Policy_Topic_Search_and_Selection

Policy Topic Search and Selection Health Care in the United States has been the biggest problem for many years. In the following assignment I plan to research a health policy topic and write a brief summary on the selected topic of choice. The topic chosen by me is Medicare. In the United States the government finances health care for the elderly and the disabled with low income and limited resources. With the help of the economy over the years, health care clearly developed into the largest growing health field since 1975. The key issues I will focus on are policy challenges, affordability and long-term care for beneficiaries. Medicare is the largest federal funded health care program that provides care for people age 65 or older or disabled. In 2003 the Congress adopted the Medicare program in made changes to the benefits since 1965, dividing the components into three parts (Moon, 2002). Medicare Part A coverage covers inpatient hospital stay, nursing home, home health aide, and hospice care. Medical Part B coverage covers physician services and outpatient care. The Medicare Prescription Drug program, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 created a new Medicare Part D plan for the elderly and disabled individuals to help millions of Americans with low income and limited resources to help afford their medication because of the high drug cost. Most individuals who have Medicare select extra benefits to help pay for additional things like doctor’s visit and other things. According to research Medicare drug coverage gap has encountered many problems for beneficiaries with high-income leaving them with high premiums affecting the program and establishing an independent payment board. Affordability for long-term care for beneficiaries is a major issue premium for a long term health care policy can be substantial and most people have a difficult time finding extra income to cover the important addition to financial security (Hammond, 2010). In conclusion, Medicare is a growing system that has many pros and cons, and struggles to meet the needs for many elderly and disabled people. However, Medicare will continue to play a big role and providing care to millions of American people. Reference Biles, B., G. Dallek, and L.H. Nicholas. December 15, 2003. Medicare Advantage: Déjà vu All Over Again' Health Affairs Web Exclusive. Retrieved from http://www.kaiseredu.org/Issue-Modules/Medicare-The-Basics/Policy-Research.aspx#General Medicare Hammond, S. (2010). The Affordability of Long Term Care Insurance. Retrieved from http://www.articlealley.com/article_1484815_19.html Moon, M. (2002). Medicare. Healthline. Retrieved on March 4, 2009 from: www.healthline.com/galecontent/medicare'utm_medium=ask&utm_source=