Stacey Hansel
TuesdayNov 28 at 6:32pm
Health insurance has been around since the 1930s. Medicare was introduced in 1965, and then in the 1980s came managed care. According to Shi and Singh (2023), “managed care is a mechanism for providing health care services in which a single organization takes on the management of financing, insurance, delivery, and payment”(Shi & Singh, 2023, p. 190). Managed care skyrocketed in an era when healthcare costs were skyrocketing.
Several factors contributed to the growth of managed care. One is increasing healthcare costs, the inflation of medical care costs was 117% (Shi & Singh, 2023). With a need to control costs, health benefits saw a shift towards managed care. This was mostly due to the promise of cost control, emphasis on preventive care, and its attractiveness to both employers and healthcare consumers seeking more affordable healthcare options (Marcinko, 2021).
The focus on managed care helped improve outcomes and efficiency in health care. This was done by emphasizing prevention, coordination, and the appropriate utilization of resources. These factors combined helped decrease the per capita health spending in the nation, premiums declined, and lowered hospital length of stay (Lagoe et al., 2005). However, there was some opposition, and lawsuits came in waves, and with those came strained relationships between plans and providers. Contracts were terminated and network instability forced managed plans to change their business profiles loosening referral requirements, and authorization requirements (Lagoe et al., 2005).
Integration has impacted the delivery of healthcare significantly. The World Health Organization officially describes integrated healthcare as:
a system wherein continuous services such as health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, disease management, rehabilitation, and nursing treatment are provided according to the needs of different stages of the lifecycle of the population through the cooperation between different levels of medical institutions in the health system (Feng et al., 2021).
Overall integrated healthcare is seen as a success, it fosters collaboration, enhances efficiency, and improves patient outcomes through a more interconnected and coordinated approach to healthcare services.
The future of healthcare delivery will continue to evolve, and patient care demands will increase. The reasons will involve a blend of technological advancements, personalized care approaches, increased focus on mental health, and a concerted effort to address accessibility and equity in healthcare services (Garson & Levin, 2001). These trends are going to guide how healthcare evolves. The evolution will be a balancing act between balancing the needs of an older generation with acute illness and a younger generation who have different needs. The older generation will not always be able to adapt to the changes the younger generation will want. The younger generation wants to provide better experiences, more convenience, and better coordination between health and wellness programs (Schiavone & Ferretti, 2021). These differences between generations start with technological advances and how communication has changed between generations.
The evolving landscape of healthcare has changed both delivery methods and patient care demands. Change is inevitable and healthcare is not exempt from it. Healthcare will evolve with patient demands for convenient, personalized, and holistic care. This change or evolution can be seen throughout the Bible. Isaiah 43:19 says “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (New King James Version, 2013). This verse tells us not to shy away from change but encourages adapting to change while remaining grounded in faith and principles. It is important to embrace change with faith, acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all circumstances, especially with the continuous evolution and innovation of the healthcare industry.
References
Feng, W., Feng, X., Shen, P., Wang, Z., Wang, B., Shen, J., & Shen, X. (2021). Influence of the Integrated Delivery System on the Medical Serviceability of Primary Hospitals. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2021, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9950163
Garson, A., & Levin, S. A. (2001). Ten 10-year trends for the future of healthcare: implications for academic health centers. Ochsner Journal, 3(1), 10–15. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21765711
Lagoe, R., Aspling, D. L., & Westert, G. P. (2005). Current and future developments in managed care in the United States and implications for Europe. Health Research Policy and Systems, 3(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4505-3-4
Marcinko, Dr. D. E. M. (2021). A brief history of managed medical care in the USA. The Medical Executive- Post. https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2021/08/30/a-brief-history-of-managed-care/
New King James Version. (2013). New King James Bible. Holman Bible Published.
Schiavone, F., & Ferretti, M. (2021). The future of healthcare. Futures, 134, 102849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2021.102849
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2023). Essentials of the U.S health care system(6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.