Riverbend City Insurance Issues Mission, Coursework Example

Introduction

Patients who face critical health challenges and require extensive care and treatment may also face other concerns because they do not have access to insurance for a number of reasons, such as unemployment and poverty. In some instances, patients must be provided with significant guidance and support in order to manage their insurance concerns so that they are able to obtain the care and treatment that is required to treat a specific condition. Patients who are uninsured must be provided with a framework for obtaining care and treatment in a timely manner, but at the same time, recognize that the costs of this care are often prohibitively expensive and unaccommodating. The example provided in the Riverbend City case provides an opportunity to address the issue of uninsured care and treatment because this issue is highly prevalent in many communities. This example supports the belief that all patients, regardless of insurance, should be provided with high quality care and treatment. At the same time, the responsibility for these costs must also be considered and in cases involving government insurance such as Medicaid, there are critical challenges that lead to significant taxpayer burden.

Analysis

Based upon the example provided in the Riverbend City case, patients who enter a clinic or hospital without insurance must be considered in the context of the severity of their illness and whether or not immediate treatment is required. The costs of care and treatment are essential contributors to the discussion of uninsured patients because the burden is shifted to others (Glendenning-Napoli et.al, 2012). When patients lack health insurance, the care that they need must be paid by another source which drives up healthcare costs even further (Glendenning-Napoli et.al, 2012). Healthcare services should be provided for all patients with critical needs, even in cases where patients are uninsured. However, it is important to identify the issues that are relevant in providing care to all persons, including those facing poverty and other conditions (Horton and Johnson, 2010). Therefore, it is important to educate individuals and to demonstrate the importance of strategies to provide healthcare services to uninsured patients that are also cost effective and appropriate (Horton and Johnson, 2010). These conditions reflect the capacity to involve patients in the decision-making process and to explore new directives that will have a positive impact on patient care outcomes (Horton and Johnson, 2010).

The moral challenges of patient care for the uninsured continue to be a significant problem for many healthcare organizations (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). These contributions demonstrate the importance of new strategies for nurses in order to accommodate patients who do not have health insurance and who might be experiencing poverty and other conditions (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). It is not ethically nor morally responsible to deny care and treatment to patients under any circumstances, as this type of decision goes against the moral grounds of healthcare providers (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). For many people who are uninsured, this decision is out of their control; therefore, they require the same level of treatment as patients with insurance (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). It is necessary for the health and wellbeing of all patients to be preserved as best as possible; therefore, these efforts will demonstrate the importance of human beings, regardless of their income levels and whether or not they have insurance (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). All persons deserve the basic right to obtain healthcare services and treatment as needed in order to improve their health and wellbeing (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). These contributions play a role in achieving effective outcomes and in demonstrating the importance of basic human rights and freedoms in terms of dignity and respect (Nivens and Buelow, 2013). The efforts that are made to improve outcomes for patients must demonstrate the value of human health as it relates to the provision of healthcare and treatment by nurses and other healthcare providers. From this perspective, it is evident that patient care outcomes will be preserved when all patients are provided with care and treatment, even those without insurance, such as the patient described in the Riverbend City example. Nurses should not be able to withhold treatment from any patient, regardless of insurance status. It is their moral responsibility to provide care and treatment to all patients, including the patient described in the Riverbend City example.

Conclusion

Patient care and treatment for the uninsured requires a delicate balance between the basic needs of humanity and the development of new perspectives in order to ensure that patient outcomes are met effectively. Nonetheless, there are many moral and ethical questions often considered when addressing healthcare for the uninsured because the cost burden is shifted to the general population. It is important to identify the different challenges that are evident in care for the uninsured because a number of differing opinions exist in regards to this alternative. It is strongly evident that patients must be provided with basic moral and ethical rights so that healthcare organizations cannot withhold treatment, even when patients do not have insurance. Although healthcare organizations recognize the importance of treating patients, they also recognize that patient care for the insured introduces new challenges for the healthcare system as a whole. Nonetheless, there is a moral and ethical responsibility of healthcare organizations and all nurses to provide treatment to all patients because this is a basic human need. Therefore, the patient example must be evaluated in the context of optimal care and treatment in order to promote greater health and wellbeing.

References

Glendenning-Napoli, A., Dowling, B., Pulvino, J., Baillargeon, G., and Raimer, B.G. (2012). Community-based care management for uninsured patients with chronic diseases: effects on acute care utilization and costs. Professional Case Management, 17(6), 267-275.

Horton, S., and Johnson, R.J. (2010). Improving access to health care for uninsured elderly patients. Public Health Nursing, 27(4), 362-370.

Nivens, A., and Buelow, J. (2013). Moral distress in uninsured health care. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 10(1), 123-125.

Riverbend City: Insurance Issues Mission. 1-9.