Abstract This paper examines the effects of imposing mandatoryhealthinsurance laws on all citizens of the state of Oregon. The writer discusses the financial challenges such a law would impose on low income citizens and how these citizens, that lack the financial ability to pay for insurance, would, consequently, not be able to avoid violating a mandatoryhealthinsurance law. The paper concludes that even though the framers of mandatoryhealthinsurance do not seem to have placed much value in the potential impact of unforeseen unemployment and do not seem to have much regard for the guarantees provided under equal protection under the law, these factors are directly relevant and must be evaluated. This document appends some of the sources used in writing this paper.
From the Paper "Oregon's proposed policy that would implement mandatory health insurance requires careful study and a three dimensions of feasibility analysis, primarily because several inherent provisions of this prospective law appear to be unworkable and unenforceable. A range of other potential problems exists, but a significant unforeseen problem is that criminalizing low income citizens for being unable to afford health insurance may be in conflict with the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law."
Tags:health, care, reform, Massachusetts, medical, coverage, administration
Abstract This paper discusses the health care crisis in the United States. The paper notes that health care costs have been rising beyond the rate of inflation for quite some time, and many Americans are starting to realize the severity of the issue. The paper examines the causes of the problem and discusses solutions that will help to minimize it. To analyze the situation, the paper looks at economic literature and then applies this economic framework to the current policies that affect the health care market. The paper continues by using the same framework and analyzes alternative policies and institutions and recommends a set of policies to best address the issue. The paper is illustrated with graphs and tables.
Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review
Class Probability
Insurable and Uninsurable Risks
Sub-Classification of Risks
Moral Hazard of Insurance Analysis of Current Policies and Institutions
The AMA
Moral Hazard of HealthInsurance and the Problem of Sub-classification
Incentives to Use HealthInsurance Public HealthInsurance Analysis of Alternative Policies and Institutions
Limiting the Market Power of the AMA
High Deductible HealthInsurance Health Savings Accounts
Conclusion
From the Paper "The purpose of insurance is to pool a particular risk among a group of individuals so as to reduce the amount of risk facing any one individual. Risk can be defined as the uncertainty about a particular negative outcome occurring in the future. If the perceived risk is financial in nature, then an individual may choose to pay a fraction of the cost into an insurance pool, thereby eliminating the possibility of incurring the cost in its totality."
Tags: income-elastic, economic, framework, a, risk, based, insurance, pool
An examination of State Children's HealthInsurance Plan (S-CHIP); the legislation that allows states in the US to provide healthinsurance to more children from working class families.
Abstract This paper discusses the problems of the number of people in the United States who cannot afford healthinsurance. It specifically looks at the effects of under-insurance or lack of insurance for children. The paper then discusses and analyzes S-CHIP (State Children's HealthInsurance Plan), the legislation that allows states in the US to provide healthinsurance to more children from working class families. The paper contains tables.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Methodology
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "The S-CHIP program has been very successful in helping solve one aspect of the healthcare problem, by providing health insurance to financially disadvantaged children who live above the poverty line. In states with vigorous S-CHIP programs, a huge number of people take advantage of S-CHIP. Other states do not pursue S-CHIP with the same vigor, and have reduced S-CHIP participation. However, every state but Tennessee shows significant numbers of children being assisted by the S-CHIP program. Moreover, state governors and legislators are very supportive of the S-CHIP program, because they have seen the real differences it has made in healthcare access for the financially disadvantaged. In fact, many states have sought to expand their state's S-CHIP eligibility requirements, because of the public response to S-CHIP availability. It is clear that S-CHIP has met its legislative goals and should be continued."
Abstract The paper discusses a plan to create a national healthinsurance system. This system would have a reasonable but sufficiently high co-payment to instill responsibility and would be means-tested so as to protect the truly poor and assure that they get the health care they need. The paper examines the issues of developing a national healthinsurance system and compares the health care that is provided in the United States with other countries that already offer some form of national healthinsurance. The proposed plan would avoid some of the problems people fear might develop while offering the benefits people need.
