Healthcare Systems - Are They Comprehensive and Effective?

Providing quality and effective health care is everyone's concern. This is true anywhere in the world, even in the United States. The government is constantly trying to initiate changes in the system that will ensure that health care is still provided comprehensively even with the onset of recession. The general public, on the other hand, is faced with worries about getting decent health care for themselves and their families. Employers are concerned with providing proper health care benefits to the employees and their dependents, while the medical practitioners are constantly looking for ways on how to be able to provide the best health care possible for their patients. When someone is admitted to a hospital or a medical institution, this can cause worry for his family. They will definitely worry about his medical condition. The financial situation also comes into play. The little but important details about settling the bills, especially if you are using insurance can also cause stress and confusion. Although the coverage of the insurance is usually explained when it is availed, there is a lot more to learn and understand when it comes down to choosing the correct hospital or doctor and to ensure that hospital expenses are kept to a minimum. The United States boasts of having one of the most advanced and comprehensive healthcare systems in the world. American citizens, in general, should be thankful for having sufficient healthcare plans, either through their personal funds or through their employers. This is applicable especially for those who are able to avail of private healthcare plans. However, we cannot say that this is true for everyone, especially those who are not eligible for government insurance. This may be due to one of the following reasons: the disease is not covered by the plan, or the family earns more than enough to qualify for government insurance, but earns less than how much is required for them to afford private insurance. There are also those who are not eligible for government insurance, but do not have health benefits from their employers. So, it is up to them to decide whether they can afford to set aside some money to pay for personal insurance or not. Since the government cannot afford to subsidize healthcare for everyone, or for every disease, the responsibility of providing comprehensive health care is left to the hands of big businesses, or in worst cases, on the hands of an individual who has to decide whether it is practical to get a medical insurance or not. With government provided healthcare being limited, and with medical insurance companies constantly increasing health insurance prices, the burden of providing quality and comprehensive health care for him and his family is left to the ordinary man. To date, there are still no concrete rules and regulations that can help ensure that every man in the country can have quality and comprehensive health care. Until this is addressed, there will still be people that will not be able to afford bringing in their loved ones for treatment and the issue of health care will continue to be a debatable topic.

Healthcare System For Employees - Important Facts

But getting a reliable insurance plan is a must for employers who want to provide good benefits for their employees. So what's a responsible but financially hard up business owner to do? What employers must know is that there are health insurance plans designed specifically for small business owners and this is what they should be considering for their employees. There are many insurance companies out there who have ready-made services for small business that have plans that are well within reach of any employer. Some employers think that getting healthcare for their employees is a financial burden. Fact is, business can actually save money in the long run by getting a healthcare system for employees. The best way to get the most affordable healthcare systems for employees is by performing a through research and survey of all the available insurance plans for small businesses out there. Talk to different insurance agents and ask them about alternatives if the plan that they will present to you is a bit out of your reach. Inquire about how to get tax free insurance policies which will surely be advantageous to you. Many insurance companies offer big discounts when it comes to providing group insurance policies so be sure to ask about it as well. This may seem lot a lot of work for you but the rewards will be tremendous. You could also benefit from websites that compare different insurance premiums. By logging on to these websites, you will be able to get a quick glance of the available plans to you. It is advisable that you go for the one that provides the most value for money even if it is not necessarily the cheapest.

