Reductions in provider payments are sometimes considered as suitable options for reducing excessive Medicare spending (Medicare Reform Options). Nevertheless, we are deemed to believe that such reductions will also affect the benefits for the elderly, due to decreased spending.
However, Medicare programs for elderly are not only based on free pharmaceuticals or free medical care. Several programs target different affections specific to the elderly population. A Medicare test program, for example, introduced in seven states, was imposed to help senior citizens quit smoking through free therapy (Medicare Targets Elderly Smokers). Nursing homes offer the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), as an optional benefit under the Medicare and Medicaid programs (http://www.medicare.gov/Nursing/Alternatives/Pace.asp).
Medicare remains a problem today because of an unmatched difference between the need to include prescription drug coverage and free medication into the system and the capacity of the Medicare system to financially sustain such an inclusion. Given the…...
mlaBibliography
1. Medicare reform returns to Congress. The Star Ledger. July 2007. On the Internet at retrieved on July 16, 2007http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-7/1183441774140490.xml&coll=1.Last
2. Medicare Reform Options. June 2007. Medicare Steering Committee of the Health Practice Council. On the Internet at retrieved on July 16, 2007http://www.actuary.org/pdf/medicare/options_june07.pdf.Last
3. Medicare Targets Elderly Smokers. November 2002. On the Internet
retrieved July 16, 2007http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/21/health/main530344.shtml.Last
It was also interesting to see some of the reforms that are being discussed to help lower costs and that if something is not done now, Americans under the age of 54 probably won't have Medicare when they are ready to retire.
As with many government programs, it seems that Medicare is mired in red tape and not enough money to go around. It seems that people my age will not have any federal funds to fall back on when they are ready to retire if something isn't done, and that our Social Security and Medicare money is going to go to people who are retiring now or in a few years. People in Congress need to work together to reform these social programs before they go broke, and they need to stop fighting about it and just get it done, so Americans that need it the most aren't left…...
mlaReferences
Hensarling, J. (22 Feb. 2008). Medicare and entitlements. Retrieved 13 March 2008 from the Washington Times Web site: http://washingtontimes.com/article/20080222/EDITORIAL/625269691/1013 .
Essay Topic Examples
1. The Impact of Medicare Reforms on the Elderly opulation:
This essay could discuss how changes to Medicare affect the quality of life, financial security, and access to healthcare for seniors. It may also explore the balance between cost-cutting measures and the provision of necessary medical services for the aging population.
2. Addressing the Long-Term Sustainability of Medicare:
An essay on this topic might examine proposals and strategies aimed at ensuring the long-term financial health of Medicare, including adjustments to premiums, benefits, and eligibility. The implications of various reform scenarios for taxpayers and beneficiaries could also be explored.
3. The ros and Cons of rivatizing Medicare:
In this essay, one might debate the potential outcomes of shifting Medicare from a publicly run program to a system with increased privatization, including possible impacts on cost efficiency, patient choice, and overall care quality.
4. Integrating Technological Innovations into Medicare Reform:
This topic would…...
mlaPrimary Sources
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. \"Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003: Report to Accompany H.R. 1.\" U.S. G.P.O., 2003.
United States. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. \"National Health Expenditure Projections 2020-2030.\" CMS.gov, February 2021.United States. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Aging. \"Hearing on the Future of Medicare.\" U.S. Government Printing Office, 2019.United States. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. \"Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy.\" MedPAC, March 2020.Obama, Barack. \"Remarks by the President on Health Care Reform.\" The White House Office of the Press Secretary, 6 May 2009.
Essay Topic Examples
1. The Necessity of Medicare Reform for an Aging opulation:
This essay would explore the demographic changes and the increasing number of elderly in the United States, examining the strain on Medicare resources. It would look at potential reforms to ensure sustainability and equity for future generations.
2. Comparing International Healthcare Systems for Medicare Reform Strategies:
In this essay, the focus would be on evaluating healthcare systems of other countries, such as the single-payer models or multipayer systems, to draw lessons and potential strategies for Medicare reform in the U.S.
3. The Impact of Technological Advances on Medicare Reform:
This topic would investigate how technological progress in healthcare, including telemedicine and artificial intelligence, could influence Medicare reform, potentially leading to cost savings and improved services for beneficiaries.
