Influencing Policy-Holders, Essay Example

Due to the recent debate over the implemented Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 dubbed, “Obamacare.” With the change, it has come with positive and negative outcomes, with some Americans losing their insurance, employers filing lawsuits against the government, and various outcry from both sides of the political totem pole. However with the over 70 million baby boomers that are beginning to enter retirement that come with a plague of health problems, and higher expense with healthcare costs. (Calmus, 2013) The problem is that not only is long-term care a serious problem, but also the prevalence of many with chronic heart failure (CHF).  The costs of caring for CHF patients not only is costly for the patients and their families but also for hospitals in which have a deal with insurance.

In looking to help reduce costs, provide quality care, and improving the health of the patients, the organization is looking to join as an accountable care organization in which is, “an organization of health care providers that agree to be accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the traditional fee for service program who are assigned to the organization.” (Shields, Patel, Manning, Sacks 2011) The time has come for smaller organizations to be accountable for their patients and their performance. By joining in a partnership in which strives for the triple aim. Medicare and Medicaid provide CHF patients with coverage of extended stay, medications, bundles payments, reduces cost of treatment, and decrease readmissions of CHF patients. (Research Activities, 2012) The stakeholders being the organizations; physicians and patients are valuable to the organizations proposition to have the treatment of patients be covered by private insurers, as well as Medicaid/Medicare to improve on performance and patient outcomes, reduce costs, and be held accountable. In providing a financial and political incentive, it can help to improve bipartisan relations, and reduce health costs for both the organizations and the patients.

References

Bundled payments for heart failure disease management programs can save money while reducing readmissions. (2012). Research Activities. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/news/newsletters/research-activities/jan12/0112RA6.html

Calmus, Diane. (2013). The Long-Term Care Financing Crisis. Heritage. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/02/the-long-term-care-financing-crisis

Shields, Mark, Patel, Pankaj H., Manning, Martin, Sacks, Lee. (2011). A Model for Integrating Independent Physicians Into Accountable Care Organizations. Health Affairs 30. No.1. pg. 161-172.