Cash Cow For Crooks - Our American Healthcare System

The American Healthcare System is pandemic in fraud and that needs to be taken care of first before we can save real money in the system. We could save multi-billions if the system was revamped and the opportunity for easy money was eliminated. I know what a debacle our healthcare system is in, I spent months preparing my company for Medicaid and Medicare approval. It reminds me of taking a dry towel every 5 minutes to dry off when you're standing in the rain. There seems to be no end to redundancy and complexity. A system in complete dissaray and bleeding profusely. I know this as a fact since I spent months getting the necessary requirements for my companies approval for Medicaid and Medicare. Just to get the process started you have to get approved and checked by no less than three clearing-houses. What a nightmare. Lately there has been a lot of talk about IT and cross operational platforms to help reduce costs and save us from high medical expenses. Our government and most consumers havn't got a clue how our Healthcare System works and how the system has turned into a "Cash Cow" for the crooks. The system is 'Bleeding Profusely", and it will take more than a bandaid to fix it. The consumer is over charged every step in the process, all the way to bankruptcy. I read an article how in 2007-2008, 61% of bankruptcies were caused by medical bills, this was up from 27% just a few years before. Yesterday I was having lunch with an elderly man 70 yrs old and he asked what I did. I told him very proudly. Sir I distribute premium medical equipment and supplies and my company carries the best crutches, forearm crutches, bedside commodes and bed tables in the country. He could tell I was passionate in what I did and he told me his story. He retired from General Motors and he that was a diabetic he then mentioned that his co-pay was $11.00 every time he went in for a check-up. The doctor usually rushes him through but recently spent approx 10 minutes with him and he appreciated it, until he checked out. It seems the doctor charged his co-pay $33.00 this time. Well lets do the math, for 10 minutes he charged $20.00. That equates to $120.00 an hour. Oh now if the co-pay was just 20% of total bill then that leaves a bill of 50 minutes more he can charge for and the Insurance would pay for. We know he charges $33.00 for every 10 minutes. This is a patients portion, so $33.00 times 5 is equal to $165.00. so here is what you have. Whether the man or the insurance company pays for this a total cost that the doctor is billing just for a check-up is $198.00. This is not $198.00 an hour it's almost $200.00 every ten minutes or $1,200 and hour. I don't care how you cut this it is wrong! It gets worse. This doctor hasn't even started charging for any scripts or extras he can bill for. This happening in my own backyard and I'm sick of it! In every facet of the healthcare process everyone is overcharging and no one is watching the ship. Significant savings can occur by supporting preventative care, wellness programs and education. Throw real money at this so people will follow and use recommendations. Unless we have a system that provides monetary incentives for better health, consumers won't use it. Health abuse and expense occur with the foods that are recommended and are so-called healthy. My pet peeve is our ludicrous diet with all the non-nutritional foods being marketed and promoted as healthy. It's causing our society to be obese and psychologically we depend on it, many of the additives and artificial ingredients are causing severe mental and physical problems, they have addictive properties and exacerbate current and future medical conditions. Examples include diabetes, headaches, MS and other neurological conditions.

We Need a Healthcare System Makeover!

Apparently our esteemed Canadian Government is going to be spending seven million dollars to promote their new fiscal budget. Is it any wonder why our country is in this state of affairs, using our tax dollars on their own parties' propaganda, instead of investing those funds to make a difference for their citizens? Meanwhile back at the ranch our medical system has so many shortfalls like long waits in the emergency rooms, dated equipment that people in the community need to raise the money to buy, lack of general practitioners, lengthy times for treatment, and to add insult to injury, yes pun intended, a fee for parking at hospitals to maintain the premises. I also would like to add in dentistry which is not part of the healthcare equation here. Seemingly our national budget has a surplus to send millions of dollars to other countries for Ebola treatments, when thousands of people here can't receive proper treatment for serious diseases. I've mentioned before that our government leaders have become self-serving, and these types of actions veers me to think in this way. I believe how our politicians run this country should be re-visited starting with the medical system. The saying is without your health you have nothing, and people need to be well to live productively. Honestly compared to some countries are health care system is incredible, but could be improved drastically. Canada is ranked 30th among the world's best healthcare systems, France and Italy taking the top two positions. Maybe if our Government used those millions in funds to find out how the top two countries are providing an excellent system, adopted a bit into the Canadian Healthcare system we could be at least in the top 10. Of course this would mean tightening their belts maybe stop buying millions of dollars in toys like one drone plane we don't need, the hundreds of thousands it cost to bomb other countries to be part of gang, and reducing their own salaries and expenditures putting their citizens in more healthy position all around. I also would like to state a healthcare system is not something they are giving us, it is our tax dollars that pay for it, and we elect them with the expectation to help not hurt. The real deal is they are providing a little more than basic care, but every Canadian still needs to have a health benefit plan, because they will not cover all that a person requires to be well. Maybe this will or will not make sense to you, but they are indirectly contributing to people's digression in mental health issues. This puts more of a burden on the healthcare system. Unemployment, low paying jobs, high taxes are causing citizens distress which means more health problems than before. I think we need a strong business minded Prime Minister, who really is dedicated to allotting our tax dollars where they need to go, using the power of no to balance our budgets, and someone who can stop the financial bleeding, yes pun intended again, by healing the economy instead of placing a Band Aide on all the issues like health.

