Writing

Healthcare reform is a constantly discussed topic in the U.S. healthcare system. Various influences, including political, societal, and real-time events (think COVID-19) all help to shape the discussion surrounding reform as it relates to the U.S. healthcare system. This link contains a tracker of all pending or introduced reform legislation currently.

Among the biggest talking points relating to the healthcare reform discussion over the past decade has been the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and whether it should remain as it is, be improved upon, or be dismantled and a new system put in its place. Review the most current attempt at modifications to the ACA in this link.

• Do you feel that the ACA should be left alone as it is, be kept in place and improved upon, or be removed completely and a new set of legislation put in its place?
• Discuss your reasoning for your conclusion, and why or how it can be accomplished.

Spending And The Healthcare Economy

People have seen consistent rates of inflation over the past several decades in healthcare. This inflation has been driven by increases in costs for health insurance, technology utilization, and demand for qualified providers and facilities. Consider the many areas in which the U.S. healthcare system has seen steady rises in costs. Imagine you are a financial manager for an organization that has seen significant cost increases in the past few years or decades in an area related to your organization (e.g., supplies, technology, outside services). Prepare an outline for a proposal on how to help reduce or minimize these costs.Use your text as a resource for this assignment plus one other resource from the library. Please cite your sources. The outline should include the following:

• Cost that is being looked at
• History of increases
• Potential future increases
• 1–2 suggestions for improvement or change

Spending And The Healthcare Economy

Healthcare spending in the United States has continued to increase over the past several decades at a rate that far exceeds that of other nations. People have seen these increases on everything, from the cost of insurance premiums going up, to the costs of drug prices and office visits increasing. To familiarize yourself with some of the many areas and ways costs and spending are increasing, please review the NHE fact sheet.

• Discuss 1 area that you or someone close to you have seen these increases in costs.
• Examine these increased costs from the perspective of the leader of a healthcare organization. Consider the following:
  • Why do you feel there was an increase in the cost?
  • What, if anything, could have been done to react to the rise in costs and decrease their impact on the organization?
  • What can the organization do to help avoid these increases in the future?

The Role Of Supply And Demand In The Healthcare Economy 2

 During the COVID-19 pandemic, people saw major disruptions to supply lines throughout the country. Nowhere was this more evident than in the healthcare industry. Among the biggest impact was the disruption in supply lines related to personal protective equipment (PPE) and patient care needs (e.g., beds, ventilators, and medications). Use your text as a resource to complete the following assignment as well as one other resource from the library. Please cite your sources.

• Describe the concept of supply and demand and how it relates to the provision of healthcare.
• Once the concept of supply and demand has been explained as it relates to healthcare explain how the pandemic contributed to major shortages of needed supplies and equipment.
• Imagine yourself as a leader of a provider group of some type (e.g., surgery center, orthopedic group, general practitioner’s office). Indicate some of the supply shortages that your group may see in a similar scenario in the future. How can these be offset or averted?
• Identify, evaluate, and present a strategy that healthcare leaders can implement to avoid real-world supply chain disruption in the future.

The Role Of Supply And Demand In The Healthcare Economy

 Nearly everyone in the United States—and the world as a whole—has now been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything from schools, to hospitals, to workplaces have been affected. Among the greatest impact seen has been the impact to the various lines of supplies in the medical field. Please review this article.

• Share how the pandemic has had an impact in both the demand for, and supply of healthcare goods and services.
• Describe the impact the supply chain disruption had on healthcare organizations in your own community in terms of financial impact, patient access and treatment decisions, or shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) for essential healthcare personnel.