HLT 418 Week 2 Assignment – Health Care Access

Max Points: 125

Details: This site is something that you will use after you have graduated from Grand Canyon University to keep up with the latest information on healthcare research.

Access The Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality (AHRQ) website and select one of the multiple funded programs available to research.

Write a 1,500-1,750-word essay addressing the following questions with regard to your chosen program. Use at least three to five academic sources in writing this paper.

What is the mission and budget?

What is the strategic plan of the program?

What do they do to control the quality of health care?

What do they do for cost containment?

How are they aligned with health care professionals?

Is this a valuable program or a waste of taxpayer money? If the program has faults, how could it be improved or should it be abandoned? Be prepared to defend your position.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

 

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Health Care Access

Introduction

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has brought significant changes to health care in the United States. It has enabled millions of Americans to receive coverage and it has dramatically reduced the number of people who are uninsured. However, there are still millions more who struggle with paying for their own health care needs on top of their other financial obligations like rent or mortgage payments. For these individuals and families, the lack of affordable insurance coverage can be devastating.

Health insurance.

In order to access health care, you will need health insurance. Health insurance can be expensive, hard to get and even harder to understand. It’s also possible that your employer does not offer any coverage at all or if they do it is so expensive that you can’t afford it.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who does have decent coverage through their employer or from another source (for example, Medicare), then good for you! But if not: don’t worry because there are plenty of ways around this problem without having your own medical costs sky rocketed by high priced medical bills every month (which they will).

Paying for health care.

• You can apply for free or low-cost health insurance.

• You can apply for Medicaid, which provides health care coverage to certain low-income people.

• You can apply for CHIP, which provides health care coverage to children who are eligible based on their family income and household size.

• You can also apply for Medicare, which is a federal program that helps cover costs related to hospitalization and other medical services.

What to do if you are uninsured.

If you are uninsured, there are a number of resources available to help. Here are some options:

• Look into health insurance plans. Many companies offer health insurance coverage through employee benefits plans or through the government’s Medicare and Medicaid programs. You may be able to apply for these programs through your state website and learn more about what is available in your area.

• Look into government programs. There are also several federal healthcare programs that can provide assistance with out-of-pocket expenses for people who qualify under certain conditions (e.g., low income). For example, Medicaid provides medical care at no cost; CHIP offers free medical services for children between zero years old and six years old; Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) pays monthly premiums based on household income levels; Marketplace Navigator helps uninsured individuals find out if they qualify for certain subsidies available through marketplace exchanges such as Healthcare Marketplace Open Enrollment Periods – Find Out More About Your Options & Costs

Medication costs.

Medication costs.

If you’re still on medication, there are some things that can help with your costs. First off, there are a lot of free medications out there—you just have to know where to look and how much they cost. You should also consider using health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs or other medical services as part of their benefits package (this is called “managed care”). Most plans have different tiers based on your income level and other factors so it may be best for you to ask about this when applying for coverage with them.* If you don’t qualify for these options or if they don’t seem right for you then consider getting an outside source like Medicaid instead; this will help fill some gaps in what the managed care plan offers which might otherwise make things more expensive than necessary.**

Takeaway:

The takeaway here is that health care is important and should be taken seriously. It’s not a luxury or a consumer item—it’s a basic right that every person deserves, no matter what your circumstances are. If you’re struggling to pay for your health insurance, there are resources available to help you find affordable plans in Massachusetts:

• [State-run] MassHealth provides coverage for low-income residents who qualify under the state’s income guidelines (which can be found at https://www.massbenefitsfinder.org/en/home). You can also apply online or call their toll-free number at 1-800-822-1702 if you prefer talking directly with someone who understands how difficult it can be to afford good quality care when money is tight!

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts offers many different types of individual plans including HMOs (health maintenance organizations), PPOs (preferred provider organizations), POS (point of service) networks and more—just click here if interested in learning more about all those options!

Conclusion

With the right insurance and a little bit of planning, you can still enjoy your health care. Just don’t forget to take care of yourself so that you can stay healthy!