Consumer and Provider Costs
The federal and state health care policies have a significant impact on health care cost to consumers. Health care cost and considerable disparities in quality have made health care reform a major topic over the past years as well as this upcoming election. Healthcare reform is at the constant forefront of national topics and politics. There are constant talks about Medicare for instead of the aspect of strategies to develop coverage. The constant political opposition has often hindered progress on health reform, it has been left up to the states to pass new legislation that is geared towards health care quality and cost. Health care has been a major political top with the necessity to reform and expand on Medicare, behavioral health care, pharmaceutical cost, health care workforce and consumer cost. Considerations are being made for the state laws to have five categories which include benefit model, provider payments, provider networks, transparency of cost, market power. There has been a public database that catalogues the various state laws that categorizes payment reform, healthcare price and UC Hastings law. This database was created for those in favor and support of the reform. Transparency of prices is a major challenge with the health care system. Patients and consumers are of blindsided by the cost of their care. Over the past few years state legislation has given rise to a range of advances to improve transparency. Sixteen states have enforced mandatory all-payer claims databases. The database assembles and keeps quality information and health care prices. Currently out of the sixteen, eight of them make the quality and price information available through state websites for the public to view. In addition, legislators utilize the websites to examine the quality and prices. Its often that patients do not have transparency about the foundations of providers that are in network and that causes an influx in the cost of their care because the provider is out of the network. Half of the states included have passed laws to protect consumers and patients from balance billing and surprise laws. In addition, comprehensive protections that minimize the patient and their responsibility to their insurance including cost-sharing amounts and the limit of protection for certain types of care. Discussed are positive aspects of reform of policies that will assist with consumer cost (Gaynor, 2012).
According to The State Of State Legislation Addressing Health Care Costs And Quality, the negative impact that federal and state policies are having on consumer costs. One consideration is that health care is becoming more consolidated which is the cause of price increases for health services. The current extensiveness of consolidating health care has grown to many markets. The move toward this direction had come from mergers and organizations that have a large market share. Hospital mergers have been shown to have higher prices without increased quality of care. In turn this increases cost for consumers and their care.
It is essential for federal and state policies to ensure quality and affordable for all constituents. This includes those with and without insurance. As with the affordable care act, healthcare should be available to all regardless of income. The federal and state legislators have the ability to ensure that deductibles are low as well as premium. They should also ensure that quality of care is accessible to all (Larrat, 2012).
The federal and state health care policies have a significant impact on health care cost to consumers. Health care cost and considerable disparities in quality have made health care reform a major topic over the past years as well as this upcoming election. Healthcare reform is at the constant forefront of national topics and politics. There are constant talks about Medicare for instead of the aspect of strategies to develop coverage. The constant political opposition has often hindered progress on health reform, it has been left up to the states to pass new legislation that is geared towards health care quality and cost. Health care has been a major political top with the necessity to reform and expand on Medicare, behavioral health care, pharmaceutical cost, health care workforce and consumer cost. Considerations are being made for the state laws to have five categories which include benefit model, provider payments, provider networks, transparency of cost, market power. There has been a public database that catalogues the various state laws that categorizes payment reform, healthcare price and UC Hastings law. This database was created for those in favor and support of the reform. Transparency of prices is a major challenge with the health care system. Patients and consumers are of blindsided by the cost of their care. Over the past few years state legislation has given rise to a range of advances to improve transparency. Sixteen states have enforced mandatory all-payer claims databases. The database assembles and keeps quality information and health care prices. Currently out of the sixteen, eight of them make the quality and price information available through state websites for the public to view. In addition, legislators utilize the websites to examine the quality and prices. Its often that patients do not have transparency about the foundations of providers that are in network and that causes an influx in the cost of their care because the provider is out of the network. Half of the states included have passed laws to protect consumers and patients from balance billing and surprise laws. In addition, comprehensive protections that minimize the patient and their responsibility to their insurance including cost-sharing amounts and the limit of protection for certain types of care. Discussed are positive aspects of reform of policies that will assist with consumer cost (Gaynor, 2012).
According to The State Of State Legislation Addressing Health Care Costs And Quality, the negative impact that federal and state policies are having on consumer costs. One consideration is that health care is becoming more consolidated which is the cause of price increases for health services. The current extensiveness of consolidating health care has grown to many markets. The move toward this direction had come from mergers and organizations that have a large market share. Hospital mergers have been shown to have higher prices without increased quality of care. In turn this increases cost for consumers and their care.
It is essential for federal and state policies to ensure quality and affordable for all constituents. This includes those with and without insurance. As with the affordable care act, healthcare should be available to all regardless of income. The federal and state legislators have the ability to ensure that deductibles are low as well as premium. They should also ensure that quality of care is accessible to all (Larrat, 2012).