The Government payer of choice is Medicaid
Introduction
Health care is the most important sector in any country. It is a direct and indirect determinant of a number of issues in the government. Numerous headways have been made to ensure that the health care is efficient and effective in any way possible. However, challenges have always been faced due to the various payment systems that various individuals have been using (Smith and Moore, 2008).
In an effort to end the challenges and obstacles faced when paying for the medical services, the government has developed a preferable payment system called the Medicaid. This essay, therefore, analyzes the federal government payer program for the healthcare services. It also analyzes the impact of the payer program on the healthcare ecosystem (Stone, 2004).
Medicaid
The low-income families and individuals with little or limited resources in the United States have a specific social healthcare program that is referred to as the Medicaid. Insufficiency of income and resources in paying for healthcare grants them the opportunity to use the Medicaid payer system or program. It represents the largest source of funding for all medical and health-related services for people considered or ranked on the low-income index (Thompson, 2012).
Medicaid has had a huge and significant impact on the lives of American people and the healthcare ecosystem as a whole. The use of the Medicaid program has resulted in timely and positive patient identification allowing for a quicker service. The program has been associated with increased and effective regulatory compliance. Patient satisfaction regardless of their income level has to be guaranteed. Through the Medicaid program better patient outcomes are realized resulting in enhanced patient satisfaction.
Medicaid is a state program; this means that it provides medical services to clients and patients. It is for this reason that it is subject and liable to certification and licensing measures. A number of institutional standards have to be met before the Medicaid program can be rolled out in a health providing institution. Clinical quality measures are a mandatory requirement for health care providers before being allowed to participate in Medicaid (Stone, 2004).
Reimbursements are payments made for the services provided or administered and most healthcare providers receive from payers. Medicaid being a payer program, one expects it to have an impact on the reimbursement for healthcare services. The program allows for a more efficient and effective control of costs of most healthcare services (Burwell, 2001). A challenge and possible obstacle were however is realized in the Medicaid program when the number of enrollees went up and yet the funds provided were still the same. This does greatly hamper the healthcare provision capability.
Access to care and medical attention is crucial for any given person in the world. Regardless of the condition or status, health care should be paramount. Medicare does increase patient access to care through its program that does consider the resource poor and those who have little income. Not only do more patients get access to care but they are also accorded high-quality care and optimum costs. Clinical quality has also been realized through the Medicaid program. This has been made possible through the various basic quality measures that are mandatory before certification and licensing. The basic requirements needed for the establishment of Medicaid program ensure that the patients have access to the best clinical quality (Baicker and Finkelstein, 2011).
Health informatics is a diverse job, and it helps in managing, gathering, storing and interpreting information that is collected from information systems, healthcare, and many other databases. The data being often managed is collected after care is provided to patients. It is a system that the United States government uses to identify various medical procedures. Its significance and role have been highlighted by the ease that it brings about within the healthcare system.
Medicaid program employs the use of a smartcard, which means that it can contain unique identifiers for authentication. With evolving and ever changing technology, the health sector cannot be left behind. Data collection, analysis, storage, and management, can be tedious when done manually. The Medicaid program through the use of smart card allows a person to connect to all medical records and numbers into one card identity.
Conclusion
The Medicaid federal government payer program for various healthcare services has been instrumental in shaping the country’s healthcare ecosystem. Numerous developments and improvements have been made in the health care sector in the United States. The Medicaid program ensures that information exchange and flow is seamless and effective. As a result, patients realize incidences of high-quality care and a general improvement in access of patients. In addition to the patient access, clinical quality is also guaranteed to the patients that enroll for the Medicaid program.
The healthcare ecosystem has realized significant change as a result of the Medicaid program. Today, there exists a more efficient and reliable control of healthcare service costs, all due to the Medicaid program. Assertively, one can comment of the importance and significance of the Medicaid program without fear of contradiction. Its impact and influence have been felt far and wide across the nation.
References
Baicker, K., & Finkelstein, A. (2011). The effects of Medicaid coverage—learning from the Oregon experiment. New England Journal of Medicine, 365(8), 683-685.
Burwell, B. (2001). Medicaid long-term care expenditures in fiscal year 2000.The Gerontologist, 41(5), 687-691.
Smith, D. G., & Moore, J. D. (2008). Medicaid politics and policy, 1965-2007. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers.
Stone, J. L. (2004). Medicaid: Eligibility for the aged and disabled. New York: Novinka Books.
Thompson, F. J. (2012). Medicaid Politics: Federalism, Policy Durability, and Health Reform. Washington: Georgetown University Press.
