What Is Healthcare

What Is Healthcare?

What Is Healthcare

According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA healthcare is broadly defined and includes any care, service, or supply related to the mental or physical health of an individual. It is also defined as the treatment, management and prevention of illness and the preservation of the physical and mental well being of a person with the help of medical and allied health professionals.

The goals for a healthcare system, according to the World Health Organization are to ensure the good health and respond to the expectations of the population as well as fair financial contribution from the people and the government. Implementation and progress of healthcare depend on the provision of healthcare services, generation of resources, proper financing and correct stewardship.

There are many policies that the government has instituted with regard to healthcare. These include rules, regulations and guidelines for the proper operation and financing of delivering healthcare to everyone. Not to mention that healthcare covers a very wide range of services including public health, mental health, long-term care, chronic illness and disability and preventive healthcare.

In the United States, different and separate legal groups provide healthcare. Although there are public healthcare facilities, there are more facilities that are owned and operated by private entities. Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, Veterans Health Administration and Children’s Health Insurance Program are sponsored by the government but health insurance is still primarily provided by the private sector. Healthcare is basically financed through private insurance companies, which is usually accessed by individuals through employment.

Healthcare providers are individuals and institutions. Individuals are healthcare professionals and members of the allied health professions such as doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, optometrists, therapists, laboratory technicians, psychologists, chiropractors, pharmacists and community health workers.

The healthcare system is largely funded by the taxes paid to the state, the county or to a municipality. Funds can also come from social health insurance, from voluntary or private health insurance, from out-of-pocket payments made by individuals and groups and from donations.

Healthcare reforms in the United States have been enacted nationally in 2010 by two bills – the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that became a law on March 23, 2010 and was amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 which became a law seven days after, on March 30.  The reforms include expanded coverage of Medicaid eligibility to people belonging to the federal poverty level, guaranteed issue and community rating that will prohibit insurers from denying insurance coverage to sicker applicants or imposing special conditions such as high premiums and higher cost sharing. This will be implemented in 2014. These are just two of the many reform drivers included in the healthcare reform act.

credit: http://whatishealthcare.org/