Managing Cost and Budgets Flashcards
WHAT ESCALATES HEALTHCARE COSTS?
- Cost are a function of price and utilization rates
- Price inflation
- Administrative inefficiency
- Multi-payer systems
The rate that healthcare providers set for the services they deliver,
such as the hospital rate or
physician fee
price
The quantity or volume of services provided, such as diagnostic tests
provided or the number of
patient visits
utilization
The rise in healthcare costs has
outpaced general inflation. Examples of factors that stimulate price inflation:
- Insurance premiums
- Medical technology
- Drug costs
- Health plan administration
- Waste
factors increasing cost
- Unnecessary care
- Consumer attitudes
- Healthcare financing
- Pharmaceutical usage
- Increase cost of drugs
- Population demographics
how healthcare is financed
1.Government
2.Private insurance companies
3.Individuals
4.Others
government managing costs
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Military members
- Veterans
- Native Americans
- Federal prisoners
what is medicare**
the most extensive federal program, pays for care provided
to people 65 and older and some disabled individuals.
the medicare coverage is separated into:
- Part A: An insurance plan for the hospital, hospice, home health,
and skilled nursing care paid for through Social Security taxes. - Part B: An optional insurance that covers physician services,
medical equipment, and diagnostic tests. It is funded through
federal taxes and monthly premiums paid by the recipients. - Part C: It allows private health insurance companies to provide
Medicare benefits, known as Medicare Advantage Plans. - Part D: Offers outpatient drug prescriptions.
what is medicaid**
Medicaid pays for services provided to persons who are medically indigent, blind, or disable and children with disabilities.
* A state-level program
* Majority paid by federal government
The second major source of financing for the healthcare system.
private health insurance
buying private health insurance
- It can be purchased, but the rates are higher and provide minimal
coverage. - Most Americans have private health insurance, which is provided
by employers through group policies. - It is problematic, contributing to the rolls of uninsured and
underinsured Americans. - Many uninsured workers are employed in part-time, seasonal, or
service positions in small businesses that cannot afford group
insurance.
out of pocket costs
It is the costs paid by individuals directly for health services.
* It includes deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
* Individuals pay out-of-pocket when they do not have health
insurance, or when insurance does not cover the service.
Insurance often covers limited preventive care and typically
does not cover:
Cosmetic surgeries
Alternative healthcare therapies
Items such as eyeglasses and nonprescription medication
major methods of healthcare reimbursement
1.Cost-based reimbursement
2.Prospective payment system (PPS)
3.Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs)
4.Value-based purchasing
5.Hospital value-based purchasing
program (HVBPP)
COST-BASED SYSTEM
* It consists of the cost of providing a service plus a markup for profit or excess income
Third-party payers limit what they will pay by establishing usual and customary charges by surveying all providers in a specific area. These rise over time as providers continue to raise prices
cost based systems
In cost-based reimbursement, all allowable costs are calculated and used as the basis for payment.
Each payer determines allowable costs for each procedure, visit, or service.
Charges and cost-based reimbursement are retrospective payment methods.
Payment is determined after services are delivered
When the reimbursed costs are less than the full charge for the service, a
contractual allowance (or discount) exists