Sign In
Not register? Register Now!
Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
Sources:
5 Sources
Style:
APA
Subject:
Health, Medicine, Nursing
Type:
Research Proposal
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 12.96
Topic:

The Cost of Health Care

Research Proposal Instructions:

The Cost of Health Care - due by Day 7 of Week Two
Choose one of the two topics below: 
• Discuss the issue of uncompensated care (the uninsured) in the U.S. and its impact on the health care system, the cost of care, and on health. Discuss the history of the trend, describe the extent of uninsured care, and the current status of this problem. Include in your discussion what you think the role of nursing needs to be in relation to health care of the uninsured.
• Discuss the issue of health care cost inflation. Describe the forces influencing the increase in health care costs. Select one strategy currently used by nursing, or that could be used by nursing, to control costs and discuss why you think it would be effective.
Write a 2- to 3-page paper on one of the above topics using the following guidelines and evaluation criteria. Use a minimum of five references from the professional nursing literature in the assigned course readings and other references in the Walden Library. If they are relevant, you may use one or two professional web sites in addition to the literature references.
Begin the paper with a brief paragraph that provides an overview of the assignment and its purpose. There is no separate heading for this paragraph; the heading is the same as the title of the paper. This will be about 2-3 sentences. The last sentence in this paragraph is a sentence that begins "The purpose of this paper is to ¨. This paragraph is worth 20 points.
Use the headings below for each option for the rest of the paper.
Option A:
Uncompensated care in the U.S. - 40 points
Discuss the history of the trend, the extent of uninsured care, and the current status of this problem.
Impact of uncompensated care - 40 points
Discuss the impact of caring for the uninsured on the health care system, the cost of care, and on health. 
Nursing and care for the uninsured - 40 points
Discuss at least two strategies nursing could use to provide care or influence the provision of care for the uninsured. Describe the reasons why you think these strategies would be effective.
Summary - 10 point
Provide a one-paragraph summary of the main points in the paper.
Option B:
Health care cost inflation - 20 points
Discuss the history of inflation of health care costs and the current status of this problem.
Factors influencing health care cost inflation - 40 points
Discuss at least two factors influencing the increase in health care costs. Describe nursing’s role in increasing health care costs.
Nursing and reducing health care costs - 60 points
Discuss at least two strategies nursing could use to help in the effort to reduce health care cost inflation. Describe the reasons why you think these strategies would be effective.
Summary - 10 point
Provide a one-paragraph summary of the main points in the paper.
Format/style
Proofread your paper as described in the tips for success in this course and correct any typos, grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, or APA format errors before submitting your paper in the Dropbox. You can have up to 30 points deducted from your grade for this assignment for these types of errors, or for not using at least the minimum number of required professional literature references..
Please use the references below for this assignment
Course Text: Health Care USA: Understanding Its Organization and Delivery. Sultz & Young
◦Chapter 8, "Financing Health Care"
Chapter 8 discusses the costs of health care. It identifies major factors that impact costs and different trends that influence spending.
Articles
•Chandra, A., Dalton, M., and Holmes, J. (2013). Large increases in spending on post acute care in Medicare point to the potential for cost savings in these settings. Health Affairs May; 32(5): 864-72.
•Collins, S., Piper, K. B., and Owens, G. M. (2013). The opportunity for health plans to improve quality and reduce costs by embracing primary care medical homes. American Health & Drug Benefits. 6(1): 1-7
•Ewing, M. (2013). The patient-centered Medical home solution to the cost-quality conundrum. Journal of Healthcare Management. 58(4): 258-66.
Retrieved from the Walden library database
•Nickitas, D. M. (2013). Health care spending: The cold, hard facts on cost, quality, and care. Nursing Economics. 31(1): 5-11.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
•Spetz, J., Parente, S. T., Town, R. J., and Bazarko, D. (2013). Scope-of-practice laws for nurse practitioners limit cost savings that can be achieved in retail clinics. Health Affairs.32(11): 1977-1984.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
•Stuart, B., Loh, F., Roberto, P., and Miller, L. (2013). Increasing medicare part d enrollment in medication therapy management could improve health an lower costs. Health Affairs Jul; 32(7): 1212-20.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Reinhardt, U. (2008, November 14). Why does U.S. health care cost so much? (Part I). The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2008/11/14/why-does-us-health-care-cost-so-much-part-i/
•Reinhardt, U. (2008, November 21). Why does U.S. health care cost so much? (Part II: Indefensible administrative costs). The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2008/11/21/why-does-us-health-care-cost-so-much-part-ii-indefensible-administrative-costs/
•Reinhardt, U. (2008, December 5). Why does U.S. health care cost so much? (Part III: An aging population isn't the reason). The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2008/12/05/why-does-us-health-care-cost-so-much-part-iii-an-aging-population-isnt-the-reason/
•Reinhardt, U. (2008, December 12). Why does U.S. health care cost so much? (Part IV: A primer on Medicare). The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2008/12/12/why-does-us-health-care-cost-so-much-part-iv-a-primer-on-medicare/
•Reinhardt, U. (2008, December 19). U.S. health care costs, Part V: Can Americans afford Medicare? The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2008/12/19/us-health-care-costs-part-v-can-americans-afford-medicare/
•Reinhardt, U. (2008, December 26). U.S. health care costs Part VI: At what price physician autonomy? The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2008/12/26/us-healthcare-costs-part-vi-at-what-price-physician-autonomy/
•Reinhardt, U. (2009, January 2). U.S. health care costs Part VII: Reining in doctors who cost too much. The New York Times. Retrieved January 21, 2009 from http://economix(dot)blogs(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2009/01/02/us-health-care-costs-part-vii-reining-in-doctors-who-cost-too-much/