From the Paper "In the effort to make the individual exhibit greater responsibility for his or her own health and so to promote more preventive care, the only system that has a good chance of working on a national basis is a form of national health insurance. HMOs work to minimize costs and to reduce overuse of the health care system, but the emphasis is on denying service and denying expensive procedures, many of which are badly needed and which can create higher future costs when denied in a timely manner. A national health insurance system with a reasonable but sufficiently high co-payment to instill responsibility, means-tested so as to protect the truly poor and assure that they get the health care they need is the best approach. Other countries already provide some form of national health insurance and manage to do so at a lower cost than the U.S. ...."
Abstract This paper explains that the State Child HealthInsurance Program (SCHIP) is a program formulated and implemented by both federal and state governments to assist poor working families, who cannot afford private healthinsurance. The paper then points out SCHIP is not immune to various issues that threaten its efficacy as a federal and state program. The paper then goes on to discusses these issues involving SCHIP, together with proposals for the enhancement of the current policy. Moreover, the paper investigates prospects for the future of SCHIP, specifically those involving fiscal and economic factors that would determine the capacity of SCHIP to help federal and state governments provide health care assistance. The paper includes charts and an annotated bibliography.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Statement and Significance of the Health Policy
Related Issues and Consequences, Including Groups Supporting/Opposing the Policy
Proposals for Enhancing, Changing, or Eliminating the Health Policy
Prospects for the Future of the Health Policy
Author's Position While Critiquing the Health Policy
From the Paper "The importance of public health care coverage becomes more apparent when the situation is viewed from the perspective of low-income children who lack private coverage. These children are shown to have persistently lagged behind children with public or private coverage when their status of health is assessed based on any measure of access to care. Since poor children have no access to preventive and primary health care, there is great and apparent disparity in the children's health status."
Abstract The paper reveals that Taiwan was named the second healthiest country in the world. The paper explains that the most relevant factors that aided Taiwan in gaining this title were economic growth and a great emphasis on the environment and the population's health. The paper discusses how the National HealthInsurance is the most important key in the country's achievements in health. The paper examines the changes that influenced the insurance system and the current features of the insurance system. The paper points out that although some say they do not apply fair prices, the Bureau of National HealthInsurance is viewed as the primary cause for improvements in the Taiwanese healthcare system.
Outline:
Abstract
History of Taiwanese HealthInsurance Types of Insurances Changes That Influenced the Insurance System
Current Features of the Insurance System in Taiwan
HealthInsurances in the Private and Public Sectors
Statistics on the Bureau of National HealthInsurance Future Goals of the BNHI
Conclusions
From the Paper "Taiwan is rather small sized country, however it is densely populated. Its 23 million inhabitants are concentrated on 36,000 square kilometers. "Often called the "Taiwan Miracle", in 1980s and 1990s, the country's economy grew at a rate of 7.64%. Health status of the people in Taiwan, as measured by the common indicators, is close to those of developed countries: life expectancy at birth is of 74.9 years and the infant mortality rate is 6.5 per 1000 live births. These comparable health outcomes with developed countries are achieved with only modest spending in health care, 6.0% of the Gross Domestic Product in 1998.""
Abstract This paper analyzes the state of the nationalize healthinsurance in the U.S. It describes the main factors contributing to the inability of the working poor and the lower-middle class to find medical insurance and discusses their increasing health care costs. The paper then discusses various possible solutions to the growing healthinsurance dilemma.
From the Paper "Those who do not believe that Taiwan is sufficiently similar to the United States may feel like the success of a national insurance program in Taiwan does not indicate that an American system would find similar success. Of course, the logical response to these objections is to point out that America and Canada are tremendously similar countries, but that Canada has had a nationalized health insurance program since the 1960s. (Krauss). In addition, many European countries, which share the same capitalist economic system as the United States, have extremely successful nationalized health insurance programs."
