GCU HLT 515 Week 8 Discussion Paper

GCU HLT 515 Week 8 Discussion Paper

 

HLT515 Social Behavior and Cultural Factor in Public Health

Week 8 Discussion

DQ1

In March 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. Will this legislation help decrease or eliminate health disparities? Can it be more effective? Use the Kaiser Family Foundation’s “Focus on Health Reform: Summary of the New Health Reform Law,” assigned as reading for this module, for a reference.

DQ2

Is it possible to eliminate health disparities in the United States? Why or why not? What are some of the key strategies advocated by the readings? Do you notice any similar themes in the assigned articles?

Week 8 Assignment  

Establishing My Academic and Career Path

As you begin the transition from academic courses to career opportunities, reflect on how the strategies already discussed can help to guide you through the process. Consider the degree path you have chosen and what additional skills or activities you should engage in beyond the academic learning in your courses to be successful. What initiatives and goals do you have for this career? Begin and continue to establish your academic journey and career goals.

Individual courses within the program will offer opportunities through assignments that develop particular skills pertinent to specific career requirements and transfer of acquired knowledge. Other courses and specific assignments such as interview, practicum, and capstone projects provide opportunities for students to be exposed to relevant problems and creative activities in health care. These opportunities will require students to apply techniques acquired from the classroom to active investigation with experienced mentors in the field.

Research where to find career openings in your chosen field, select a position you might be interested in, and identify the qualifications and experience required. Identify these requirements as you progress through the coursework provided in your program. Take initiative to inquire and explore as you make connections with your coursework and career goals. Some items to consider further are membership in a professional association, the use of Internet job boards for research into future trends, licensure compliance throughout the country/world, and occupational conditions such as location, shifts worked, required equipment, or safety standards.

Listed below are some suggestions related to the types of information that you may want to include in this section of the document:

1)            Who? Who would make up my network (e.g., peers, instructors, professionals, colleagues) essential to success in my chosen field in relation to this particular course?

2)            What?What are my findings from researching competencies and/or certification requirements for my specific job role in relation to this course?

3)            When?When should I begin to make the connection between my course of study and my career goals?

4)            Where? Where does this course fit in my career goals? Where could I schedule an interview or internship to bridge the theory in my course with the practice of a job in the field?

5)            Why?Why are peer-reviewed articles important and what is the significance of them in a career in health care?

6)            How? How does this course relate to the requirements of my career goals? How can I make a link between the course and career experience that I need?

Focus on the concepts and skills learned from this course and spend time reflecting on Who, What, When, Where, Why or How, in establishing your academic and career path. Examples are provided below. The table will continue to expand as you progress through the course.

Date      Category

(Who, What, When, Where, Why or How)           Comment            Required Follow-Up

1/21/2011

Who      EXAMPLE:Donald Duck – Current manager of the T& D department at ABC hospital.He has agreed to act as a professional mentor as I complete this program.We discussed the capstone project deliverable and steps required for approval.

Who

Who

1/29/2011

What     EXAMPLE:Read an article entitled, “Health Care Delivery Dynamics.” This may be my target topic for project:<name of topic>

What

2/10/2011

When    EXAMPLE:Obtain evidence research project approval from ABC hospital. (5/31/2010)

2/17/2011

Where  EXAMPLE:Professional health care association – ACHE (American College Health Care Executives) Made contact and inquiries.

Where

2/24/2011

Why       EXAMPLE:Based on recent readings, identify five reasons the project would be beneficial to my organization (improve patient care, enhance hospital efficiency, save money, make money, improve quality).

Why

03/02/2011

How       EXAMPLE:

Tour health care setting (hospital, nursing home, home health agencies or insurance company)  facility and interview IT security officer to gain understanding in the field  (04/12/2010)

How

Case Study

Directions:For this assignment, answer the following questions based on the case study, “Applying Exercise State of Change to a Low-Income Underserved Population”. Use complete sentences when answering each question. Answers to each question should be more than one sentence in length.

