As a health care manager, you must be able to analyze financial and economic issues in the health care industry. In this assignment, you will demonstrate problem-solving skills as you choose an issue and address the financial impact in your analysis.
Preparing for the Assignment:
Select 1 current financial or economic issue in the health care industry that you want to address.
Assignment Directions
Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper about the financial or economic issue you selected in which you:
Analyze the financial impact of this issue on the health care industry. Consider the following:
What are the economic trends of the health care payment system?
What are the supply and demand challenges for health care services?
Why are costs increasing in the health care system?
What regulatory issues are affecting, or will affect, the health care industry?
Recommend at least 1 strategy to address the issue.
Consider current strategies being used or presented for improving the issue.
Discuss what you believe would be the outcome of these recommendations, if implemented.
Pharmaceutical Cost
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) in health care
Disruption from established players and newcomers (think CVS, WalMart, Walgreens)
Transitions in Payment/Reimbursement Models
Provider Shortage
Consumerism of health care
Virtual or telehealth
Increased patient responsibility (high insurance cost/deductibles)
Baby Boomers
Pricing transparency
Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Movement of health care service delivery from traditional settings toward more distributed settings