Abstract The paper utilizes the example of a car dealership in order to analyze how rising healthinsurance costs can influence managerial decisions. The paper shows how cutting costs in a high-turnover, sales-dependent business could undermine productivity and harm the firm's bottom line. The paper reveals that the end result could be lost sales, enhanced training costs, and under-utilized overhead that collectively present a price tag exponentially higher than what is saved on healthinsurance.
Outline:
A Look at the HealthInsurance Problem
The Revenue Cost of Unfilled Positions
Maximizing Overhead
Conclusion
From the Paper "Rising health insurance costs are creating significant hardship for many American businesses, and present unique challenges from the perspective of managerial economics. When making business decisions and planning budgets, managers must remain mindful of the fact that health insurance costs are escalating and are predicted to keep rising. These costs can provide a direct hit on a firm's overall profitability, and, unlike other expenses experienced by a firm, they are a straight money-out proposition. Health insurance costs are not like a capital investment, such as a piece of equipment, where the money a firm spends will be returned several times over as the equipment is utilized in business operations. When a company experiences a stiff hike in its insurance rates from one year to the next -- simply to maintain the current level of coverage offered to employees -- it is a pure impediment to profitability that can not be turned around to produce revenue."
Abstract This paper discusses the healthinsurance needs of a diabetic person in the United States. The paper examines the health concerns, treatments and tests that are necessary for a diabetic individual to be able to manage her own disease successfully. It then examines whether, and in what ways, healthinsurance is able to help the diabetic person cover the costs of these treatments.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
From the Paper "However, it must also be remembered that even if a person enjoyed one's job, and was perfectly happy with it, that person's health insurance would still eat away with regard to the deductibles, and the co-payments would still increase. The reason for this is that medical charges are indeed getting way out of hand, and perhaps even out of sight. For example, in the article, a woman who had had a miscarriage was faced with paying a bill totaling about $6,000, which included a single night's stay in the hospital, and charges such as $14 for about 4 ounces of mouthwash, and $17 for a sanitary pad that would normally cost about fifteen cents. Why are medical charges so very exorbitant and unaffordable, more often than not? Perhaps the main reason is that only about one fourth of all hospital patients actually have health and medical insurance, and this can be taken to mean that these people, who do have health insurance, are in actuality paying not only for their own care, but also for those people who do not have health care insurance."
Abstract This paper discusses the HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which was intended to improve access and renewability with respect to employment related group health plans, to healthinsurance coverage sold in connection with group plans, and to the individual market, by amending the Public Health Service Act. The paper relates that the primary elements in the legislation for most workers are portability and a general improvement in coverage but the Act falls short in addressing these problems. The paper outlines the shortcomings of the Act and provides examples to illustrate them. The paper concludes that, even though main issue in the law is portability, the many other provisions in the Act show how even that one particular change requires a good deal of change in other areas as well.
From the Paper "Epstein (2002) notes some of the unintended consequences of HIPAA with reference to medical research. He cites the provisions on privacy and finds a conflict "between the concern for privacy on the one hand, and the ability of medical scientists, physicians, and institutions to continue on with their traditional research activities." Under the new rules, it is assumed that everyone needs to obtain consent for the disclosure or use of any particular medical record for any kind of purpose, and when HIPAA does distinguish among purposes, it does so based on the needs of the individual."
Abstract The paper discusses how valuing the health of employees makes businesses and employers more competitive while healthinsurance leads to happier employees and lower turnover rates. The paper further discusses how reducing the costs of absenteeism and ensuring an accident-free workplace are financially worthwhile. The paper emphasizes that more than a moral and civic duty, businesses can gain a lot from focusing on its employees' health and well-being.
Outline:
Competitiveness
HealthInsurance Costs of Being Absent
Workplace Accidents
From the Paper "Valuing health of employees can make a business and employers more competitive. In terms of attracting, retaining and keeping top talent, an orientation towards health is needed.
