Explain why the lack of universal health care coverage can raisee health care costs.
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What would you expect the similarities to be between the role of the health information manager in a hospital and in one of the other health care settings? What would you expect the differences to be?
The lack of universal health care coverage can indeed have an impact on health care costs.
One of the main reasons is that without universal coverage, a significant portion of the population may be uninsured or underinsured. When individuals lack coverage, they often delay seeking medical care or preventive services due to concerns about the cost. As a result, they might only seek medical attention when their condition worsens, leading to more complex and costly treatments.
Additionally, when individuals are uninsured, they may still require medical care in emergency situations. In these cases, hospitals are legally required to provide treatment regardless of insurance status. However, the costs of this uncompensated care are often passed on to those who do have insurance, effectively increasing their premiums to cover the expenses.
Moreover, without universal coverage, there is a higher likelihood of fragmented and inefficient health care delivery. Individuals without coverage might seek care in emergency rooms, which are expensive settings for non-emergency conditions. This leads to higher costs for hospitals and overburdens emergency departments, potentially limiting access for patients with genuine emergencies.
Another factor to consider is that in a health care system with no universal coverage, there is less bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for medical services, drugs, and equipment. Insurance companies and government programs like Medicaid or Medicare often have the ability to negotiate lower rates. When a significant portion of the population lacks coverage, there is less leverage to negotiate favorable pricing, resulting in higher overall health care costs.
In summary, the lack of universal health care coverage can raise health care costs through delayed and more intensive treatments, cost-shifting to insured individuals, increased reliance on expensive emergency care, limited bargaining power, and a generally less efficient system.