Skip to main content

How do the decisions that patients and their doctors make impact insurance plans?

Although health insurance plans set their own guidelines for coverage, patients and doctors do have an impact on their outcomes.  Physicians have an ethical responsibility to provide the most appropriate care to their patients.  Doctors’ decisions and recommendations directly impact health care costs.  Physicians who spend less time with their patients and circumvent an extensive review of their medical background may rely more on diagnostic tests.  This decision ultimately increases medical expenses billed to the...

Although health insurance plans set their own guidelines for coverage, patients and doctors do have an impact on their outcomes.  Physicians have an ethical responsibility to provide the most appropriate care to their patients.  Doctors’ decisions and recommendations directly impact health care costs.  Physicians who spend less time with their patients and circumvent an extensive review of their medical background may rely more on diagnostic tests.  This decision ultimately increases medical expenses billed to the insurance company. 


Patients directly impact insurance plan expenditures through their personal healthcare decisions.  Patients who select to participate in preventative measures and make healthy decisions ultimately reduce their medical costs, and therefore their insurance coverage expenses.  On the other hand, patients may also increase their medical costs.  A recent study found that patients who participated in their medical decisions actually spent more time in the hospital.  Patients who are well-informed and research their medical conditions may select the newest treatment options, which are often more expensive.  Patients are also now relying on more drug treatment options, increasing the burden on insurance plans. 


Both patients and doctors can negatively, as well as positively, impact insurance plans and their bottom lines. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more