• In the health care domain, the role of government is of
paramount importance. It is mainly responsible for shaping the
health care financing aspects so that financial resources will be
available and the health care sector can function in an effective
and efficient manner. In the case of the health care system of
the United States of America, the government serves as the
largest payer of health care services and solutions. At diverse
levels, such as the federal level, state level and local levels, the
government influences the health domain as well as the quality
of life of the general public (Tang et al., 2004). In the U.S.,
Medicare has been introduced and the federal government
purchases health care for millions of people who are old, and/or
disabled.
The government impacts health care organizations by acting as a
regulator, and buyer in the health care domain. While serving as a
regulator, it ensures that health care organizations carry out their
roles and responsibilities in a proper manner. Similarly, while acting as
a buyer, it impacts the financial performance and revenue of health
care firms (Smith et al., 2003).
• Health insurance has a major impact on health care delivery. It
serves as a primary tool that ensures that people have
necessary coverage relating to their health and they are able to
have access to proper care. According to the American Hospital
Association (AHA), individuals need to enroll in health coverage
and attain health insurance so that their health and wellness can
be improved. As the health needs of people are diverse, the role
of health insurance is critical since it can make sure that people
are in a position to make the optimum use of the available
health care services that can foster positive health outcomes.
Moreover, health insurance can also reduce the financial burden
that individuals, families and communities face in case of an
emergency health-related situation. The insurance can act as a
safety net and support the streamlined and consistent flow of
health care delivery in the community setting (Report: The
Importance of Health Coverage: AHA. American Hospital
Association, 2021). a
• An appropriate measure that can be taken for the purpose of
minimizing the number of uninsured people while maximizing
the quality and accessibility to care and minimizing its costs is to
stabilize the existing individual health insurance marketplace.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the
actions relating to stabilizing the insurance market domain can
help in fostering a robust insurance ecosystem. It can basically
encourage individuals from the low- as well as middle-income
groups to make use of health coverage. By adopting such a
method, it will be possible to encourage people from diverse
communities and backgrounds to secure adequate as well as
affordable health insurance (Report: The Importance of Health
Coverage: AHA. American Hospital Association, 2021). In
addition to focusing on the insurance market landscape, it is
necessary to emphasize the integration of innovation and digital
technologies in the health domain. By leveraging new kinds of
technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, etc., it
will be possible to automate existing processes and procedures
in the health care setting and improve the quality of service that
is delivered to the patients.
References
Report: The Importance of Health Coverage: AHA. American Hospital
Association. (2021). Retrieved July 9, 2022, from
https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/report-importance-health-
coverage#:~:text=Impact%20of%20Coverage&text=Studies%20confi
rm%20that%20coverage%20improves,on%20individuals%2C%20fam
ilies%20and%20communities.
Smith, B. M., Eden, J., & Corrigan, J. M. (Eds.). (2003). Leadership by
example: Coordinating government roles in improving health care quality.
National Academies Press.
Tang, N., Eisenberg, J. M., & Meyer, G. S. (2004). The roles of
government in improving health care quality and safety. The Joint
Commission Journal on Quality and Safety, 30(1), 47-55.
