Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues NURS 6053 Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues

Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues NURS 6053 Discussion: Review of Current Healthcare Issues

Rapidly rising cost of care in developed countries; continue to be a significant national healthcare issue of concern, especially here in the United States. Insurance coverage is among the strongest predictors of access to care and better health outcomes. The uninsured are less likely to receive preventive services and are more likely to delay or forgo care because of cost.  They are more likely to have emergency department visits which are less cost-effective, also are more likely to experience potentially avoidable hospitalization than their counterparts with health insurance coverage (Yabroff et al., 2021).  While healthcare economics is complex, technological innovation and costs associated with the adoption and use of health technology have become the primary driver of healthcare cost inflation. In the United States, health technology (H.T.) enables the scope and quality of care patients receive. Unfortunately, patients pursue expensive H.T. in response to information asymmetry, which leads them to associate high-tech care with quality and, of course, inefficient or no insurance coverage that shelters them from the actual cost of care. Research has shown lots of evidence relating to ineffective and inappropriate use of H.T. with resultant cost inflation and variable healthcare quality (Hofmann, 2009).

With the escalating cost of healthcare and the rise of high deductible health plans, patients are becoming increasingly responsible for significant portions of their bills. The average income of families with employee health insurance rose from $76,000 in 1999 to $99,000 in 2009 but increased spending on health care largely offset this gain. Families’ health insurance premiums rose from $490 to $1115, and out-of-pocket healthcare spending almost doubled. It is no wonder that so many admitted patients pay attention to the bill they will receive on discharge instead of their recovery (Simone, 2011).

Impact of the Increased Healthcare Cost on my Work Setting

            I currently work at a hospital that serves a more significant number of unfunded and undocumented patients; some of these patients are homeless, with some in a living situation that is very unconducive for health. This exposes my work setting to a high flow of critically ill patients, leading to a high volume and high acuity workplace. Most of our patients cannot afford preventive care but present mainly in critical conditions. Most of these patients come from different states, neighboring communities, and not necessarily, the two communities we serve. This leads to my workplace experiencing frequent total diversion status. The community looks at any nurse working at my workplace as a super nurse. Most times, nurses from my workplace are expressly hired when they go to other hospitals because of the notion that if you can handle Grady patients, you can care for any patient anywhere.

Ways by which my Healthcare Setting has responded to the above Issue of Concern

My healthcare setting is a not-for-profit organization that provides the highest quality of care, leading to the slogan “Atlanta cannot live without Grady.” A recent study found that U.S. health care spending is higher than that of other countries, most likely because of higher prices and perhaps more readily accessible technology; rather than higher-income or an excellent supply of utilization of hospitals and doctors. (Norbeck, 2013). My healthcare setting established a cost-saving policy where unfunded or low-income patients can obtain a “Grady Card” on meeting the essential criteria. However, the patients must be residents of the two communities that we serve.