Uncompensated Care
The plight of uncompensated care is
of extreme concern, especially in regard to the impact on hospitals as
frontline caregivers.
Select two different types of
hospitals. Identify the institutional similarities and differences in dealing
with uncompensated care delivery. Discuss ways in which uncompensated care
delivery might impact organizational structure, management policies, and
financial issues for each facility. Incorporate articles from peer-reviewed journals
and the Federal Register as references for this assignment.
Submission Details:
- Submit your answers in a 2- to 3-page Microsoft Word
document. - Cite all sources used in APA format on a separate page.
Assignment 2 Grading Criteria | Maximum |
Selected two different types of | 10 |
Identified the institutional | 20 |
Explained ways in which | 10 |
Presented a structured document | 5 |
Properly cited sources using APA | 5 |
Total: | 50 |
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
This assignment requires an analysis of uncompensated care delivery and its impact on two different types of hospitals. The assignment will compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the institutions in dealing with uncompensated care delivery. Additionally, the assignment will discuss the impact of uncompensated care delivery on organizational structure, management policies, and financial issues for each facility.
Answer:
Uncompensated care is a major issue in the healthcare industry, and it has negative effects on hospitals as frontline caregivers. Two different types of hospitals can be analyzed in terms of uncompensated care delivery, namely community hospitals and teaching hospitals. Community hospitals are local institutions that provide basic medical services to the community. In contrast, teaching hospitals are large medical centers that provide comprehensive healthcare services.
The institutional similarities and differences between community hospitals and teaching hospitals in dealing with uncompensated care delivery are significant. Both types of hospitals provide care to patients who do not have health insurance or financial resources to pay for medical services. However, community hospitals are more likely to have a higher proportion of uncompensated care patients due to their location in low-income neighborhoods.
Uncompensated care delivery can impact organizational structure, management policies, and financial issues for both types of hospitals. For community hospitals, the impact includes increased financial burden due to providing free services to patients who cannot pay and a decrease in the quality of service provided due to the limited resources. In contrast, teaching hospitals face increased operational costs since they provide specialized care and encounter high administrative expenses. Hence, the cost of uncompensated care delivery is more substantial for teaching hospitals.
Studies have shown that the financial burden caused by uncompensated care delivery has led to increased mergers and acquisitions between hospitals. Hospitals have developed partnerships to leverage their resources and reduce the number of uncompensated care patients. Since community hospitals have a more significant financial burden, they can benefit from partnerships with larger teaching hospitals to provide high-quality care. Additionally, it is essential to note that healthcare policy changes, such as the expansion of Medicaid, can affect uncompensated care delivery and its burden on hospitals.
In conclusion, uncompensated care delivery is a prevalent issue in the healthcare industry with significant impacts on community hospitals and teaching hospitals. These impacts include a reduction in provided services and an increase in expenses. Policy changes, such as Medicaid expansion, can alleviate the impact of uncompensated care delivery on hospitals. Both hospitals should work on partnerships to leverage their resources to provide high-quality care, particularly for their uncompensated care patients.
References:
1. Antonisse, L., Garfield, R., Rudowitz, R., & Artiga, S. (2020). The effects of Medicaid expansion under the ACA: updated findings from a literature review. Kaiser Family Foundation.
2. Kwakye, G., & Groves, D. (2019). Financial burden of uncompensated care in teaching hospitals: an analysis of cost-shifting mechanisms. Journal of Healthcare Finance, 46(4), 1-13.
