Changes In Health Care

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Changes In Health Care

In today's society, public perception of the U.S. health care system is widespread. Many people are satisfied with the advancements that we have made in the medical community. Less than one hundred years ago, health care was non-existent. Today, it is one of the leading industries in our country and worldwide. However, many people criticize where health care is going. They believe that doctors are giving up quality care and replacing it with the quantity served. This paper will describe the changes that have occurred and are occurring in the US health care system. Beginning with the health care environment, we will see that although we are downsizing some subdivisions, at the same time we are increasing access to health care by providing a variety of different services. Next, the rapid increase in medical insurance since the mid-1900s will be discussed. Medicare and Medicaid were created under the Social Security Act. Since then, medical care to elderly and to the poor in our community has improved drastically. Finally we will discuss why the public perception of a growing medical community is sometimes negative. There are steps that need to be taken to keep the pace of change in our health care system to match the changing needs of our community.
Health Care Environment
Although the American public and Congress resisted the health care reforms proposed by President Clinton in the failed Health Security Act of 1993, market forces continue to alter the health care environment with remarkable rapidity. With consumers, employers, government, and commercial payers intensifying their demands for lower costs, higher quality, better access, and more information about outcomes, most hospitals have undertaken a series of competitive efforts to retain and, if possible, improve their market positions. Many have engaged in mergers and consolidations intended to effect economies of scale and place them in a better position to negotiate with managed care organizations and other payers. Others, in communities with excess hospital capacity, have either closed or been converted to other uses, such as ambulatory or long-term care facilities.
Between 1980 and 1993, approximately 1,000 hospitals closed in the United States, and hospital admissions declined by 11 percent. Although this may seem strange with an increasing population base, major hospitals are now being supplemented by smaller ambulatory and nursing facilities. The decline in hospital adm...

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