Healthcare Systems and Their Structure

Constantly under review and scrutiny, the issues on healthcare Systems have become international. Made up mainly of organizations and individuals, these healthcare structural systems are designed to meet a target population's need for health care. On an international level, there is a diverse variety of health care systems. In some countries the planning of the health care systems are market driven and participated in by the private sector. In other countries the systems are composed of government and non-government entities such as religious groups, trade unions charities and or other coordinative bodies that are centrally run and planned, to enable the delivery of healthcare services to the populations they target. In other words, health care planning has evolved. According to a World Health Organization report in 2000, the main goals of health systems are the ability to provide a responsive health service alongside considerations of fair financial contributions. In order to appraise overall health care systems, a proposed two-dimensional approach was conceived. The first dimension consists of equity and the second is composed of efficiency, quality and acceptability. Several proposals have come from the Senate in the United States and the White House. Health care system issues according to President Obama are issues that should be addressed immediately and placed them on a top priority list. A universal health care system does not exist or is practiced in the United States. Some countries subsidize their universal healthcare directly from government coffers. This kind of universal healthcare is called socialized medicine, which is a combination of private and public delivery systems, with most countries spending public funds for this service delivery. Government taxes plays the role of funding this system supplemented and strengthened with private payments. The World Health Organization (WHO) report of 2000 ranks each member country's health care system. Discussions on the positive and negative aspects of replacing health care systems with insurance systems use this report's quotation. However, the WHO has remarked that as ranking healthcare systems is a complex task, these ranking tables will no longer be produced. Infant mortality and life expectancy are two main variables that are used in the ranking. Out of 198 countries, Canada ranks thirtieth and the US ranks thirty seventh. The World Health Organization ranks France, San Marino, Italy, Andorra, Singapore, Malta, Spain, Austria, Oman and Japan as the world's top ten. With the founding of the UN (United Nations), there was planning and discussion on the need for a single entity to serve, observe and assess global health care system trends. Thus the World Health Organization was formed in 1948 on April 7th with headquarters based in Geneva, Switzerland. Annually the WHO is recognized by the celebration of a World Health Day. The WHO is the coordinative and directive authority for United Nations' member countries individual health systems. Member countries of the United Nations are allowed WHO membership through the acceptance of the WHO constitution. To date there are a total of 198 member nations participating in WHO programs.

Maximized Living: New Rankings for US Healthcare System

The American healthcare system continues to crumble. Bankruptcy due to medical expenses is at an all time high. While the health of Americans is at an all time low. From medical errors, unnecessary procedures, and drug prescription side effects to increases in heart disease, cancer, and degenerative illness, the truth continues to be uncovered. Startling statistics are being yanked from the most respected scientific journals to prove our medical system is clearly not only not getting people well, it is harming the people more than it is helping. The latest report published in Health Affairs reveals the United States is 49th in life expectancy and rank 41st in infant mortality rates. If those numbers don't strike a nerve with you, remember there are people you know putting their faith in life in the hands of our healthcare system. In America, we put the most money into healthcare. We have the best hospitals, best technology, put most money put towards medical research, and our rankings have dropped 20 spots in the last seven years! How is that possible? The answer is simple. The system is broken and it does not work at getting people well. In fact, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine described the American healthcare system this way; "The American healthcare system is at once the most expensive and the most inadequate system in the developed world." Until fraudulent activities are stopped between governing agencies, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies; until alternative measures other than drugs and surgery are explored to get people well; until we have enough Americans who have had enough of the increased disease, depression, suicides, and infants dying; until families across the country decide they will not put their family's health on the line in this system; until there is a radical paradigm shift in American healthcare: you can expect the numbers to drop again seven years from now. The medical model of healthcare was designed for emergencies only! Use it for emergencies only, and decide now to take control of your health. For real healthcare and true prevention, don't rely on a broken system. The Maximized Living view is health care and not medical or wellness-based disease care. If you're sick, follow the 5 Essentials to become a healthy person again. Most importantly, if you're already healthy - follow the 5 Essentials and stay healthy! If you look at the 5 Essentials of Maximized Living and study the available research done for each, you'll find 1000's of studies showing their positive impact on cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, childhood disease, pain, depression, etc. However, unlike the current health care model - it's not about "treating" disease, it's about living. It's about a lifestyle that does not interfere with the body's physiology, function, or structure - thus allowing the body to produce health. It's treating health - not treating disease.

