Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Essay Example

"Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services" is an engrossing example of a paper on the health system. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have three different health insurance programs of Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP to cater to different segments of populations in the United States of America (CMS). Medicare is meant for people aged 65 and above, people under 65 if they have specified disabilities and all the people irrespective of age if they have End-Stage Renal disease (Medicare). Medicaid is offered to individuals having certain low-income levels and families that satisfy the criteria prescribed by federal and state laws (Medicaid).

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was introduced for the benefit of children in 1997 whereby it covered about five million uninsured children of the nation. It was reauthorized in 2009 as the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). This will run through 2013 and is expected to cover even more uninsured children. This program also is jointly undertaken by the Federal and State governments (CHIPP Policy).

A health care professional needs to have a fair knowledge of these three programs to ensure that no needy individual suffers without an appropriate health insurance plan.

Department of Health and Human Services.

As part of public health and medical services support, the Department of Health and Human Services has guidelines for the First Response in the event of a disaster. Disaster being always a local phenomenon, the local government agency services need to be prepared to respond immediately in the event of a disaster. The state and local authorities will have to coordinate with each other in providing rescue and medical emergency services. If the disaster is beyond the State’s control, the Governor of the State may ask for support from the Federal Government. Financial and other assistance is provided under the Robert T.Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act). The president can invoke the provisions of this Act to provide financial assistance for the affected State/s.  There are four enactments under which the HHS Secretary can take action in the event of a disaster (Public Heath Emergency).

The public healthcare professional will have a crucial to play in providing emergency medical services and also advise the local authorities to make available emergency drugs and other equipment for rescue and relief operations. 

NY state health department

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Children age 2 years and above must be given plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. High sugar content and high-fat content foods should be avoided without restrictions in the extreme. Children below two years should, however, not be prevented from consuming fatty foods.  While they grow from age 2 to 5, their intake of fatty foods should be gradually tapered down. This will ensure that they do not get more than thirty percent of their total calories from fat. The mealtime for them should be an enjoyable and sociable event. Children should be given the freedom to decide the amount of food they need to eat. The food should never be used as punishment or reward. They should be trained to eat slowly. They should be engaged in physical activity at least for sixty minutes daily (Department of Health).

A healthcare professional can ideally keep a chart or a pamphlet about the tips for obesity prevention in children to be given to their visiting parents. This should be in addition to oral advice and prescription.