Increasing Cost of Healthcare

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the topic of healthcare has become increasingly more popular as the world moves into the information age. The writer points out that there have been major technological advances and changes in marketing regulations for healthcare that have helped to fuel the upsurge of new decisions in the industry. The writer discusses that the cost of healthcare has risen so much that more and more people are unable to afford health insurance or to visit doctors when necessary. In this paper, the policies that surround the issue are discussed. The writer also examines what the best choices would be in order to determine whether there is a way to lower healthcare costs without compromising patient privacy and safety.

Outline:
Introduction - Definition of the Problem and Policy Background
Goals
Policy Proposals
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"One of the goals of HIPAA, other than the privacy and access issue, is to simplify the procedures used by healthcare organizations and reduce the paperwork that they are often required to fill out on each patient. If the paperwork and exchange of data between various healthcare organizations were simplified, the federal government believes that healthcare costs might be lowered significantly."
"This is obviously a very important concern for many patients who already feel that they pay way too much for the small amount of health care that they receive. Some who need a doctor do not always go and see one, simply because they cannot afford the cost of an office visit and any medications or tests that the doctor may feel are necessary. People can die needlessly because of the cost of healthcare, and that is one of the things that the new HIPAA legislation is working to stop. However, HIPAA has been in existence for several years now, and the costs have still not come down to where they should be - which is where most people can afford to deal with them."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Alter, J. (2001). Fighting the HMO meanies: managed care is the only industry in America that can't be sued. That makes no sense. Newsweek.
• Decarlo, T. (2000). Why you need the right to sue your HMO. Redbook.
• Hagan, Kelly T. (15 February, 2000). "HIPAA patient privacy rules." Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems. <http://www.aracnet.com/~oahhs/publications/hipaa bulletin.htm>.
• Haramboure, Diana. (1999). "An industry unready for HIPAA's proposed privacy legislation." Health Management Technology.
• Health Progress. 1993. CHAUSA. <http://www.chausa.org/pubs/pubsart.asp?issue=hp93 10&article=p>.

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