Question 1

Raising the costs of the privately insured to offset the cost of Medicare and Medicaid is known as:

Accepted Answer

The practice of cost shifting,whereby health care providers raise prices for the privately insured to offset the lower health care payments from both Medicaid and Medicare as well as the often nonpayment of health care premiums from the uninsured,continues to raise the cost of health care.Health care providers shift charges for health care costs to the private sector.This method does not adhere to the budget,contain costs,or utilize resources effectively.

Question 2

Primary health care serves to benefit the patient in three ways.Which one of the ways is not correct?

Accepted Answer

In 1996 the Institute of Medicine defined primary care to meet the needs of the population.Starfield (1998)took that definition and goal further.He outlined seven facets that are important to primary care.These include that the care should begin at the first contact and that it should be continuous,comprehensive,coordinated,community oriented,family centered,and culturally competent.By providing primary health care interventions,such as health promotion and timely preventative care and medication administration,we can reduce the need for hospitalizations,improve the health of patients,and avert adverse morbidity and mortality outcomes.

Question 3

Which of the following are methods for reimbursement for health care services in the United States? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Reimbursement for health care services in the United States is obtained through four primary methods: 1)private insurers,2)publicly funded payers,3)direct payment by consumers,and 4)charitable entities.The United States is the only major industrialized country that does not have a universal health care plan.

Question 4

What is one of the two measures utilized to measure the health quality of the nation?

Accepted Answer

The two measures used to measure the health quality of the nation are infant mortality rate and the life expectancy at birth.According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2010),the United States ranked 45th in all nations for infant mortality.Although immunization rates,the elderly population,and cost of care may influence a nation's overall health care picture, they are not used by the CIA as one of the two measurements.

Question 5

The Institute of Medicine has defined six improvement aims for the health care system.Which of the following are included in these six improvement aims? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The Institute of Medicine (IOM)identified six ambitious goals for our nation's health care system.These are: 1)safety,2)equity,3)timeliness,4)effectiveness (not just cost-effectiveness),5)patient-centeredness,and 6)efficiency.

Question 6

There are many forces which affect overall health care utilization.Which of the following is not included in these forces?

Accepted Answer

There are several forces that affect overall health care utilization.These include pay for performance,increased accountability for performance,technological advances,increase in chronic illness and access to patient information.Changes in consumer preferences may actually decrease health service utilization.

Question 7

A number of key pieces of federal legislation developed the national standards that the individual states use to regulate health insurance.Which of the following are some of these key pieces of legislation? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Three key pieces of federal legislation that have contributed to guidelines that states use to regulate health insurance are: 1)the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA),2)the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA),and 3)the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Question 8

The Institute of Medicine's (2003)report Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality centered on five competencies that health care professionals' training programs should include.Which of the following are some of these competencies? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

In 2003,the Institute of Medicine published a report entitled Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality.This report focused on methods to improve current methods for health professionals' training and education.Five key competencies were identified as being essential for these types of programs.They are: 1)ability to use health information technology,2)ability to provide patient-centered care,3)ability to measure the quality of care,4)ability to effectively work in interdisciplinary teams,and 5)understanding of evidence-based practices.

Question 9

The costs of health care using a downstream focus means

Accepted Answer

With a downstream focus of health care most of the focus is on illness care and hospitalization,which is the most costly form of providing care.A focus on upstream efforts directed at keeping the population well through health promotion and illness strategies would be much less costly.

Quiz 2: The Health Care Environment