Healthcare Policy

I. A mostly private health care system A. Traditional approach: fee for service. Paid for by insurance. B. Rising costs of health care, even when adjusted for inflation, has led to the rise of HMOs.even when adjusted for inflation II. Federal involvement with health care A. MedicareMedicare B. MedicaidMedicaid C. A prescription drug benefit for Medicare patients was added during the first term of George W. Bush.prescription drug benefit D. Research efforts (Through Dept. of Health and Human Services usually).Research efforts

III. Problems with health care A. Rising Per Capita costs and projected future rising Per Capita costs (table 4).Rising Per Capita costs future rising Per Capita costs B. Uninsured. Working poor and unemployed unable to afford health insurance.Uninsured. C. High cost of malpractice insurance because of increased litigation.cost of malpractice D. Unnecessary procedures, especially, to protect physicians from risk of lawsuit.Unnecessary procedures E. Endless paperwork from the federal government and insurance companies. paperwork from the federal government and insurance companies. F. Lack of flexibility and choice with HMOs.HMOs. G. Cost of Prescriptions.

IV. Health care reform A. An early priority of Clinton and now a top priority for Obama. B. Various proposals: 1.Single payer (socialized medicine).Single payer 2. Public Option vs. Single Payer Public Option vs. Single Payer 3.Managed competition. Use of HMOs to accomplish “cost containment." Problems with HMOs has led to a desire for patients bill of rights.patients bill of rights. 4.Requiring coverage from employers. 5.Spending caps on health care. 6.Abolishing employer provided coverage and requiring people to buy health insurance individually. V. After a long-drawn out partisan battle, health care reform was enacted in A.The Affordable Health Care Reform Act The Affordable Health Care Reform Act