U.S. Health Care Delivery System Reforms
The healthcare system is always undergoing changes from time to time. Different healthcare facilities have to abide to the set standards an ensure that they are in line with the set guidelines. The Congress and other third-party agencies are also invested in the delivery of appropriate and quality medical practice. As a result, constant reviews and amendments to care systems is a continuation process. Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the majority of the US population has been able to access quality healthcare with ease.
Be that as it may, various committees were formed in the Trump era, leading to several modifications that received mixed reactions from different stakeholders. Some saw them as a threat to the healthcare and well-being of citizens and an attempt to undermine the Affordable Care Act. In the current legislature, different reforms are constantly being taken into account and restructuring put in place with changes in the overall care process.
Current Health Care Law
One of the most recent health care law formulations is the S.352 – Health Care Improvement Act of 2021 sponsored by Senator Warner, Mark R. [D-VA] (Introduced 02/22/2021) (Congress.gov, 2021). The bill is aimed at creating additional reforms to the existing Affordable Care Act of 2009 in various ways. For instance, the main aim of the bill is to ensure a reduction in the costs of working families (Congress.gov, 2021). The strategy is to further reduce the premiums that the families are paying as well as the out of pocket costs.
The strategy will see to it that the Health Human Services create a more affordable and low-cost option of the families. The strategy also seeks to eliminate the policy that prevents families making more than 400 percent of the federal poverty line to be provided with premium subsidy (Warner, 2021). The funds can be used to support the program to lower costs for the working families and reduce the overall cost. The bill also seeks to reduce the cost for working families by negotiating the cost of prescription drugs and lifting the ban against negotiation with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of medication.
The other aim of the proposed amendments includes an increase in health care enrollment or access to care (Warner, 2021). With a reduced number of the uninsured, the legislation will be creating a means to increase accessibility to quality medical care for low-income families and other that might be in need of the service. The legislation has a direct impact on nursing practice since it creates an avenue within which appropriate care can be administered for different settings (Warner, 2021).
The legislation will increase the number if patient accessing healthcare facility, and with it the need for nurses to care for an even larger number of patients. Nurses need to be prepared to deal with the diversity and also ensure access and quality of care to all patients.
Impact of Quality Measures and Pay for Performance on Patient Outcome
Quality measures and pay for performance programs are designed to improve patient outcomes by incentivizing healthcare providers to achieve certain performance goals. The use of quality measures and pay for performance programs can have a significant impact on patient outcomes, as well as on the nursing practice (Endeshaw, 2021).
For instance, the use of quality measures provide a defined set of standards that can be used by healthcare providers to ensure that patients receive high-quality care. These standards include protocols for appropriate screening, need for holistic care, and proper patient education (Endeshaw, 2021). On the other hand, Pay for performance programs link reimbursement to the achievement of healthcare goals (Mathes et al., 2019).
The use of quality measures and pay for performance programs can have a significant impact on patient outcomes (Endeshaw, 2021). By incentivizing healthcare providers to provide high-quality care, patients are more likely to receive timely and appropriate treatment, leading to improved health outcomes. Additionally, these programs can also improve patient safety, as healthcare providers are incentivized to reduce medical errors and adverse events.
Nurses are expected to be actively involved in quality improvement initiatives, such as implementing evidence-based practices and participating in performance improvement projects (Mathes et al., 2019). They are also responsible for monitoring and documenting patient outcomes to ensure that they are meeting the required standards.
Nurse Leadership and Management
Professional nursing leadership and management roles have become increasingly important in responding to emerging trends and promoting patie
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