4. Aligning Medicare Reform with the Needs of Diverse opulations:
Discussion under…...
mlaPrimary Sources
Congressional Budget Office. \"Options for Reducing the Deficit: 2019 to 2028.\" Congressional Budget Office, 2018.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. \"Proposed Policy, Payment, and Quality Provisions Changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for Calendar Year 2021.\" CMS.gov, 2020.Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. \"Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy.\" MedPAC, March 2020.The United States Senate. \"S. 470 - The Medicare at 50 Act.\" Congress.gov, 116th Congress, 2019-2020.United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. \"Solutions to Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs: OIG\'s Top Recommendations.\" OIG.HHS.gov, July 2019.
Essay Topic Examples
1. The Need for Sustainability: Addressing Medicare's Financial Challenges:
An exploration of the financial issues threatening the sustainability of Medicare, including rising healthcare costs, an aging population, and the need for budget reform to ensure the program remains viable for future generations.
2. Modernizing Medicare: Embracing Technology and Innovation:
A discussion on how Medicare can be reformed through the integration of advanced technologies such as telemedicine, electronic health records, and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance patient care.
3. Expanding Coverage: The Debate Over Medicare for All:
An analysis of the arguments for and against expanding Medicare to provide universal healthcare coverage, known as Medicare for All, examining its potential impact on the healthcare system, economy, and the quality of care provided to citizens.
4. rescription Drug Costs in Medicare: Seeking Fair ricing Solutions:
An investigation into the rising costs of prescription drugs within Medicare and the possible policy solutions to control…...
mlaPrimary Sources
United States. Cong. House. Committee on Ways and Means. Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003. 108th Cong., 1st sess. H. Rept. 107-696. Washington: GPO, 2003. Print.
United States. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditure Data. CMS.gov, annually. Web.United States. Cong. Senate. Special Committee on Aging. Hearing on the Future of Medicare. 113th Cong., 2nd sess. Washington: GPO, 2014. Print.United States. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. MedPAC.gov, annually. Web.United States. Cong. Congressional Budget Office. The 2020 Long-Term Budget Outlook. Washington: CBO.gov, September 2020. Web.
Medicare Health Care eform
The Medicare is an American health program that is administered by the federal government and serves as a health insurance for people aged 65 years and above. The Medicare is also designed for people with disabilities and people diagnosed with the renal disease. (Davis, Cathy, & Stuart, 2013). The Medicare is currently being funded by the premiums, payroll tax, surtax from general revenue. In 2015, over 55 million American enrolled for the Medicare services where 46 million people are people aged 65 years and above and 9 million are young people. On the average, Medicare covers half of the health costs and the enrollees are to cover the remaining costs through a separate insurance, supplemental insurance, or out-of-pocket. Since the inception of the Medicare, the cost of funding the program continues to increase, and the rising costs of funding are becoming unbearable both for the current and…...
mlaReference
Blum, J. (2011). Improving Quality, Lowering Costs: The Role of Health Care Delivery System. Center for Medicare Management.
Davis, K. Cathy, S. & Stuart, G. (2013). Medicare Essential: An Option to Promote Better
Care and Curb Spending Growth, Health Affairs 32, no. 5: 901 -- 9.
Golberstein, E. Kayo, W. Yulei, H. et al. (2013). Supplemental Coverage Associated with More Rapid Spending Growth for Medicare Beneficiaries, Health Affairs, 32, no. 5. 873 -- 81.
The Act creates a positive balance between government interests to save money and the interests of Medicare recipients to receive a wide range of drugs for their specific needs. The current ban on government negotiations with pharmaceutical companies serves to protect Medicate recipients by using the positives of the free market, such as the experience and purchasing power of PBMs. hile there are serious potential problems with this approach, such as the potential for fraud between pharmaceutical companies and private interests, overall the ban on government negotiations with pharmaceutical companies provides a good balance between recipient and government interests.
orks Cited
American Legislative Exchange Council. Prescription Drugs. 19 October 2005. http://www.alec.org/2/4/talking-points/7.html
Barry, Patricia. New Salvos in the Prescription Drug ars: Class action suits are exposing schemes that gouge consumers. AARP Bulletin, January 2005.
19 October 2005. http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/prescription/a2005-01-06-salvos.html
Dealey, Sam. Drug Dealings: Democrats had it right before. National Review Online, May 05, 2004, 9:12 A.M.…...
mlaWorks Cited
American Legislative Exchange Council. Prescription Drugs. 19 October 2005. http://www.alec.org/2/4/talking-points/7.html
Barry, Patricia. New Salvos in the Prescription Drug Wars: Class action suits are exposing schemes that gouge consumers. AARP Bulletin, January 2005.
