Healthcare reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthcare reform - Essay Example ry in the world, with $7,290 spent per person on health care cost (Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2009), yet suffers from massive un-insurance, uneven quality of care and administrative waste. The public health insurance sector is much smaller compared to the private health insurance sector and comprises of Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the low-income groups and disabled, State Children’s Health Insurance Program for children of families who do not qualify for Medicaid and lack private insurance and Veteran’s Administration for military veterans. The private health insurance sector comprises of employer sponsored insurance and private non-group insurance. 1. Extend coverage through insurance mandate: This would be implemented by providing subsidies in insurance premiums and tax credits up to 35% of premiums for small businesses that employ less than 50 people to provide health care benefits. Those people who are not covered under Medicare or employer sponsored insurance will receive assistance through direct subsidies to purchase insurance through a new on-line exchange, an internet state run market place. for insurers to exclude lifetime and annual caps and cover more of a person’s health care cost. It also requires all new health insurance plans to provide coverage for preventive services with no out of pocket cost and prevents exclusions made for necessary care. The major outcome of these reforms for clients/patients of the health care system is that it will ensure that maximum number of people have health insurance. It will also encourage health care clients to focus on prevention, health promotion and wellness rather than cure of diseases. Also, more healthcare services would be covered. It is projected that this reform will help in reduce the number of uninsured in the country from 19% in 2010 to 8% by 2016 (International Insurance News, 2010). In light of the new health care reform, baccalaureate-prepared nurses will spend a