1)            What was the behavior change theory that was used for this study? Why was this theory selected? Do you think it was the best choice for this study design? How was this model measured? (4 points)

2)            Who was the target population for this study? Why was this population group selected? (4 points)

3)            Propose how social disparities may have been a factor in the study results. (4 pts)

4)            How can this study be used for future research on behavioral change within this population group? (4 points)

5)            What are some limitations to this study? Will these limitations affect the applicability of the transtheoretical model to other low-income populations? (4 points)

Social Behavior and Cultural Factor in Public Health Full Course

 

MORE INFO 

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Introduction

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the most important health care legislation in decades. It was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2010, and it made many improvements to our health care system. The facts about the law are clear: it has helped millions of people get access to affordable health insurance, especially those with preexisting conditions; reduced prescription drug costs for all Americans; provided support for reducing costs associated with illness or injury through preventative services such as screening mammograms; expanded Medicaid coverage for women so that they can afford needed medical care at childbirth; created new marketsplaces where people can shop around for their coverage needs; helped small businesses afford higher employee wages by way of tax credits that offset part of their payroll taxes owed (a portion of which would otherwise go toward federal income taxes); and even more.

Protections for people with preexisting conditions

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act protects people with preexisting conditions. This means that if you have had medical problems in the past, you cannot be denied coverage because of this.

The law also protects children under 26 years old who have been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition such as:

• cancer or blood disorders

• asthma or other lung diseases

• diabetes mellitus (diabetes) * epilepsy

Support for reducing prescription drug costs

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is designed to help reduce prescription drug costs. It does so by requiring manufacturers to provide rebates or discounts, allowing consumers to buy drugs from other countries and importing them into the U.S., which can then be resold at lower prices.

The PPACA also requires hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers who participate in Medicaid—the federal-state program that provides health coverage for low-income Americans—to give patients access to affordable medications when they’re prescribed by doctors or nurses during treatment visits with those providers.

Medicaid expansion

As you may or may not know, Medicaid is a federal health insurance program that provides health coverage to low-income Americans. Medicaid expansion is the act of expanding Medicaid coverage. It’s also part of Obamacare and was optional until January 1st, 2020. In states that decide to expand their programs, all residents who make less than 138% of the federal poverty level qualify for free care through Medicaid; those who earn more are charged monthly premiums based on their income level and household size (up to 133% FPL).

If your state hasn’t expanded yet and you want access to affordable healthcare, there are some things you can do:

• Contact your local Representative or Senator today! The deadline will be here soon!

• Sign up for email updates from our website so we can always keep everyone informed about how we’re working hard toward this goal together—and stay tuned as we release more information about how best practices could help us achieve it sooner rather than later!

Creation of health care marketplaces

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) created health care marketplaces, which are online marketplaces where people can shop for and purchase health insurance. In some states, these markets are called exchanges; in others, they’re called marketplaces.

The purpose of these sites is to make it easier for people to get affordable coverage through an exchange by:

• Providing information about available policies so you can compare them side-by-side;

• Helping with enrollment; and

Expansion of CHIP/Medicaid coverage for children

CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) is a state-run program that provides insurance for children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid. States administer the program, which is funded by the federal government and administered through states’ health insurance exchanges or directly by their Medicaid offices. In 2017 alone, over 11 million children were covered under CHIP—and many of these kids weren’t eligible for Medicaid because their family’s income was too high.

The Affordable Care Act expanded access to coverage for uninsured children through an expansion of this program called “Preferred Access.” The law also created new subsidies that help parents pay premiums so they could keep their children on CHIP instead of private plans offered through employers or other sources.

Preventative health services expansion

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides coverage for many services, including:

• Wellness visits. These are check-ups that your doctor recommends to prevent illness and promote good health. They may include annual physicals, family planning services, immunizations and more.

• Preventive screenings. Applications to join your insurer’s health plan must be submitted at least 60 days before an exam is scheduled or else you’ll have to pay the full cost of treatment out of pocket!

• Immunizations for adults up to age 26 who don’t have insurance or who don’t qualify for Medi-Cal due to their income level—but also includes young children too!

Help for small businesses

Small businesses can get tax credits to help cover the cost of insurance for their employees.

Small businesses can also get tax credits to help pay for health care expenses, including deductibles and co-pays.

Small businesses can also get tax credits if they choose not to offer employer-sponsored health insurance and instead pay a penalty on this income rather than giving it all to Uncle Sam in taxes each year. This is called “offering” or “self-insured” coverage, but know that your small business will not qualify for any subsidies under this option!

If you have questions about how these programs work best for your business then speak with one of our specialists today by calling 888-824-7199

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has many parts, we’ve gone over a few.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has many parts, we’ve gone over a few. There are many more parts that we didn’t cover in this article, so be sure to check out our other articles on the topic!

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We’ve gone over a few parts of it, but there are many more to explore! This is only a brief overview of the law’s history and impacts on American health care. If you want more information about what’s happening in America today with regards to healthcare reform, check out our other articles here at The Center for Progressive Reform.