19 October 2005. http://www.aarp.org/bulletin/prescription/a2005-01-06-salvos.html
Dealey, Sam. Drug Dealings: Democrats had it right before. National Review Online, May 05, 2004, 9:12 A.M. 19 October 2005. http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/dealey200405050912.asp
American Health Care
After leading the world in the health of its citizens throughout most of the 20th century, the United States has fallen behind virtually all other wealthy nations in that regard, not to mention having fallen behind several nations that once relied substantially on U.S. aid (Dykman, 2008). While most of the developed world has already embraced the concept of universal government-funded national health care systems, the U.S. still relies on a for-profit model that has proven to be incapable of meeting the health care needs of society in any manner that is efficient, cost-effective, and equally available to all members of society. Even worse, the ongoing political influence of lobbyists for the for-profit health insurance industry continues to succeed in undermining meaningful health care reform (Kennedy, 2006), including by watering down the historic Affordable Care Act that eventually passed into law in 2009. Finally, the available evidence…...
mlaReferences
Dykman J. (2008). "Five truths about health care in America." Time, 172(22): 42-51.
Kennedy E. (2006). America: Back on Track. New York: Viking.
Reid T. (2009). The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care. New York: Penguin.
Tumulty K., Pickert K., and Park A. (2010). "America, the doctor will see you now."
On April 16, 2015 an Act called the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) was passed, which is a piece of history of bipartisan legislation. Eventually, on October 14, 2016 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the department of Health and Human Services, and the regulatory agency which takes care implementing and putting into practice MACRA, gave out an ultimate rule with a comment duration putting into practice the provisions of MACRA. MACRA revokes the highly denounced Sustainable Growth Rate Formula together with its schedule for Medicare Physician Fee (MPF) cuts, substituting it with the Quality Payment Program, which is a new model that focuses on cost measurement and quality, as well as payment and reporting adjustments. Physicians and their assistants, clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, and certified registered nurse anesthetics are all part of the eligible clinicians indicated in Medicare Part B and their QPP includes the…...
Essay Topic Examples
1. The Evolution of Medicare: Tracing the History and Key Amendments
This essay would explore the historical context of Medicare's inception, the societal and political forces that shaped it, and the significant amendments and reforms it has undergone since its establishment in 1965. It may involve an analysis of the original problems Medicare aimed to address and how the program has adapted to changing healthcare needs and economic conditions over time.
2. The Impact of Medicare on Senior Healthcare Outcomes
This topic would delve into the tangible effects Medicare has had on the health outcomes for the elderly population in the United States. It would encompass statistical comparisons of health outcomes before and after Medicare's inception, as well as the examination of current data on chronic diseases, life expectancy, and access to preventative care for those 65 and older.
3. Medicare and the Challenge of Rising Healthcare Costs
The essay could analyze the…...
mlaPrimary Sources
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Medicare & You 2023.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023.
Public Law 89-97 - Social Security Amendments of 1965, Including the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. 89th Cong., 1st sess., July 30, 1965.U.S. Social Security Administration. “Medicare.” SSA Publication No. 05-10043, U.S. Social Security Administration, 2023.U.S. House of Representatives. “H.R.1 - Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.” 108th Congress, Public Law 173, December 8, 2003.United States Senate. “The Bicameral Budget Act of 2018 - Title I: Furthering Access to Stroke Telemedicine Act of 2018.” 115th Congress, Public Law 123, February 9, 2018.
Essay Topic Examples
1. The History and Evolution of Medicare:
This essay could explore the origins of Medicare, key legislative milestones since its inception in 1965, and the changes in coverage and policy that have shaped the modern Medicare program.
2. Medicare's Impact on Senior Healthcare:
An essay on this topic might analyze how Medicare has influenced the quality, accessibility, and affordability of healthcare for individuals aged 65 and older, and how it has affected the life expectancy and health outcomes for this demographic.
3. Comparing Medicare and rivate Insurance Models:
This topic could involve a critical comparison of Medicare with private insurance, evaluating their differences in terms of cost, coverage, and efficiency, as well as the implications of these differences for patients and healthcare providers.
4. The Financial Sustainability of Medicare:
Focusing on the financial aspects, an essay could discuss the…...
mlaPrimary Sources
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. \"Medicare & You 2023.\" U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023.
