and Costs of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Destructive Rheumatoid Arthritis. " Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 20. 5 (1991): 351 - 7. Kara, L. , and P.
Come. "Inpatient Rehabilitation in Elderly Stroke Patients [Letter; Comment]. " Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 42. 9 (1994): 1027. Kane, K. , et al. "Cost-Effectiveness in Stroke Rehab [Letter]. " Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 77. 5 (1996): 521; discussion 522 - 3. Kemper, P. "The Use of Formal and Informal Home Care by the Disabled Elderly. " Health Services Research 27. 4 (1992): 421 - 51. Koch, S. J. , D. E.
Are, and B. Bowser. "Outpatient Rehabilitation for Chronic Neuromuscular Diseases. " American Journal of Physical Medicine 65. 5 (1986): 245 - 57. Kramer, A. M. , P. W. Shaughnessy, and M.
L. Pettigrew. "Cost-Effectiveness Implications Based on a Comparison of Nursing Home and Home Health Case Mix. " Health Services Research 20. 4 (1985): 387 - 405. Kramer, Andrew M. , et al. "Rehabilitation of Medicare Patients in Rehabilitation Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities. " Study of the Cost-Effectiveness of Subacute Care Alternatives and Services (1994). Kurlander, S. S. "Regulatory Affairs in Rehabilitation: the Basics. " Rehab Management: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Rehabilitation 9. 1 (1996 - 1997): 73 - 5. LaBan, M.
M. , D. Muzljakovich, and J. C. Perrin. "Improving the Efficiency of Patient Selection for Continuing Rehabilitation in a General Hospital: the Stroke Option Rehabilitation Team. A Commentary. " American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 71. 1 (1992): 55 - 6. Lambert, C.
M. , et al. "A Pilot Study of the Economic Cost and Clinical Outcome of Day Patient Vs Inpatient Management of Active Rheumatoid Arthritis. " British Journal of Rheumatology 33. 4 (1994): 383 - 8. Lane, L. F. "Repackaging for Rehab Entree. Financially Rewarding Services Increase Market Share. " Contemporary Longterm Care. 13. 3 (1990): 44 - 5, 47 - 8. Leave, L. L. , et al. "Preventing Medical Injury. " QRB.
Quality Review Bulletin 19. 5 (1993): 144 - 9. Rusch, F. R. , R. W. Conley, and W. B.
McCaughrin. "Benefit-Cost Analysis of Supported Employment in Illinois. " Journal of Rehabilitation 59. 2 (1993): 31 - 6. Rutgers University, Bureau of Economic Research. "Analysis of Costs and Benefits in Rehabilitation: Final Report. " New Brunswick, NJ. Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey (1985). Santa, R. , S. Ostby, and P. Leung. "Functional Status, Referral and Cost of Treatment for Persons With Traumatic Head Injury. " Brain Injury 5. 4 (1991): 411 - 9.
Salcido, R. "Sorting & Saving. " Rehab Management: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Rehabilitation 8. 2 (1995): 33 - 4, 36 - 7, 131. Health Policy [See Comments]. " Health Reports 6. 1 (1994): 216 - 23. Liang, M. H. , et al. "Evaluation of Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services for Elderly Homebound Patients With Arthritis and Orthopedic Disability. " Arthritis & Rheumatism 27. 3 (1984): 258 - 66.
Free research essays on topics related to: brain injury, rheumatoid arthritis, chronically ill, cost effectiveness, rural areas
Research essay sample on Rheumatoid Arthritis Chronically Ill