"In a global workforce study, Towers Perrin found that employees in the United States are primarily attracted to competitive health care benefits, among a myriad of other factors. While senior management's interest in their well-being topped the list of the top engagement drivers in the United states (Towers Perrin, 2006, p. 23). What the data shows is that American employees are looking for a company that puts a high value on its employees health. In short, if management wants to hire and retain top people, it needs to be concerned about their health."
Abstract This paper discusses how the rise of electronic sharing of patient's files has made it easier to check patient data regarding important information, such as potential drug interactions. It examines at how there are also privacy concerns that are raised by this increased level of availability of patient data that must be considered by the health care profession for both legal and ethical reasons. It looks at how the HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, also known as HIPAA, attempts to address some of these issues and the importance for every health care organization to become re-familiarized with this document, given growing concerns about privacy and file sharing that have exponentially expanded since HIPAA's passing.
From the Paper "Although it may seem obvious that privacy is ?good,? as noted in David Robert's article in the Advanced Practice in Acute and Critical Care journal of nursing, privacy and confidentiality may seem to be at odds when a patient is not able to fully act as an advocate for him or herself, such as during a critical care or emergency situation. Privacy and confidentiality have an additional "poignancy" and relevance when individuals other than the patient make judgments regarding the patient's care. Sometimes, even more than doctors, nurses are responsible to protect the confidentiality and security of patients' health information, as it is usually a patient's nurses who are exposed to the details of the patient's daily, personal medical information regarding treatment and histories of pre-existing conditions."
Abstract This paper explains that the HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) required that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) propose federal standards protecting the privacy of individually identifiable health information by August 21, 1997. The paper then provides historical background information on the Act and points out that with everything, there is a cost associated with it and this includes the HIPAA. The paper then examines these costs by applying economic principles to the Act and explains that these principles help predict how overall cost will be impacted. The paper also discusses the legislative and regulatory influences of HIPPA. The paper concludes that the instillation of this act has had a great economic impact upon our nation's federal budget.
Table of Contents:
Historical Background
Economic Principles
Legislative and Regulatory Influences
Conclusion
From the Paper "Human resources as well as fiscal resources are needed to meet the demands associated with HIPAA compliance. Human resources are the staff assigned to task related to HIPAA compliance; these resources include consultants, policy developers, information technology staff and any additional staff required to ensure compliance. The fiscal resources are the funds or revenue available and allocated for implementation and maintenance of HIPAA compliance. The availability of these resources will impact the degree of compliance an organization will be able to maintain in relation to HIPAA."
Abstract This paper defines this act which deals with healthinsurance portability, mental health coverage and length of hospital maternity stays. The paper explains who is covered by this new act and discusses in detail different titles of the law. It discusses HIPAA's limitations and lists what the act does not cover. It provides some basic information about understanding the act and discusses eligibility issues. The paper concludes with how this act specifically effects physicians.
From the Paper "According to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, (AFSCME) Department of Public Policy, the law consists of several basic components, Including ?restrictions on pre-existing condition exclusions; nondiscrimination on the basis of a person's health status; guaranteed availability and renewability of health coverage; establishment of a Medical Savings Account (MSA) "pilot" project; modification of COBRA health care continuation rules; provisions dealing with health care fraud and abuse; requirements for employers who offer mental health coverage; requirements for insurers paying for postpartum maternity stays."
Abstract This paper looks at how in 2003 the federal HealthInsurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed, setting a national standard for privacy protection of health information as a result of long-standing concerns of information privacy. It analyzes and describes HIPAA as well as the connection and impact that privacy standards have on healthcare.
From the Paper "The HIPAA regulations protect medical records and other individually identifiable information that is written, electronically stored or communicated orally. Under HIPAA, covered health plans, doctors and other health care providers must provide a notice to their patients how they may use personal medical information and their rights, which patients need to sign for acknowledgment (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). The regulations do not restrict the ability of doctors, nurses and other providers to share information needed to treat patients, but personal health information cannot be used for purposes unrelated to healthcare and covered entities may only share the minimum of protected information for a particular purpose. "