Increased Demand For Technology in the Healthcare System

The days of endless charting and piled papers, is just around the corner for those in the healthcare field. There is an increased demand for technology in the Michigan healthcare system, and with that increased demand come both benefits and drawbacks. There are a wide variety of advantages of increasing the technology and embracing the advances that have made in medical system software and systems this far. Those medical facilities who refuse to take advantage of these new possibilities will soon find themselves obsolete as the rest of the businesses around them continue to advance. Advantages of an Increased Demand for Technology With an increase in technology within the Michigan healthcare system, will come advantages such as easier to access records, faster automatic billing capabilities, and even automated support and call center capabilities that are routed to the appropriate professionals. This improved technology-based access to information will have a significant impact on healthcare. It will save time, money, and ultimately even lives. No more waiting precious minutes to find out what little Johnny is allergic to when he needs immediate treatment and you can't find his chart. There will also be an end to clients being pestered by insurance information about treatment, which has yet to arrive from the doctor's office. Everything will be done faster and more effectively with the new technology that is being developed. Disadvantages of an Increased Demand for Technology With an increase in technology, will also come a need to keep up. To do this, you will need to advance with the times and develop a system that is on par with those being used by other local business. That is just one of the disadvantages of an increased demand for technology in the Michigan healthcare system. Luckily, with the help of an IT specialist company, you can have a state of the art system that runs seamlessly, and is monitored on a daily basis. With all new technology come bugs and kinks that need to be worked out. If you are going to advance with the times, then it will be essential to enlist the help of an efficient and productive IT group. Outsourcing IT work can be very advantageous. By outsourcing your IT work, you can obtain the services you need at the lowest possible cost without being negatively affected. There is an increased demand for technology in the Michigan healthcare system, and this increase is leading to both benefits and problems for healthcare companies. If you own a business that deals in the medical profession, then you have begun to realize the benefits to developing a system that can compete with those developed for other companies. In order to compete, you will need an updated system of your own, which can be accomplished with the help of a dedicated IT company such as AccuTech International. Once you understand the importance of outsourcing this work, and developing your company further with the use of the latest technology in the field, you will begin to see your business thrive while conserving money at the same time.

Healthcare System

Importance Of Technology In Healthcare System Healthcare is a business today and like any other business the major motto is profit. But at the same time technological advances are required because until and unless the caregivers provide advanced technology and advanced result the patients will not trust them. In most of the countries healthcare is in private sector and the completion has only improved the standard. Use of technology is not only noticed in the use of advanced diagnostic and surgery machineries, but it is also noticed in the administrative system. People want things to be more professional and for that automated report generation, data maintenance, online registration and checking, and other facilities are enabled. Different Sections Of Healthcare Today, healthcare is not only limited to doctors and patients. Many new professions have developed in this industry and both the professional and the patients are taking advantage of them. Posts such as clinical assistant, nurse, nursing assistant, therapist, medicine supplier, administrative staff and many more have come in the existence. Each of them has enriched the industry in its own way. The education and qualification needed for each of them is different and people are earning a lot of money by getting involved in these jobs. Cost Of Healthcare And Medical Insurances The cost of healthcare is not the same in all healthcare systems around the world. In some countries healthcare is a privilege offered by the government to its people. The cost here is quite less and in many cases the industry comes under the public sector or is partially managed by public sector. But in some other countries the cost is high but thanks to the medical insurances available for the people there, it can be afforded by many people. It is seen that in the third world countries the cost is still out of the reach and as the literacy level is low, people don't have much knowledge about insurances. Scope Of Development In Healthcare Though healthcare systems around the world has improved quite a lot in last few years, there are scopes of improvement still left in it. In some countries the technological advances can be accessed only by the rich. This is not a good sign because the poor are still suffering and dying. There are several researches carried out for finding medicine for life threatening diseases such as AIDs and cancer and in many cases success is achieved. A lot of investment was made for these researches. Though the good results are visible to the world the cost seems to be high. Healthcare system around the world is a growing sector of the market and as time will progress it will be enriched even more with new technique and new thoughts.

