Comprehensive Analysis of US Healthcare System: HIM 486 Assignment

This assignment examines the major legislative acts, organizations, and events that have significantly influenced the U.S. healthcare system, focusing on their impact across three key areas: access, cost, and quality. The analysis begins by identifying the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, as a pivotal piece of legislation designed to enhance healthcare access through subsidized insurance. Medicare, a government-funded program, is also highlighted as a significant factor in managing healthcare costs for the elderly and disabled, along with the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which aimed to reduce Medicaid spending. Furthermore, the role of HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) in providing integrated care and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in protecting health information and preventing discrimination are also discussed. The assignment also explores the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, along with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), which enables employees to continue health coverage after job loss. Finally, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and the Medical Committee on Human Rights are discussed, highlighting their impact on healthcare quality and awareness of healthcare inequality. References supporting the analysis are provided to substantiate the findings.

HIM 486 Foundations of Health Information Management
Comprehensive Written Assignment
Legislation, Organization or Event whose impact has led us to the current U.S.
Healthcare System. Identify the top two in each category.
ACCESS COST QUALITY
1. The Obama Care act
The Obama care act is also
known as the affordable care
act. The main objective of this
act is to provide access to
healthcare with the help of
affordable health insurance.
This act has a great impact on
the healthcare system as it
provides subsidized insurance
to poor people, along with
another category of people
(Hall & Lord, 2014).
1. Medicare
The federal government is
managing Medicare. It is a
form of public health
insurance, the individuals with
the age group of 65 and above
along with disabilities can get
the coverage under this
insurance. It has a great
impact on the health system as
it covered services such as
advanced care planning, dental
services and many other health
services (medicare.gov, 2020).
1. The Medicare
Prescription drug,
Improvement, and
Modernization Act
Under this act, the major
benefit is in the quality
program. It helps in
avoiding any adverse drug
reaction. Besides,
overutilization of drugs,
along with medical errors,
had been reduced
(govinfo.gov, 2003).
2. The Balanced Budget Act
Of 1997
This act was passed to reduce
the spending in Medicaid by
the federal government.
According to Darden &
McCarthy (2015), this act has
introduced another insurance
option known as Medicare
part C. It impact in accessing
for additional plans such as
prescription drugs coverage.
2. HMO
It is another mode of health
insurance that would provide
effective along with integrated
care to the individuals.
However, it is only limited to
the eligible service area
(healthcare.gov, 2020).
Therefore, to avail, this
benefits the individual needs
to work or live in that
particular area.
2. The Consolidated
Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985
(COBRA)
This act will enable an
employee the right to avail the
health coverage from their
employer even if the
individuals lose their jobs.
However, it is a temporal
period and often has to pay for
availing it (Lynch, 2016).
3. Health Insurance
Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPPA)
According to Edemekong &
Haydel (2019), it is a federal
law. The act protects the
health insurance of
individuals. Besides, forbids
any discrimination in
contradiction of the employees
due to their health status.
Therefore, it had a great
impact on information
integrity along with cost
reduction.
3. The Medicare Access &
CHIP Reauthorization Act
(MACRA)
According to Sayeed et al.
(2017), it is a quality program
for payment that alters the way
Medicare reimbursed the
physicians for value over
volume. The healthcare
providers will be paid
according to the quality along
with the effective delivery of
care. This would impact on
increasing the rate of quality
care.
3. Medical Committee on
Human Rights in 1964
According to Dittmer (2014),
it includes facilitating medical
support and increasing the
awareness of healthcare
inequality in the south. The
necessity of providing medical
aid for the workers living in
the south under the Human
rights. Therefore, it had a great
impact on the quality of the
health system.

HIM 486 Foundations of Health Information Management
Comprehensive Written Assignment
References
Darden, M., & McCarthy, I. M. (2015). The star treatment estimating the impact of star ratings on
Medicare Advantage enrollments. Journal of Human Resources, 50(4), 980-1008.
Dittmer, J. (2014). The Medical Committee for Human Rights. AMA Journal of Ethics, 16(9),
745-748.
Edemekong, P. F., & Haydel, M. J. (2019). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
govinfo.gov. (2003). MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG, IMPROVEMENT, AND
MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2003 (pp. 1-416). govinfo.gov. Retrieved 22 February
2020, from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-108publ173/pdf/PLAW-
108publ173.pdf.
Hall, M. A., & Lord, R. (2014). Obamacare: what the Affordable Care Act means for patients and
physicians. BMJ, 349, g5376.
healthcare.gov. (2020). Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) - HealthCare.gov Glossary.
HealthCare.gov. Retrieved 22 February 2020, from
https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/health-maintenance-organization-hmo/.
Lynch, M. S. (2016, February). The Budget Reconciliation Process: Timing of Legislative
Action. Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service.
medicare.gov. (2020). Your Medicare Coverage | Medicare. Medicare.gov. Retrieved 22
February 2020, from https://www.medicare.gov/coverage.
Sayeed, Z., El-Othmani, M., Shaffer, W. O., & Saleh, K. J. (2017). The Medicare Access and
CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015: what’s new?. JAAOS-Journal of the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 25(6), e121-e130.