• 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).
• 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.