United States. Cong. House. Committee on Ways and Means. \"The Path to a Sustainable Medicare Program.\" 116th Cong., 1st sess. H. Rept. 40. Washington: GPO, 2021.United States. Social Security Administration. \"Annual Statistical Supplement to the Social Security Bulletin, 2022.\" Social Security Administration, 2022.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. \"National Health Expenditure Data.\" U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023.Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. \"Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy.\" MedPAC, March 2023.
Healthcare Reform
The subject of healthcare reform set the country ablaze last year, proving to be one of the most contentious issues that has swept through American political discourse in recent decades. One reason that healthcare reform might have proven to be such a contentious issue -- bringing out the worst and shrillest elements of the American public -- was that healthcare is one of the most important issues in the lives of many and even most Americans (Christensen and Jason, 2009).
All of us will face serious illness at some point in our lives, whether our own or that of a loved one. The fact that so many Americans do not have any healthcare at all or have very limited access to healthcare makes the issue a personal one, and this alone should have made it central to the public discourse. However, while the above was no doubt the case for…...
mlaWorks Cited
Christensen, Clayton and Jason, Grossman. The Innovator's Prescription, New York: McGraw Hill, 2009.
http://www.healthreform.gov/index1.html
Mahar, Maggie. Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much. New York:Harper/Collins, 2006.
Reid, T.R. The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper and Fairer Health Care. New York: Penquin Books, 2009.
Obama's health care reform will make health care more accessible and more affordable and make insurers more accountable, as well as expand health care coverage to every American and make the health care system sustainable by stabilizing family budgets, the economy and the Federal budget.
The cost of Obama's overall health care bill will cost approximately $940 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional udget Office. The bill will include that by the year 2014 there will be significant health access reforms. Insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to people with medical problems of charging them more money (CS 2010).
While these numbers do sound manageable, Congress has not responded kindly to Obama's health care reform ideas. When Obama has even mentioned the idea of health care for illegal immigrants, the president was rudely interrupted by a heckler yelling, "you lie" ( ). Under Obama's proposal of health care reform,…...
mlaBibliography
CBS News. "What's in a health care bill? Take a dose." Retrieved on June 1, 2010, from the Web site:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/19/politics/main6314410.shtml
CNN.com. (2010) "Obama calls for congress to face health care challenge." Retrieved on June 5, 2010, from the Web site:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/09/obama.speech/index.html
(Menzel, 1990, p. 3) Fisher, Berwick, & Davis alude to the idea of integration in health care, with providers linking as well as creating networks of electronic medical records and other cost improvement tactics.
The United States and other nations over the last twenty or so years, have begun a sweeping change in health care delivery, regarding the manner in which health information is input, stored and accessed. Computer use in the medical industry has greatly increased over the last thirty years the culmination of this is fully networked electronic medical record keeping. (Berner, Detmer, & Simborg, 2005, p. 3) the electronic medical record trend began in the largest institutions first, as hospitals and large care organizations attempted to reduce waste and improve patient care, while the adoption has been much slower among physician's practices and smaller medical institutions. (Hillestad, et al., 2005, pp. 1103-1104) Prior to this time medical…...
mlaResources, and Utilization
The ultimate House vote was two hundred and twenty to two hundred and seven. The senate vote was fifty three to forty three. The republicans were collectively opposed in both chambers (3 June 2010, 3).
The Future of the Health Care ill
Subsequent to disagreements as political enemies for more than a year, the Obama administration and the health insurance industry realized that they require one another.
oth have huge stakes in the success of the new health care law (14 May 2010, 1)
The political destiny of President Obama and Congressional Democrats rely on their capability to interpret it's assurance into realism for voters. This can be attained by restraining health expenses and making insurance accessible to everybody at reasonable price. Similarly, the fiscal future, in fact the continued existence, of the health insurance industry relies on the government. That is on set of laws being written by federal officers and on…...
mlaBibliography
1. "Critics Question Study Cited in Health Debate, " New York Times, 2 June 2010, sec. a, p. 1.
2. "Health Reforms," New York Times, 26 March 2010, sec. a, p. 1.
3. "Two Health Care Adversaries Find a Need to Collaborate, " New York Times, 3 June 2010, sec. B, p.3.
4. "Companies Try to Shape Rules, " New York Times, 15 May 2010, sec. a, p.22
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