As discussed in the textbook, the health care industry continues to face challenges and patients are becoming more aware of patient rights with access to health care provider information.
Specify what you believe to be the greatest challenge that the health care industry faces today. Provide a rationale for your response.
Then, go to Strategic Plan FY 2018–2022 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). Has the HHS strategically planned to address the challenge that you identified?
Be sure to respond to at least one of your classmates’ posts.
Respond to the students post below:
Hello Professor and class,
In my opinion, there are many challenges in the health care industry, but the greatest challenge is the rising cost of health care. The cost of health care has several facets that contribute to these challenges. There’s the noninsured, underinsured, people with decent insurance but still can’t afford care and government and private insurance fraud and abuse. “The cost of health care affects every aspect of the U.S. health care system.” (Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs 1) According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, “The cost of care and mounting medical bills ranks at the top of things Americans worry about.” (Americans’ Challenges with Health Care Costs 1) Many American’s live with chronic illnesses because they don’t have insurance or they have insurance but they can’t afford the deductibles or medications.
Health insurance fraud is all too common and it plays a huge part of escalating health care costs. Medicare and Medicaid fraud are a multibillion-dollar drain on a system and overtreatment and fraud have greatly contributed to private insurance inflation. “According to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (2008), the U.S. spends more than $2 trillion on health care each year, and at least 3% of that ($68 billion!) is lost to fraud. Put another way, according to Reuters (2009), fraud accounts for 19% of the $600 to $800 billion in annual waste in the U.S. health care system annually.” (The High Cost Of Health Insurance Fraud 2).
Millions of people go without health care coverage because of the cost. . “According to a study by Nerd Wallet, medical bills are the number one reason people file for personal bankruptcy.” (What Are the Consequences of Not Having Health Insurance? 3) The risk associated with cost can be catastrophic. So, whether it’s losing life or losing livelihood, the cost of health care continues to be the most significate challenge in the healthcare industry.
HHS addressed the cost of health care in Strategic Goal #1. It states that they’re working with public and private partners to make health care affordable. There solutions are to lower the cost of health care is by expanding the healthcare workforce and by creating better access for people to receive care. I think these changes will have a minimal impact on the cost of care. I feel that all levels government should work with the medical industry to combat fraud which will help lower health care cost. It is imperative to combat fraud abuse so that the losses won’t continue to be passed on to public.