Research Proposal Sample Content Preview:

The Cost of Health care
Name
Institution
Date
The cost of health care is growing bigger each day. States, federal governments and even private health plans are struggling. Soon, it will be a big concern for people who are registering for such services as nursing practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors influencing health care inflation as well as look into strategies that nursing could use to control the rising cost.
The problem of high costs in health care in America started way back in the mid-1960s when close to 40 percent of the America’s elderly populace lived below the poverty line. Affording even basic healthcare was a big problem for them. As of now, the program that was established to take care of such covers a bigger number amounting to more than 45million Americans. Other groups of people with disabilities and patients aggrieved by End Stage Renal Disease were also included. Nearly half of the beneficiaries live below the poverty federal poverty line (Part IV: A Primer on Medicare, 2008).
When Medicare was established, it was originally government run and patients were administered at a modest fee for the services by a small group of private insurance plans also known as Medicare Intermediaries. From the 1970s, the beneficiaries had the option to use different plans by private providers. By the year 2003, an act was passed that covered drugs which the private insurers called “Medicare Advantage”. Driven by these advantages, the subscribers paid 13percent more than the government run health plans. This saw the number increase from 5.3 to 10.1 million from 2003 to 2008 (Part IV: A Primer on Medicare, 2008).
The rise of health care cost mainly arose from preference of quality care. According to researches carried out on healthcare costs, it was estimated that 17.9 percent of the GDP by the year 2012 was used on health care. That translated to $8,402 spent on one person. Predictions were made at 19.8 percent by the year 2020. Unfortunately, these high costs are not justified as US health care can only measure average in comparison to other countries (Ewing, 2013).
Factors influencing the increase in health care costs
One of the reasons for a high expenditure on health care is the tendency for the Americans to buy huge administrative overhead load. That is, there is excessive spending of health administration and health insurance plans. This alone accounted for in excess of $477 billion in the year 2003 alone. 2006 and 2008 accounted for $120 billion and $150 billion respectively in excessive spending (Part II: Indefensible Administrative Costs, 2008).
The other reason is based on nursing practitioners who cost too much for services otherwise rendered at a relative lower cost. Health systems preferred by many people run from government-run, single payer health systems to free market system. The first is largely reliant on health systems provided while the second depends on the ability for an individual to pay for the same services. Some studies have shown that physicians with higher interest in finance will recommend expensive procedures like M.R.I and CT scans (Part VII: Reining In Nursing practitioners Who Cost Too Much, 2009).
A rather confusing ...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:

👀 Other Visitors are Viewing These APA Research Proposal Samples:

HIRE A WRITER FROM $11.95 / PAGE
ORDER WITH 15% DISCOUNT!