Week 5 Discussion Post 20 Document | HIM 500 - Healthcare Informatics

What is the government's role in healthcare? How does the government impact healthcare organizations? The government controls a multitude of rules and regulations. The Do’s and don’ts so to speak, who can get free healthcare, and who can’t, and what will be covered and what is not. Healthcare is a trillion-dollar business that affects us all In some way or fashion. The government outlines the framework nationally. They help with ensuring funding, creating guidelines, enforcing legislation, and making healthcare accessible to most. Many organizations have their own vision, and mission on how they want to operate and serve their patients. Due to certain laws, provisional guidelines, and legislation they can’t operate solely how they would like. Some organizations can do more or less depending on their funding source. How does health insurance impact healthcare delivery? Having health insurance vs not having health insurance plays a major role in the delivery. If you don’t have health insurance you are more likely not getting preventative care at all, resulting in uncared-for health issues. If you have health insurance that is provided by the government many services are free, and others will not be covered. You also have employer-sponsored insurance where you have to meet a deductible and a portion of it is paid by yourself and the employer. c The “type” of insurance you hold is often looked up and you are treated accordingly. All services are not covered, and many individuals go into debt resulting from health care bills. “The Affordable Care Act was the largest federal health policy initiative since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. It brought about structural changes in the health-care system, which included efforts to improve access to health-care insurance elimination of pre-existing condition restrictions in coverage, elimination of lifetime caps on health-care spending, and slowing of growth in healthcare costs through innovative payment reforms”. (www.ncbi.com) How can we reduce the number of uninsured people while maximizing quality and access and minimizing costs? One way to reduce is to focus on quality rather than quantity. Not having so much red tape for certain tests, procedures, and qualifying age factors. Individuals should not have to go into debt over trying to be healthy. c Provide more qualified health Centers in all geographic areas. https://brainmass.com/health-sciences/the-role-of-government-in-health-care https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500098/ Mayberry, R. M., Nicewander, D. A., Qin, H., & Ballard, D. J. (2006). Improving quality and reducing inequities: a challenge in achieving best care. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 19(2), 103–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/08998280.2006.11928138