Healthcare Delivery Systems Analysis

Introduction

A gap in efficiency related to the rising cost of pharmaceuticals for the aging population was chosen for the research. The rise in the price of pharmaceuticals is one of the problems in the health care system of the United States of America. As a specific population affected by the gap, it is vital to highlight aging people. Older persons are primarily unable to obtain the necessary medicines. Therefore, this problem becomes more significant when medications become more expensive. The history of this gap begins with establishing the U.S. healthcare system that can be seen today. Its unique feature is the high cost of health insurance. Many people cannot afford the necessary medicines and doctors’ care because of a lack of funds. The same situation is with aging people in this gap. The significant gap between rich and poor is the main problem of the modern healthcare system in the U.S. Wealthy people with higher positions and statuses can get all the benefits of health insurance. It is noteworthy that not only do the poor have less access to health care, but they have more diseases and illnesses than the rich. The rising cost of medicines makes people less likely to seek medical attention. This trend is dangerous and directly affects the overall score of how healthcare is delivered to the population. If this gap in access is not addressed, specific populations in the U.S. will experience significant difficulties maintaining their health. At worst, it could lead to a decline in the U.S. population.

Existing Initiatives

As an instrument to remove the gap between rich and poor people in the U.S., Medicaid was considered an initiative. A modern version of this program was developed by U.S. President Barack Obama and named Obamacare. The Medicaid program aims to help poor people and some areas lacking medicine to get qualitative health care (Obama, 2016). In addition, the Medicaid program was expected to reduce the number of people who visited the emergency room. The federal government and states jointly fund the Medicaid program. The federal government pays for a specified percentage of program expenditures, called the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) (Obama, 2016). For example, California spent 109.6 billion dollars on this program in 2021. This initiative has not had the expected results and has been unsuccessful due to a lack of public awareness of its aspects and benefits. The results were the opposite of expectations. The number of people who have received Medicaid while attending the emergency room has increased by 40 percent. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully explain to people, especially aging people, the program’s features and how to use it correctly.

Regulation

As an example of one of the regulations of the Medicaid program, one can name that state must report on its program implementation plan. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (U.S.) (2015), “a State plan for Medicaid consists of preprinted material that covers the basic requirements, and individualized content that reflects the characteristics of the particular State’s program” (p. 6). It is important to emphasize that the program is managed strategically and involves different levels of government regulations, which is essential for the quality functioning of the initiative. Since the program applies to the whole country, the level of its regulation is the highest. The federal government of the United States, as well as the governments of states, are responsible for the operation of the program and its implementation in the healthcare system.

Conclusion

The Medicaid initiative is an example of taking specific actions to reduce gaps in the U.S. healthcare system. It is an essential tool for vulnerable populations, such as aging people, to access needed health care. However, the effectiveness of this initiative will be achieved after certain actions to raise awareness of the target population. It is important to note that the initiative aligns with the initiative in place to support other gaps because it encompasses many categories of people. A conflict of interest may occur if the government uses Medicaid everywhere. It will result in an average quality of health care for all people, which can cause an adverse reaction from rich people.

References

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (U.S.). (2015). Code of federal regulations. Government Printing Office.

Obama, B. (2016). United States health care reform: Progress to date and next steps. JAMA, 316(5), 525–532. Web.