Please draft a meaningful response to another students discussion board post. It should have a minimum of 2 cited sources.Here is the post you are replying to:

An understanding of the major characteristics of our past and current health care system will enable healthcare administrators, policymakers, and other stakeholders to plan for the future state of the United States health care system. In comparison to other countries, the U.S. lags in providing affordable national coverage to its citizens. This paper will address the two main objectives in health delivery, the ten characteristics health care system, and the importance of accountable care organizations.

Main Objectives in a Health Delivery System

Shi and Singh (2019) break down the health delivery system into two objectives. The first objective is “to provide cost-effective health services that meet quality standards to a nation (2019). The second are measurable objectives that are evaluated with access, cost, and quality (2019). Continuous improvements based on these two objectives keep health systems profitable and in business, while advancing patient outcomes and quality of care.

The Ten Characteristics of the U.S. Health Care System

Over the past several decades, stakeholders internal and external to healthcare have identified the characteristics that the U.S. has and is operating under. According to Shi and Singh (2019), exhibit 1.1 points out the ten characteristics of the U.S. health care system which are:

1. No central governing agency and little integration and coordination
2. Technology-driven delivery system focusing on acute care
3. High cost, unequal access, and average outcome
4. Delivery of health care under imperfect market conditions
5. Government as subsidiary to the private sector
6. Fusion of market justice and social justice
7. Multiple players and balance of power
8. Quest for integration and accountability
9. Access to health care services selectively based on insurance coverage
10. Legal risks influencing practice behaviors (p. 53).

Importance of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)

Many clinicians, policymakers, and changes in legislation seeking to improve the quality of care. In 2008, the Triple Aim was coined under Dr. Donald Berwick whose goals were: improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health care (Berwick, Nolan, and Whittington, 2008). Under the Obama Administration, in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was initiated, forcing many health care organizations (HCOs) to revamp their business strategies with Medicare, Medicaid, and the public communities (Fox and Grogan, 2017). To be compliant, health systems had to convert their practices into accountable care organizations (ACOs) to avoid paying hefty fines established by the ACA.

This type of conversion is achieved through integrated delivery systems (IDS), or health networks that partnering and coordinating through the physicians, hospitals, and insurers (Shi and Singh, 2019). The number of American’s reached jumped from 6 million at the start of 2011 to 23.5 million through the 744 organizations that made the switch to ACOs (Shi and Singh, 2019). Another benefit to the ACA is that it has empowered physicians to become champions in their work by aiming on the patient experience and delivery of quality care. Pimperl et al., (2018) performed a two-step method to identify such physicians who were exceptional with robust performance management systems and ACA efforts (para. 1). Patients benefit best when clinicians are focused on quality through government mandates and incentives.

Bible Integration

The English Standard Bible, (2001/2020), 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “but test everything; hold fast what is good.” This letter was from Paul addressing the Thessalonian church, encouraging them to test the prophecies and hold fast what is good so that the gospel can continue to advance effectively and keep disciples on the path of righteousness. In an economical and business sense, professionals of all walks tested the feasibility of ACOs and the benefits to reach more Americans. As future healthcare administrators, we carry out the responsibility to work with an ever-changing legal swim lane. In this manner, we’ll hold fast what is deemed good by our government and perform our jobs to benefit the HCOs in which we’ll work.

References

Berwick, D. M., Nolan, T. W., & Whittington, J. (2008). The Triple Aim: Care, Health, and Cost. Health Affairs, 27(3), 759-69. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1377/hlthaff.27.3.759

English Standard Version, 1 Thessalonians 5:21. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2, 2020, from https://www.esv.org/1+Thessalonians+5/ (Original work published 2001)

Fox, D. M., & Grogan, C. M. (2017). Population Health During the Obama Administration: An Ambitious Strategy With an Uncertain Future. American Journal of Public Health, 107(1), 32–34. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303547

Pimperl, A. F., Rodriguez, H. P., Schmittdiel, J. A., & Shortell, S. M. (2018). A Two-Step Method to Identify Positive Deviant Physician Organizations of Accountable Care Organizations with Robust Performance Management Systems. Health services research, 53(3), 1851–1869. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.12693

Shi, L. & Singh, D. A. (2019). Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System (5^th ed.). Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning.