Health Care Reform Articles - Case Study Example

Health Care Reform of the of the Introduction This study is cantered towards analyzing two articles related to health care reforms. The paper has been divided into certain sections to break-through the articles. Section 1 is a brief about the articles to determine their key lesson. This particular section would outline theoretical basis and hypothesis of the chosen articles. Section 2 shall be dealing with three major questions associated with utilization of methods. In next section a critical analysis will be conducted on research hypothesis, research methods and alternative analytical methods. Section 4 will highlight similarities and differences prevalent in both forms of research methods – qualitative and quantitative. Benefits of each approach should be applied on both research articles. Section 5 would be a critical analysis of the articles on basis of underlying assumptions and experimental model. All these five sections will be correlated with one another in order to outline best possible results. One of the articles has incorporated qualitative research method to evaluate research question and highlight research results. On the contrary, second article has utilized quantitative research method in the form of a survey to identify scenario of health packages and its related costs. According to United States Census Bureau, the percentage of uninsured people has drastically increased in 2001 to 41.2 million. Individually purchased or no group insurance has been able to occupy certain proportion of population. No group insurance to certain extent facilitates modification of coverage as per individual’s preference where coverage can be extended at lowest cost to more number of people. It is often argued that this form of health coverage offers little dollar value. The second article takes into consideration different strategies related to health care reforms. These reforms can be categorized into four sections like employer-based pay, market competition, managed competition and single-payer. All these description provided in the articles will be critically analyzed in following sections. Section 1 The first article is Health Care Reform: Clarifying the Concepts. Author of this article has majorly focused on qualitative form of research study. There are different forms of concepts related to this approach which has been included in the article. Health care system of United States is in trouble. Millions of people cannot afford expenses associated with health care. These costs escalate at a faster rate in comparison to inflation. There have been surveys conducted in this research area stating that most individuals are sure about receiving quality care but they fear whether proper care shall be provided in appropriate time (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). The article initially addresses financial issues associated with health care reform. There also have been options provided by special interest groups and policymakers at state and federal levels. Researcher has critically analyzed financial reform strategies and divided it into four categories like managed competition, employer-based, market competition and single-payer. The hypothesis of this research study is that financial issues cause a significant impact on health care reform (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). Basic health care reform categories have been elaborated further in this study. Employer based pay is all about employers choosing a public insurance program or providing employees with health insurance coverage. Single payer can be described as individuals opting for public insurance program. Market competition is related to encompassing public health insurance. Managed competition occurs when employers or individuals consult large regional sponsors for health coverage in order to negotiate and get best rates possible (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). However, supporting and opposing arguments related to every category has been highlighted in the study. There are certain reform categories that can be applied to all four aspects like malpractice reform, insurance problems and cost-control issues. Qualitative research methods have been used in this article to determine various health reform categories and to study affect of cost on health care (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). The next article is named as health and cost of no group insurance. This article is totally based on quantitative research. In the initial phase of the article description about no group insurance is provided. A background study as included in this article helps to set a clear picture about the research study (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). Critical review of some authors has been outlined stating whether tax credits facilitate affordability of no group insurance. However these studies were not able to highlight possible selection bias. After the background study, data has been collected from household surveys. Households have been selected from 60 communities randomly. Non-elderly adults are selected as the sample that does not fall under military health insurance or Medicare (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). The hypothesis statement for this study is premium is dependent on various factors and characteristics of people like gender, age, smoking status and health. Results obtained from household survey are then statistically analyzed to efficiently interpret outcomes. Some charts and tables have been included to outline real time status (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). The results in this article clearly portrays that low income group individual can be considered as eligible for various public insurance programs. However conditions might be completely different for another sample size as shown in this article. This article is well supported by real time data and theoretical concepts (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). Section 2 There are different methods used in both the articles. First study has encompassed qualitative form of research study where conceptual theories are outlined. This was done by the author in order to analyze categories linked with health care reforms. Financial issues in health care reforms are directly associated with such elements (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). On the other hand, second article on no group insurance was inclined towards quantitative research. There was a household survey conducted to determine the relationship of individual’s characteristics with insurance premium (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). In the first article proposed by Anna M. Miller there is explorative study technique utilized. This form of theoretical study enables reflecting upon conceptual frameworks. It is assumed that theories determined through this approach would be sufficient enough to predict research outcomes (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). However in this study theoretical models has not been incorporated that might have denoted the flow of health care reform. There is no such comparison and contrast between the models due to which strong relation can be drawn. The other article on cost and health of no group insurance comprises of quantitative research (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). Survey method has been used in the study followed by appropriate statistical analysis. The major issue with this concept was sample size should have been expanded more in terms of covering large geographical area. This should have helped to identify a clearer picture on basis of wide set of data analysis. Analytical model used could have been integrated with personalized interviews. In this study random sampling method has been implemented (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). 