Health Reforms in the US
Health reforms in the US have been critical in the advancement of many of the health objectives for the improvement of care services for patients. The implementation of early changes came in the 1930 and had been the advancement over the years to the perceived health services in the present-day scenario. The recent need to institute changes in the healthcare sector came following the apprehension of the adversity of the problem related to rising costs and lack of access to crucial services by many citizens. The overall outcome is that it has had benefiting consequences in multifaceted ways with the key areas being the containment of costs. The most pertinent has been the replacement of out-of-pocket expenses that were common with the new medical covers such as Medicaid and Medicare to warrant that many people are registered for care services. It has since become apparent, however, that a majority have not been covered despite the full implementation of the insurance programs.
Advancements in Access and Quality of Care
Health reforms have also been instituted to ensure that the uninsured and those in distant geographical areas are in a position to access safe and quality medical care service through the advancement of the distribution mechanisms. Further, the attention has been shifted to identifying disease etiology as opposed to the mere clinical presentation as it warrants for better outcomes for the long-term care. The health reforms in the US have also been useful in protecting the care services to ensure that quality professional administer the procedures with the overall effect and advancement in the general care mechanisms. Thus, despite the setbacks that have been encountered from the slow implementation and related factors, healthcare reforms have helped the US healthcare.
The Role of Healthcare Reform in the US Healthcare System
In 2010, the US adopted the first-ever comprehensive set of health systems when the Affordable Care Act. The move came following the release of a report that indicated that the healthcare system in the nation was in bad condition after it became apparent that 49.9 people did not have insurance as at 2010 (McDonough 5). The need for healthcare reforms was further necessitated by the fact that the cost of health was becoming unsustainable, inequality was rampant, and that the idea of treating disease rather than promoting wellness was becoming the norm. The healthcare reforms that were instituted in the healthcare sector have since ensured that access to health is improved and that there are better quality and wellness options for patients.
Advantages of Health Reforms
The primary advantages that have been realized from the institution of reforms in the medical industry are that it has ensured that access to care has expanded and more people are covered. The introduction of commercial health insurance in the 1930s came when the need to enable people to meet healthcare without incurring out-of-pocket charges arised. The institution of medical waivers such as Medicaid in the 1990s ensured that people had access to health care more cheaply (Hirsch et al. 2). However, it was reported that at least 15 percent of the population was still not covered as the geographical distribution of resources became a challenge. Further health reforms in the 1960s such as the community health centers ensured that graduates in medical colleges would take positions both in the inner cities and the rural areas. The resultant effect was that many more people managed to access medical care and the distribution of healthcare resources was more equitable as attention was not limited to the urban but the rural areas as well.
Containment of Healthcare Costs
Health reforms have also enabled the containment of costs of health considering that many Americans could not meet the rising expenses for getting healthcare services. The need for the containment of the costs of healthcare became apparent in the late 1970s when the medical technology industry underwent massive advancement and with Medicare and Medicaid expences beginning to soar at the time. The mechanisms that were initiated included programs such as Health Systems Agencies and "Certificates of Need" that ensured that there was a sustainable expansion of healthcare while the technology adopted remained appropriate (Maruthappu, Ologunde, and Gunarajasingam 16). The healthcare reforms have thus enabled the shift in mindset on how healthcare is perceived because it has since changed from care perceived being viewed as market products as it was risking the relationship between doctors and patients. Managed care in the healthcare has been a vast improvement as a result of the reforms that have been undertaken because it has ensured that savings are used equitably. The positive effect is that the market forces from the savings will be perceived both in the health sector where they are used for the expansion of health services for the uninsured, and they can as well be integrated into the business side of health. The integration of the saving on the business perspective is from the consideration that they are used to pay shareholder dividends. Other reductions in government payments have ensured that the costs have shifted to the private coverage options with employers reacting by relying more on the health maintenance of organizations (McDonough 8). The breakthrough in the containment of healthcare costs was thus noted in the 1990s when managed care grew through capitation and other mechanisms that were intended to ensure health professionals were more cost-conscious when delivering care to patients.
Improvement of Quality of Care
Health reforms have also been fundamental in improving the quality of care and enabled the health beneficiaries to realize better health outcomes. The core mechanism used has been through the reduction of overuse of unnecessary services and the underuse of services that are more cost-effective. Another tool that has been employed to ensure improved quality of care is through the control of risky variation in the manner in which healthcare is delivered. The accomplishment of this health objective has, however, been through a fragmented constellation of programs that have been implemented at the state, federal and the private sector levels. The state level has, for example, managed to ensure improved health outcomes through the regulation of facilities and board that monitor the way professional relate and their associated licensure. The use of insurance commissions at the state level has also been useful in ensuring that the insurance aspects of health are kept in check while quality control is also achieved through Medicaid (Rosenbaum 132). The quality of care has also been a consideration at the Federal level through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service that has enabled the adherence to quality standards. Non-governmental agencies have also been keen on ensuring that there is an improved care delivery through the institution of programs such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) that sets reviews and standards upon which professionals are required to operate. It is also associated with key inputs of care such as training, credentials and the use of the right equipment when performing a particular procedure (Rosenbaum 130).
Protection of Health Outcomes
Finally, it is worth outlining that healthcare reforms have been instrumental in protecting health outcomes. The overall objective has been to consider the causes of illness as opposed to treating the symptom and the US health reforms have factored it as the most fundamental aspect of health delivery. The goal has been to warrant that there is a better risk management that could assist in reducing the illness incidence and the level of severity of the disease presentation. Other mechanisms that have been used in protecting health outcomes include the promotion of healthful lifestyles, the reduction of the collective vulnerability, and the health-enhancing policies that are catering for diverse kinds of illnesses. Other ways of perceiving the benefits have been through the improved education on health issues, safer working environments and the reduction of the urban sprawl. The overall goal has been an advancement in the way health services are protected while keeping the patient state as the prime consideration (McDonough 5).
Conclusion
Overall, it is worth affirming that health reforms in the US have been advantageous in various dimensions and overall ensured that there are safe and better outcomes for patients. The key mechanisms through which the common goal has been achieved has been through the containment of costs, expansion of access to distant regions, improvement of the quality of health, and the protection of outcomes. Thus, despite the fact that it has taken decades to realize these results, the implementation of health reforms in the US is justified considering the positive results over the years.
Works Cited
Hirsch, Gary et al. “Achieving Health Care Reform in the United States : Toward a Whole-System Understanding.” n. pag. Print.
Maruthappu, Mahiben, Rele Ologunde, and Ayinkeran Gunarajasingam. “Is Health Care a Right? Health Reforms in the USA and Their Impact Upon the Concept of Care.” Annals of Medicine and Surgery, vol. 2.1, 2013, pp. 15–17. Print.
McDonough, John E. “Health System Reform in the United States.” International Journal of Health Policy and Management, vol. 2.1, 2014, pp. 5–8. Web.
Rosenbaum, Sara. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice.” Public Health Reports, vol. 126.1, 2011, pp. 130–135. Web.
