Financing of Healthcare

In the office I work for, the majority of the patients will have a co-pay with the remainder covered by their health care plan. With the rising costs of health care there is an increasing strain on the financing of health care.  It is becoming  increasingly more difficult for those without health insurance to meet their health care costs. Our policy makers have been reluctant to combat this issue with meaningful reform such as tort reform.  Regarding insurance there are many patients lacking adequate insurance or have none at all. One way to combat this is with individual mandates as proposed by the current administration. By requiring everyone to purchase health insurance, including the young and healthy, insurance can be provided to those who cannot currently afford insurance. However the constitutionality of individual mandates are in question.  A current concern regarding delivery pertains to the lack of providers in certain areas of expertise such as primary care as well as regional shortages of physicians in rural and impoverished areas. Another concern regarding delivery pertains to changing demographics with inadequate providers in specialties such as urology and geriatrics. 
A solution in this area may be to provide financial incentives for physicians to enter these specialties and serve in these locales. Regarding payments, as the  insurance carriers shift more and more of the costs of health care to the patient it is becoming increasingly more difficult for the patient to meet these costs. Solutions here could include more personal responsibility such as healthy lifestyles, avoidance of obesity, avoidance of alcohol and smoking, and greater physical fitness. This resulting in less need for health care services. Other practical actions include those contemplating a family should not do so if they cannot afford to provide appropriate health care to their children. That is, a greater emphasis and demand for personal responsibility.

Nursing Facility Financing

Recently, I visited a nursing facility in Daytona Beach called Horizon Healthcare Center.  I love to volunteer here, and speak with the lonely residents.  We usually go for walks in the garden or have a quick lunch and spend quality time together.  I spoke with a few residents about their financing situation.  A few residents were uptight about the topic, however many gave me the information I wanted to compare.  I was asking each person (about ten) how they were able to afford their home at the skilled nursing facility.  Many of the residents have Medicaid as their primary source of payment.  Medicare was only 2 of the 10 residents.  The results really threw me for a loop!  I always thought Medicare was used most in nursing homes.  Medicaid to me was for low-income families, and Medicare was for the elderly who lived in nursing homes as their primary housing.
I was asking what was included in the cost, my best answers included, room, board, nursing care, food, therapeutic activity, social services, physical therapy, and speech therapy.  I was in complete shock when I heard all of the above was included.  The rate for Medicaid is set by the state Medicaid agency.
Many of the tenants had a "roommate."  This was the norm here, making it more comfortable for patients to socialize.  However, if you have a private room it will cost you much more than the two bed-room.
If I were ever to put anyone in my family in a nursing home, I would completely choose this place.  It was beautiful with friendly staff, great food, and a wonderful atmosphere for all.  As soon as you walk in you smell the Otis cookies baking in the oven along with a friendly dog who greets you when walking in.  I know nursing homes can be expensive, but it to me is totally worth the money.  It really helps when you feel like you're at home.  Especially when you are sick and cannot take care of yourself.