Medicare is a national social insurance program, run by the U.S. federal government since 1966 that promises health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older and younger people with disabilities. Being the nation’s single largest health insurance program, covering a large population for a wide range of health services, Medicare's funding is a fundamental part of it sustainability. Medicare is comprised of several different parts, serving different purposes, some of which require separate funding. In general, people at the age of 65 and older who have been legal residents of the United States for at least 5 years are eligible for Medicare. Same is true with people that have disabilities under 65, if they receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. Medicare involves four parts: Part A is hospital insurance. Part B is additional medical insurance, that Part A doesn't cover. Part C health plans, also mostly known as Medicare Advantage, are another way for original Medicare beneficiaries to receive their Part A, B and D benefits. Medicare Part D covers many prescription drugs, some of which are covered by Part B. Medicare is a major operation, not only needing adequate administering but the necessary allocated funds to keep this massive system afloat. One in six Americans and mostly all of the population 65 years and older, are covered by Medicare. In 2012, Medicare provided for 50.7 million people, 42.1 million aged and 8.5 million disabled, with a total cost of $574 billion. This is about 21% of national health spending and 3.6% of Gross Domestic Product (Davis, 2013). Medicare, being a social insurance program, is required to pay for covered services provided to enrollees so long as the specific criteria is met. On av... ... middle of paper ... ... they have worked for at least 40 quarters in Medicare covered employment. U.S. residents with 39 quarters or less of Medicare-covered employment will pay a monthly premium of $243, if they've had between 30 and 39 quarters of Medicare-covered employment. Citizens or permanent U.S. residents with less than that amount pay a $441 monthly premium for Medicare Part A coverage. Eligible individuals can enroll during their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), or the six-month period that starts three months before their 65th birthday. Many will be automatically enrolled in Part A, in which case Medicare sends an initial enrollment package with general Medicare information, a questionnaire, and a red-white-and-blue Medicare card. Those who are younger than age 65 with a disability are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A in the 25th month of their disability payments.
Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to provide care assistance to those in need. As a health maintenance organization, Kaiser Permanente provides preventive care such as prenatal care, immunizations, diagnostics, hospital medical and pharmacy services. Also, they take responsibility and provide exceptional training for their future health professionals for better clinical performance and treatment for the patients. The organization is to ensure fair and proper treatment towards their employees for a pleasant working environment in hospital and to provide medical services especially in a growing population in suburban communities, such as Tracy and Stockton in California.
According to Medicare’s WebPage Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for people 65 years of age and older, some disabled people under 65 years of age, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant). Medicare has two parts, Part A which is for basically hospital insurance. Most people do not have to pay for Part A. In addition it has a Part B, which is basically medical insurance. Most people pay a small monthly fee for Part B. Medicare first went into effect in 1966 and was originally administered by the Social Security Administration. In 1977 the control of it was switched over to the newly formed Health Care Financing Administration. Beginning in July 1973 Medicare was extended to persons under the age of 65 with certain disabling conditions. In 1988 Congress passed legislation to expand the program to cover health care costs of catastrophic illnesses.
On a global scale, the United States is a relatively wealthy country of advanced industrialization. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is among the costliest, spending close to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) towards funding healthcare (2011). No universal healthcare coverage is currently available. United States healthcare is currently funded through private, federal, state, and local sources. Coverage is provided privately and through the government and military. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population is covered to some extent, leaving a population of close to 48 million without any type of health insurance. Cost is the primary reason for lack of insurance and individuals foregoing medical care and use of prescription medications.
There are several issues concerning the uninsured and underinsured patient population in America. There are many areas of concern the congressional efforts to increase the availability of health insurance, the public image of the insurance industry illustrated by the movie "John Q", the lack of good management tools, and creating health insurance coverage for all low income Americans. Since the number of uninsured Americans has risen to 43 million from 37 million in the flourishing 1990s and could shoot up even more severely if the economy continues to decrease and health care premiums keep increasing (Insurance No Simple Fix, 2001).
Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, under age 65 with certain disabilities and people of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease. There are four subcategories of Medicare. Part A is for hospital stays or, with certain restrictions, at-home care for a limited number of days. Part B is more like regular medical insurance. It covers ambulatory care and physician fees. There is a deductible and are sometimes co-pays as well. Part C is presented as an alternative to parts A and B. It is where private insurance companies can contract with the federal government to offer Medicare benefits through their own policies. It can offer benefits not covered under original Medicare, although there might be a premium charged. Part D is the prescription plan for enrollees. (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2010)
The novel Ransom by David Malouf (2009) and Beowulf by Anonymous (?8thC) uses different narrative uses of the hero and the failure to be heroic within their respective texts. They both challenge the readers understanding of what it means to be heroic. Malouf depicts that there are greater acts of courage than those that can be gained through a battle, which are qualities of a hero. Both Priam and Achilles are expected to behave in a certain way which causes them to become symbols for a hero, as well as images of the ideal king and warrior for the people who are around them. It is through these characters, as well as Somax, that Malouf highlights that ordinary people who live and work away from the battle field are also capable of having qualities of heroes such as compassion, bravery and courage. Similarly, within Beowulf, the reader is constantly reminded of his heroic presence and strength as he is an ideal king an archetypal warrior. Beowulf is the greatest of the heroes depicted in the poem not only because he has the greatest prowess in battle. He also meets his social obligations for society. He has the values of a civilised man, as well as the strength of the warrior. Boewulf always looks after his people and is always gracious and kind therefore becoming a hero. Themes of compassion and kindness, and courage and bravery are explored in both texts.
Medicare was designed as a universal healthcare program for individuals 65 years old and older. This program is funded by Medicare taxes and general federal funding withholding taxes. Medicare is a partnership between federal and state with the goal to provide medical insurance to the elderly that is poor and disabled. Generally all people who are 65 years or older and qualify for social security will automatically qualify for Medicare.
Medicare has four parts A, B, C, and D. Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospitalization, skilled nursing centers, hospice and some home health services. Medicare Part B covers some services not covered by Part A. Typically there is a premium charged for this coverage. Part B Covers medical supplies and outpatient visits. Medicare Part C, also known as Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance companies which are in contract with Medicare. Medicare Part C provides you benefits from Part A, Part B and usually covers prescription drugs. This plan will cover most services. Last is Medicare Part D, Part D is a prescription drug program offered by private insurance companies. Part D allows drug coverage to the original Medicare plan. (Medicare.gov, 2016)
The two major components of Medicare, the Hospital Insurance Program (Part A of Medicare) and the supplementary Medical Insurance program (Part B) may be exhausted by the year 2025, another sad fact of the Medicare situation at hand (“Medicare’s Future”). The burden brought about by the unfair dealings of HMO’s is having an adverse affect on the Medicare system. With the incredibly large burden brought about by the large amount of patients that Medicare is handed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fund the system in the way that is necessary for it to function effectively. Most elderly people over the age of 65 are eligible for Medicare, but for a quite disturbing reason they are not able to reap the benefits of the taxes they have paid. Medicare is a national health plan covering 40 mi...
Medicare provides healthcare coverage for individuals over the age of 65, in addition, to others meeting certain criteria. The government funds Medicare through the administration of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and spends billions annually, on the program. Fraud runs rampantly throughout the healthcare program due to the enormous amount of money spent and the large number of people enrolled in the program. Fighting fraud of this nature necessitates diligence by everyone. Protecting oneself entails understanding what constitutes fraud, identifying it, noting suspicious practices, and taking steps towards prevention.
Medicare is a federally governed insurance program, primarily serving Americans over the age of 65, younger disabled meeting specific disability criteria, and dialysis patients having permanent kidney failure. Medicare is linked to Social Security, is not income based, and is available to every American meeting the requirements of the program. Those entitled to Medicare can select Original Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) paying co-insurance and deductibles or opt to add Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) paying a monthly premium and co-payments normally less than the out-of-pocket expenses for Original Medicare.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 55 million Americans received Medicare for a number of health services in 2015. From doctor visits and surgery to home health care and medical equipment, Medicare covers a wide range of products and services. Navigating the costs of the government-funded program is why clients continue to rely on Hurley Care Solutions, a Medicare counseling firm in Rochester, NY.
Access to health care refers to the ease with which an individual can obtain needed medical services. Many Americans face barriers that make it difficult to obtain basic health care services. These barriers to services include lack of availability, high cost, and lack of insurance coverage. "Limited access to health care impacts people's ability to reach their full potential, negatively affecting their quality of life." (Access to Health Services, 2014) Access to health services encompasses four components that include coverage, services, timeliness, and workforce
...ue to numerous medical errors. With the amount of medical errors that currently do occur which is a current health care issue it cost the health care billions of dollar each year to fix the mistakes that were made.
Health care has always been an interesting topic all over the world. Voltaire once said, “The art of medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.” It may seem like health care that nothing gets accomplished in different health care systems, but ultimately many trying to cures diseases and improve health care systems.