60 communities have been taken into consideration in which this technique helped to identify suitable population for the survey. Convenience sampling method is another technique that might have proved to be beneficial. This is because more number of areas could have been covered to select appropriate sample for proper survey results. Sampling is a critical component in a research study since the entire analysis is dependent on this measure (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). There was scope for incorporating better sampling techniques in order to efficiently analyze cost and heath factors related to no group insurance. Reliability and validity are two important pillars in any form of research study (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). There are different mechanisms through which these two factors can easily be addressed by a researcher. In second article of no group insurance, reliability and validity issue is effectively addressed by researcher through incorporating statistical tools. Real time data had been used in this article so as to highlight current market scenario of health care coverage (Frankfort-Nachmias and Nachmias, 2008). However it was difficult in the case of another article proposed by Miller since it was totally based on qualitative research technique. In this article reliability and validity has been maintained through including opinions of wide range of theorists and relating it with research problem. Section 3 In the research paper that is ‘health care reforms: clarifying the concepts’ the researcher focuses on the fact that there exists problems with the health care industry in USA and the administration is proposing new grounds of reform to counteract the problem. This paper focuses on financial aspects of the reform under which 4 different functions have been identified (Miller, 1993). The paper states that nurses can play a major role in selecting one of the different types of reforms because nurses have been given good importance in the Clinton administration and they enjoy good political importance due to the numbers (Miller, 1993). The research paper primarily uses qualitative techniques to do the research and basically throughout the paper the various financing options are discussed along with arguments that are for and against of each methods (Miller, 1993). Instead of this research the research could have been done on quantitative lines instead of going on the quantitative lines. Instead of just describing the various methods and listing advantages and disadvantages of each method the research paper could have used a survey among the nurses to find out which of the methods do they prefer. The survey could before amongst general public as well to find out which method is preferred. Such a survey would likely give answer to the type of reform that could be expected. The research hypothesis that is found or observed in the article health and the cost of the non insurance group it has been found and observed that the analysis is based on the various factors that is required to be estimated and taken into consideration for determining the health status and its related cost for availing the non group insurance and the quantitative research that is conducted by applying the analytical approach the different variables such as the external factors which includes inflation and the risk related to the attitude of the people and the demand related factors which is required to be estimated and evaluated for determining the premium for availing the service and the income and the age of the family members in each household is also taken into consideration (Miller, 1993). The differences in the type of the insurance on the basis of the health status are taken into consideration. The alternative approach is that the qualitative approach can also be taken into consideration and the psychological factors in determining which group of people are required or willing to buy the non group insurance is required to be determined and the various factors and variables that influences and affects the equation in selection of the estimates are required to be correctly determined as it is observed that the policy of the non group insurances decreases sharply with the decline or fall in the health status or condition of the policy holders (Miller, 1993). Section 4 In case of the article related to Health and the cost of the non group insurance the author has focused and applied quantitative data for analyzing the case it has conducted a direct survey in the community for tracking and identifying and measuring the premium charged for the non group insurance and its affect on the health status and also determining the cost determined or estimated for the non group insurance (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014).The community has collected the data from the primary source by taking a sample size of 60 household with the period or year ranging from 1999 to 2001 and they also have conducted interview survey of almost 60000 populations for finding out the result. And in calculating and analyzing the data the community has adopted conceptual framework and has found out the structural model for determining and estimating the premium. It has also considered and taken into account various external forces or factors such as inflation that affects or influences the variables that are used in the equation for determining and calculating the premium that is required to be paid off. The income of the family members, the age of the members of the family are considered as they in their research has found that the member with highest age generally receive more benefit so the premium is to be charged on the basis of the benefit that is provided (Hadley, Reschovsky, 2014). But in this article the qualitative research could have also been conducted which would have assisted in finding more accurate result