Changes in Healthcare Delivery, Research Paper Example

Healthcare delivery structures are comprised of various types of facilities such as medical/dental, clinics, long-term care, home health, outpatient, and mental health. Services of these facilities are delivered by private or public agencies that are run by the government. The structures of healthcare delivery are mandated by licensing and regulatory guidelines to ensure safety and protection in healthcare (HRSA, 2013).

Healthcare regulation is complex and is often subject to changes that affect delivery of care. Regulation and licensing guidelines are mostly enforced by local, state, or federal government, and when changes are necessary the provision of healthcare needed for providing regional needs is handled by local or state agencies. However, those provisions of healthcare needs on a national level are handled by federal government agencies (Field, 2008).

One of the most popular changes in healthcare that is mandated by the government is the implementation of Obama Care. The question of whether or not the government has gone too far with its changes, including this one, is a subject for debate. However, a change as significant as Obama Care can be seen as something that was long overdue because, in the long-run, it may help the economy by implementing more preventive health for Americans, and then less tax dollars are spent on indigent care. On the other hand, some feel that the implementation of Obama Care is too expensive and would cost the tax payers more in the long run, over the course of the next couple of decades. No matter which way one leans on the issue, the government’s role in healthcare is one of great significance, and regulatory compliance is needed to curtail chaos in the healthcare market.

References

Field, R. I. (2008, October). Why Is Health Care Regulation So Complex? P&T, 33(10), 607-608. Retrieved from PMC.

HRSA. (2013). What is a Health Center? Retrieved from Health Resources and Services Administration: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html