US Healthcare Reform

Question 1

US spends __% more on healthcare than Europe or Canada.

Answer 1

60%

Question 2

_____ million US citizens without health insurance.

Answer 2

47 million

Question 3

There are (higher OR lower) healthcare costs and (better OR worse) health status in developing countries.

Answer 3

Higher healthcare costs

Worse health status

Question 4

Year 2006 US health premiums are ___ times higher when compared to 2000.

Answer 4

8x

Question 5

______ deaths each year are attributed to lack on health insurance.

Answer 5

101,000

Question 6

__% of deaths in the US are due to chronic illnesses (heart disease, cancer, stroke, COPD, diabetes, etc.)

Answer 6

70%

Question 7

Employee sponsored insurance is ____(shrinking rapidly OR increasing rapidly).

Answer 7

Shrinking rapidly

Question 8

The US national health expenditures are (increasing OR decreasing) more than any other country.

Answer 8

Increasing

Question 9

As a result of the affordable care act (ACA), the number of US citizens who are uninsured dropped from 47 million to _____ million.

Answer 9

30 million

Question 10

True or False: US healthcare spending is projected to double in the next 10 years.

Answer 10

True

Question 11

What are the 4 big cost drivers in the US health care system?

Answer 11

1. Increased reimbursement with increased utilization of services
2. High levels of costly technology
3. 47 million uninsured marginalized from the system
4. 10% of over use of medical services in the US especially due to direct to consumer advertising causing increased patient demand.

Question 12

True or False: a big cost driver in the US is direct to consumer advertising leading to increased patient demand.

Answer 12

True

Question 13

The government funds around __% of US health care costs.

Answer 13

50%

Question 14

Why is government health care spending expected to surpass the 50% mark by 2018? (2 reasons)

Answer 14

1. Increased Medicaid enrollment

2. Increased Medicare enrollment as a result of the baby boomers aging

Question 15

What is the difference between socialized medicine and single payer?

Answer 15

Socialized medicine - The government is responsible for employing, owning, operating, and financing the entire healthcare delivery system.

Single payer - government finances health care (Medicare for all) but has no involvement in health care delivery.

Question 16

What is the largest and second largest expenditure for a corporation?

Answer 16

Largest = employees

Second largest = health care costs (insurance for employees)

Question 17

The idea of _______ ______ health coverage has been the closest to socialized medicine in the US.

Answer 17

Single Payer

Question 18

In the US health care system, what are the 2 important core questions?

Answer 18

1. Can we cover everyone, control costs, provide affordable health insurance, and improve health status and outcomes?
2. The insured are asking what is the impact on them if everyone is covered?

Question 19

The problem of the US health care system before the ACA is the ______ of health insurance because of no price controls on insurance premiums.

Answer 19

Unaffordability

Question 20

How can you negotiate affordable/favorable pricing Ina health care exchange?

Answer 20

By getting a large group/pool of people, large enough to negotiate with.

Question 21

What is the core logic behind the health care reform law?

Answer 21

Must have a large enough pool of people in your health exchange that you have the market power that allows you to negotiate favorable pricing.

Question 22

True or False: the Public Option was implemented through the ACA.

Answer 22

False: public option is an idea of a public program that would compete with insurance companies in the market to provide cheaper rates, but it was never implemented because insurance companies strongly lobbied against it.

Question 23

True or False: health insurance companies’ profit is increasing.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

What are the reasons for increasing growth in uninsured?

Answer 24

1. Rising health care costs
2. Constraints on public health insurance coverage
3. Downturn in the economy with increasing unemployment and decrease in employer-sponsored health insurance

Question 25

True or False: most of the Americans who are uninsured are not employed.

Answer 25

False: 80% of the uninsured in America work everyday.

Question 26

True or False: the number of uninsured is continuously rising.

Answer 26

True

Question 27

US spends _____ each year on healthcare.

Answer 27

$2.5 trillion

Question 28

The primary goals of the ACA and what over 90% of the ACA funds are spent on are:

1. _________
2. _________

Answer 28

1. Expansion of Medicaid

2. Healthcare Exchanges

Question 29

Medicaid expansion will cover people within 100% to ___% of poverty

Answer 29

133%

Question 30

Healthcare exchanges will cover people from ___% to 400% of poverty.

Answer 30

134%

Question 31

True or False: if a state is unwilling or unable to establish exchanges, the federal government assumes responsibility for the exchange.

Answer 31

True

Question 32

As of September 1, 2015, ___ states are moving forward with Medicaid expansion.

Answer 32

32

Question 33

The republicans came up with the idea of individual mandate. Explain the idea and compare it to employer mandate that was proposed earlier by Hillary Clinton.

Answer 33

The employer mandate would mandate all employers to insure all their employees. Republicans said we will support individual mandate, where the individual has to insure themselves through the private market.

Question 34

In order to make the idea of individual mandate work, what 2 things must occur?

Answer 34

1. May cover all individuals, including people with pre-existing illnesses
2. Must make it mandatory because if only sick people signed up and utilized insurance, then there is no longer a risk and that defeats the purpose of insurance.

Question 35

True or False: the idea of insurance relies on the risk that is created.

Answer 35

True

Question 36

There are 5 solutions to improving our health care system that were presented. They are as follows:

1. ____________________________________
2. Expand primary care
3. Increase reimbursement for primary care
4. Mitigate chronic disease epidemics
5. Increase work force diversity

Answer 36

1. Expand coverage and get everyone covered.

Question 37

There are 5 solutions to improving our health care system that were presented. They are as follows:

1. Expand coverage and get everyone covered.
2. __________________
3. Increase reimbursement for primary care
4. Mitigate chronic disease epidemics
5. Increase work force diversity

Answer 37

2. Expand primary care

Question 38

There are 5 solutions to improving our health care system that were presented. They are as follows:

1. Expand coverage and get everyone covered.
2. Expand primary care
3. ________________________________
4. Mitigate chronic disease epidemics
5. Increase work force diversity

Answer 38

3. Increase reimbursement for primary care

Question 39

There are 5 solutions to improving our health care system that were presented. They are as follows:

1. Expand coverage and get everyone covered.
2. Expand primary care
3. Increase reimbursement for primary care
4. ____________________________
5. Increase work force diversity

Answer 39

4. Mitigate (reduce) chronic disease epidemics

Question 40

There are 5 solutions to improving our health care system that were presented. They are as follows:

1. Expand coverage and get everyone covered.
2. Expand primary care
3. Increase reimbursement for primary care
4. Mitigate chronic disease epidemics
5. ______________________

Answer 40

Increase work force diversity