Disparities in US Healthcare System

Healthcare disparities pose a major challenge to the diverse 21st century America. Demographic trends indicate that the number of Americans who are vulnerable to suffering the effects of healthcare disparities will rise over the next half century. These trends pose a daunting challenge for policymakers and the healthcare system. Wide disparities exist among groups on the basis of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. Healthcare disparities have occurred across different regional populations, economic cohorts, and racial/ethnic groups as well as between men and women. Education and income related disparities have also been seen. Social, cultural and economic factors are responsible for inequalities in the healthcare system. The issue of racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare have exploded onto the public stage. The causes of these disparities have been divided into health system factors and patient-provider factors. Health system factors include language and cultural barriers, the tendency for racial minorities to have lower-end health plans, and the lack of community resources, such as adequately stocked pharmacies in minority neighborhoods. Patient-provider factors include provider bias against minority patients, greater clinical uncertainty when treating minority patients, stereotypes about minority health behaviors and compliance, and mistrust and refusal of care by minority patients themselves who have had previous negative experiences with the healthcare system. The explanation for the racial and ethnic disparities is that minorities tend to be poor and less educated, with less access to care and they tend to live in places where doctors and hospitals provide lower quality care than elsewhere. Cultural or biological differences also play a role, and there is a long-running debate on how subtle racism infects the healthcare system. Inadequate transportation or the lack of knowledge among minorities about hospital quality could also be factors of inadequate care. Racial disparities are most likely a shared responsibility of plans, providers and patients. There's probably not one factor that explains all of the disparity, but health plans do play an important role. Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare do not occur in isolation. They are a part of the broader social and economic inequality experienced by minorities in many sectors. Many parts of the system including health plans, health care providers and patients may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in health care. It is seen that there are significant disparities in the quality of care delivered to racial and ethnic minorities. There is a need to combat the root causes of discrimination within our healthcare system. Racial or ethnic differences in the quality of healthcare needs to be taken care of. This can be done by understanding multilevel determinants of healthcare disparities, including individual belief and preferences, effective patient-provider communication and the organizational culture of the health care system. To build a healthier America, a much-needed framework for a broad national effort is required to research the reasons behind healthcare disparities and to develop workable solutions. If these inequalities grow in access, they can contribute to and exacerbate existing disparities in health and quality of life, creating barriers to a strong and productive life. There is a need to form possible strategies and interventions that may be able to lessen and perhaps even eliminate these differences. It is largely determined by assumptions about the etiology of a given disparity. Some disparities may be driven, for example, by gaps in access and insurance coverage, and the appropriate strategy will directly address these shortcomings. The elimination of disparities will help to ensure that all patients receive evidence-based care for their condition. Such an approach will help establish quality improvement in the healthcare industry. Reducing disparities is increasingly seen as part of improving quality overall. The focus should be to understand their underlying causes and design interventions to reduce or eliminate them. The strategy of tackling disparities as part of quality improvement programs has gained significant attraction nationally. National leadership is needed to push for innovations in quality improvement, and to take actions that reduce disparities in clinical practice, health professional education, and research. The programs and polices to reduce and potentially eliminate disparities should be informed by research that identifies and targets the underlying causes of lower performance in hospitals. By eliminating disparities, the hospitals will become even more committed to the community. This will help to provide culturally competent care and also improve community connections. It will stimulate substantial progress in the quality of service that hospitals offer to its diverse patient community. Ongoing work to eliminate health disparities will help the healthcare departments to continually evaluate the patient satisfaction with services and achieve equality in healthcare services. It is important to use some interventions to reduce healthcare disparities. Successful features of interventions include the use of multifaceted, intense approaches, culturally and linguistically appropriate methods, improved access to care, tailoring, the establishment of partnerships with stakeholders, and community involvement. This will help in ensuring community commitment and serve the health needs of the community. There is the need to address these disparities on six fronts: increasing access to quality health care, patient care, provider issues, systems that deliver health care, societal concerns, and continued research. A well-functioning system would have minimal differences among groups in terms of access to and quality of healthcare services. This will help to bring single standard of care for people of all walks of life. Elimination of health care disparities will help to build a healthier America. Improving population health and reducing healthcare disparities would go hand in hand. In the health field, organizations exist to meet human needs. It is important to analyze rationally as to what actions would contribute to eliminate the disparities in the healthcare field, so that human needs are fulfilled in a conducive way.

What Physicians Can Do to Prepare For the New Healthcare System

There has been a great deal of discussion about the new health care reform and whether or not it will affect the business of medical malpractice insurance. Although it has been said that there will be no changes in the business of insurance, there will be many changes in the healthcare industry as a whole. Regardless, now is the time for physicians to prepare for these changes. It has been estimated that 32,000,000 people will be added to the healthcare system. With such a dramatic increase in people demanding healthcare, there will be an enormous amount of paperwork to process. Likewise, doctors will most likely need to increase their staff because there will be new patients who will have many questions or need help filling out paperwork. One of the things that physicians can do to prepare is to do a thorough review of their policies and procedures to make sure that there is an established system in place to take care of administrative tasks. The more organized an office is, the easier it will be to process patients' billing and paperwork. Another way that physicians can prepare for changes is to make sure every person on their team is properly trained. Everyone has to be on the same page when it comes to caring for patients. This has always been the case, but now more than ever physicians have to be more mindful and conscious of how they are treating people. Providing quality health care will be the determining factor on whether or not a person continues to seek care from a particular physician. Under the new healthcare reform bill, physicians will be rewarded for high quality, efficient care. There will be increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans that demonstrate care and significantly improve quality. The bottom line is that physicians need to be flexible and adapt to the inevitable changes in healthcare that will take place in the following years. Keep an open mind and always be on the lookout for ways to improve patient care.