Long-term care is expensive. It makes sense that it’s expensive, as it cares for individuals who need assistance in daily living activities. But this population makes up 48 percent of the total spending while only 6 percent of the Medicaid population uses long-term care services, according to a 2007 Kaiser Family Foundation study. In this economically … Continue reading
In health policy analysis, we view access, quality, and cost (that which the consumer feels) as the three main elements of health care. These three key components are sometimes referred to as the iron triangle because they are in conflict with one another. Increasing quality of care usually means an increased cost, in turn decreasing … Continue reading
Why are fast food chains so prominent in the United States? One answer is that Americans love to buy a well-marketed product. Heck, we love to buy any product. Fast Food also supports convenience and efficiency that we anxious and busy Americans so dearly appreciate. Lastly, America houses an “on-the-go” culture in which the drive-through … Continue reading
Medicaid and Medicare are government insurance programs developed to care for specific populations and the particular needs associated with that population. There are fundamental differences between the ways in which these programs are funded, the services they cover, and the people they serve. Medicare’s beneficiaries are elderly (65 or older) or disabled. It covers acute … Continue reading
The presidential election of 2012 could not have been more different from that of 2008 for me personally. For the Republican Party as a whole, however, things were very much unchanged. In 2008, I was a freshman in college, still acclimating to a new environment in which I had not found my niche. Coming from … Continue reading
The Medicare hospice benefit has played a large role in moving our nation forward providing quality care for our dying. Hospice care was incorporated to improve the dying experience by providing comfort care to alleviate pain, decrease the use of intense care, and decrease the costs associated with intensive treatments. Hospice care has been a … Continue reading
With 63 million enrollees, Medicaid provides coverage to low-income families, individuals with disabilities, and elderly individuals on Medicare who need assistance with cost sharing or services not covered under Medicare (dual eligibles). In 2009, the Medicaid program dished out $346 billion on health care services, or $5492 per enrollee (obviously spending varies per person depending … Continue reading
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are federal programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that incentivize health care providers to reduce costs and improve quality of care. Theoretically, under the ACO model, physicians coordinate with hospitals to create a large organization that provides streamlined, coordinated care to patients. The ACO model hopes to … Continue reading
At the American Action Forum, I have been fortunate enough to learn from some of the smartest people in Washington, including former CBO director, Doug Holtz-Eakin. In a meeting with all of the AAF interns, Dr. Holtz-Eakin told us, “It’s about making good policy good politics.” This has resonated with me throughout the past couple … Continue reading
This past Wednesday, October 3, The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) teamed with Doctors Helping Doctors to hold a conference discussing the current state of Health Information Technology (HIT) in America. In conjunction with the meeting, BPC published results from their survey, which asked doctors about their preferences and needs of HIT. The results suggest that … Continue reading
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