1. How Available is Healthcare Principles of Health Science

2.  List the Positives and Negatives of Health care in the United States.  Positives – choice of doctors and hospitals  research  safety  ER takes all people  Negatives – Expensive  higher than average mortality compared with  other countries  people who can’t afford health care don’t  go to doctor

3. Types of Health care Facilities  Hospitals – “acute” care, in patient care  Long Term Care Facilities – Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities  Medical Offices – doctors offices  Dental offices – Dentist, orthodontist, oral surgeons  Clinics – “one stop shop”, multiple doctors, xrays, lab, etc.  Optical centers – eye doctor  Emergency care centers – “acute care center” for non life threatening  emergencies  Laboratories – run tests on blood, urine, etc.  Home health care – health care (nurses and aides) at home  Hospice – home care and in patient care for dying patients  Mental Health – for patients with mental illness, inpatient and outpatient  Physical Rehab facilities – physical therapy, occupational and speech.

4. Facilities  HMO’s – Health Maintenance Organization, designed to keep cost of health  care low. No choice of doctors, primary doctor decides if any  other care is needed.  School Health Services – medical care at school, at some schools even a  health care clinic.  Government Agencies (VA) – Veterans Administration, cares for veterans  who have benefits.  US Department of Health and Human Services – Provides oversight for  public health, and Medicaid services.  National Institute of Health (NIH) – Maintains research hospitals paid  for through public taxes  CDC – Center for Disease Control, tracks and educates public on  communicable diseases such as Aids, HIV, Hepatitis, Ebola  FDA – Food and Drug Administration, monitors and regulates food and drugs  OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration, monitors and regulate  employee safety.

5. Health Systems  National Health care system  paid by the govt through taxes, one payer (govt)  Private Health care  Health Insurance paid for by the individual to cover medical expenses  or private payment.  Public Health care  Govt Programs to help certain populations pay for or receive health care  based on income, examples would be CHIPS, Medicaid, Medicare  Mixed systems  United States has a mixed system, some private, come public health care.

6. Health Insurance  Terms  contract between the insurance company and the insured person  Premium  amount of money paid to the insurance company for an insurance policy.  Deductible  amount of money paid by the insured before insurance starts paying  Co payment  amount of money paid in addition to the insurance payment for a specific service  Out of pocket  amount of money the insured person pays in total for the year (excluding premiums)  Individual  insurance sold to an individual for them or their family  Group  insurance sold to a group to insure individuals for a better (cheaper) price.  Managed care  Insurance that is “Managed” for cost containment.