According to Dielman et al. (2017), health care spending has increased by 17% in the 20 -year span of 1995-2015. It is reported that there are five fundamental factors involved in this growth of spending: population size, population age structure, disease prevalence, service usage, and service prices and intensity (Dielman et al., 2017). Population size, structure, disease prevalence, and service usage cannot be adjusted, so I will address service prices and intensity. According to Dielman et al.(2017), price and intensity were the largest contributors to health care spending. Most of this cost arose from inpatient settings, namely for spinal care of the back and neck, and also on drugs for diabetes. The high cost of prescription drugs strains healthcare budgets and limits the funding of other areas that would benefit the public (Rajkumar, 2020).
The financial situation of caring for a chronically ill person can be overwhelming. Those who suffer with dementia, also may concomitantly have serious other medical conditions which need special care and attention. The types of services that these individuals need are not part of the services that are covered by ordinary health insurance (Coe et al., 2021). Medical care in the United States is pointed directly toward acute care and this presents serious financial strains on families and on the states, should the individual be uninsured. In this limitation of coverage comes an obstacle for the development of evidence-based dementia care models ( Coe et al., 2021). The Medicare Advantage program , The Program for All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), are two financial support structures for coverage of the cost of the care of the chronically ill that would provide the needed care to those suffering with dementia (Coe, 2017).
Multiple studies have shown that the US healthcare system is responsible for $219 billion dollars annually to support care for bipolar disease I and II, of which 3.1% of the population are a part of. (Bessonova et al., 2020). Most of these costs are related to lost work days, unemployment, and caregiving (Bessonova et al., 2020). The high direct costs are reported to be related to acute care. Of those using a greater amount of health-care resource utilization ( HCRU) were patients who did not adhere to their pharmaceutical program and those with comorbid conditions (Bessonova et al., 2020). This population is just a small example of the financial strain on the healthcare system in terms of mental illness.
I found the staggering dollar amount to be the most surprising; $219 billion dollars to support bipolar disease I and II alone. Surely, that total is higher given all the other possible mental illness that were not accounted for in that particular article. What I had not considered, was the outsourcing of money for lost work days and unemployment due to the illness, as well as the cost it entails to supplement those caretakers who then must take days off, or take FMLA to care for these individuals.
The largest challenge I see as impacting the aging service provider in a long term care setting would be financial. Many of the individuals in long term care suffer from dementia and require much care in the activities of daily life. This puts an added demand on the number of personnel needed to deliver these services. In addition, the individuals suffering from dementia may also have serious health issues that cannot be served in a long term care facility due to lack of insurance coverage for these services. The struggle for these organizations is financial from the two directions presented. The assistance of more government insurance programs for individuals with dementia and concomitant illness would aid in these individuals finding a place for quality care. These individuals, when cared for at home, are brought over and over to t
Struggling with online classes or exams? Get expert help to ace your coursework, assignments, and tests stress-free!