PART A “Reflections” Please respond to the following:

• Reflecting on the class you have just completed, analyze at least two (2) concepts that you have learned with respect to their capacity to prepare you for your future. Provide examples to support your response.
• Specify the degree to which your interpretation of healthcare policy has changed as a result of completing this class. Support your response with at least three (3) examples.

PLEASE RESPOND TO CLASSMATE DISCUSSION WHETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT & A DETAILED WHY: What we learned about Medicare and its impact on the rest of insurance providers was very helpful for me since I am already working for a health insurance company. I will be able to use what I learned to move up within the company, which is my goal. Another concept that can help me prepare for the future is that I learned how much health insurance, quality of care, and providers are effected by politics and that I should certainly pay more attention to when it is discussed in political debates since it does affect me.

The degree to which my understanding of healthcare policy has changed greatly since my knowledge was limited. I understand the Affordable Care Act and the marketplace more and why it was such a big deal when it was enacted. EMTALA was also something that I was not familiar with and learning about the rights of patients in an emergency was very helpful. Lastly, Chapter 13 in our textbook went over the threats to public health and broke it down to define the different types of threats and how they are handled. That information was new to me and it is probably something that should be discussed more.

Part B – “The Future” Please respond to the following:

• Interpreting the topics discussed in this class, examine at least two (2) concepts related to health reform that will potentially change over the next decade. Provide examples of these changes to support your rationale.
• Analyze three (3) changes in health insurance policy that will affect consumers within the next two years. Predict the impact these changes will have on both the consumer and the provider with two (2) examples for each group.

PLEASE RESPOND TO CLASSMATE DISCUSSION WHETHER YOU AGREE OR NOT & A DETAILED WHY: A potential change to health care reform that could happen over the next decade is the technological change. Technology has already played a huge important role in healthcare with implementation of EMR’s and e-prescribing. Some facilities are now even providing web based appointments for patients. Technology is always advancing and I can see the potential for even better health care possibilities. Another potential change can be how US citizens obtain health care. Right now its the affordable care act and the market place, but politicians are campaigning for universal health care comparable to Canada.

Three health insurance policies that can affect consumers in the future are the cost of insurance, the coverage and the choices of providers. I do believe that health insurance may become more affordable to the consumer because now there are many options and the insurance companies will want to stay competitive. Coverage for all preventative care is now normal but I do think coverage for new lab test for early detection of certain illnesses will now also be included because insurance companies are now realizing early detection saves more money down the road. I can foresee people fighting see a doctor based on their preference and not on who is in network. Consumers will want to choose a plan that allows them that option. Providers will not have to worry about being in network and can concentrate solely on the care of the patient, they will also provide better care since patients will be able to go elsewhere if they are not happy.