as it would have analyzed the psychological aspect of the consumers in paying off premium towards receiving a particular benefit. The safety needs requirement of the family members which differs from household to household cannot be properly identified and evaluated in case of the quantitative technique. The characteristics of the policy holders and its dependent members in the family and the various regulations of the insurance can be better evaluated in case of the qualitative research for collection of data and information (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). In case of the article health care reform and clarifying the concepts the author has prepared the article on the basis of qualitative research which is being conducted where it has stressed or emphasized on the various financing issues in terms of reforming the health care. The issues or the problems they found are that there can be malpractices, insurance problem and the issue related to control. The article has also emphasized and focused on the Clinton administration that protects and safeguards and protects the nurses. The article has highlighted on the benefits that are provided and the payment of premium by single user and the reform of the insurance by the technique of cost sharing (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). But it would have been appropriate and the outcome would have been more reliable if the author would have applied quantitative research in finding out the accurate figure from the collection of data and would have implemented it and determine the cost and the premium that is required to collected and paid off respectively (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). Section 5 One of the research paper that is ‘health care reforms: clarifying the concepts’ is building on the background that healthcare system in America is ailing. The research paper states that this particular paper focuses on the financing methods rather than service delivery. There are various reform strategies that are described by the article that are grouped into 4 main categories. The 4 main categories mentioned are single payer; employer based; market competition and managed completion (Miller, 1993). The paper is of the view that Nurses are considered as an important part in correcting and influencing the administration on a particular healthcare initiative that the government should consider. The agenda that is backed by the nurses is endorsed by 59 nursing organization and their call is for a new focus, structure and reallocation of resources in our health care systems. According to the paper the nature of health care reform that is undertaken will have a profound impact on the nursing profession (Miller, 1993). So the nurses must step up and influence the officials about the particular reform initiative that the government should be taking. However the paper states that in order to influence and give a suggestion the nurses should themselves understand the various reforms that are being proposed by the government. After going through the paper it is felt that the research paper is too focused on only the financial problems occurring with health care (Miller, 1993). In case of health care reform there are many parties who are interested in the reform measures and all of their views are likely to be considered before a particular reform is considered. The author in this particular article only talks about the various reforms and arguments in for and against each reform (Miller, 1993). The contrasting view points of the different specialized group regarding the choice or non choice of a particular reform initiative is not taken into view. This may be the point of objection of different special interest groups. The research paper talks about the importance of nurses but does not even mention the names of other interest groups (Miller, 1993). The research paper ‘health and cost of non-group insurance’ tries to find the factors on which the premium of a health insurance depends. The researchers make a hypothetical equation on the number of factors that the insurance premium can depend upon (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). The equation is given by Premium= f(x, c, r, q) Where x is given by age, health, gender and smoking status of people; c represents the cost of medical care in the area; R represents the regulatory structure of the non group insurance market in the state and Q is a measure of the policy’s endogenous but unobserved benefits which represents the quality of insurance purchased (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). The researcher used a sample size of 69,793 adults between the age group of 18 and 63. 5 % of the samples were deleted because information was missing thus leaving a sample size of 66,260 (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). The researchers found out that the insurance premium depended on the health status of the individual. The problem with this research as can be pointed out by other researchers is that the research finds out that health factor is related to the escalating cost of health insurance however previous researchers have found contrasting evidence (Hadley and Reschovsky, 2014). So there is still a huge scope of research in this field. Another objection may be on the ground that there may be other factors on which the premium may depend besides the factors mentioned by the researchers. Conclusion In this paper mainly two different journal articles have been analyzed. The two different journal articles which have been considered for analysis over here are health care reforms: clarifying the concepts’ and health and cost of non-group insurance’. One of the articles uses qualitative method of research and the other journal uses quantitative methods of doing the research. The analysis of the two articles is done on the basis of 5 sections. The first section is an overview of the two articles, in the second section each of the two articles is analyzed on the basis of three different questions, in the third section the critical evaluation of the hypothesis of the two articles is done, in the fourth section a difference of the methods of research that is quantitative vs. qualitative methods is done and in the 5th section the article is analyzed from a critiques view point. It is found after the analysis that although the researchers have done a commendable job in both the articles there are other viewpoints the researchers could have taken and there are scope for improvements. References Frankfort-Nachmias, C., and Nachmias, D. (2008). Research methods in the social sciences. New York: Worth Publishers. Hadley, J., and Reschovsky, J. D. (2014). Health and the cost of non group insurance. Excellus Health Plan, Inc, 40(3), 235-253. Miller, Anna M. (1993). Health care reform: Clarifying the concepts. Journal Of Community Health Nursing, 10(4). 199-211. Read More