HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

1.    There are several significant changes in the U.S. health care delivery system that began occurring over the past decade, e.g. shifts in

relationships between employers and government, between physicians, hospitals, and insurers, between physicians and hospitals, between insurers and

health plans, and between employees and individual’s buyers.  Identify one of these shifts that may be found within one or more of these

relationships and:
a)  Describe the main features of the shift
b)  Describe the current implications of the shift for each party, and
c)  Forecast the implications of the shift for the next five years.

As a health administrator, what sources of information [e.g. list specifics] will you regularly review to track these shifts over the next few years?

2.    If we accept the premises that resources available to meet the costs of health care are finite and that continuing to increase dollars

allocated for health care expenses carries “opportunity costs” for the nation and society, discuss your position on the following:  As a national

policy should we allocate a set level of resources and apply them to achieving “the greatest good for the greatest number” (necessarily leaving some

out) OR should we adopt the individualist approach of “those who can pay get, those who can’t don’t”? Please include relevant literature to support

your discussion.