“The United States has a unique system of health care delivery and it is unlike any other system in the world” (Ch. 1, n.d.). Most other countries around the world have a form of health care that is run by the government and paid for through taxes. In the U.S., one must enroll through an employer, agent, etc., and most pay monthly premiums to be able to have access to healthcare through their insurance. As the population ages in the U.S., there is need for medical care among our elderly citizens. Most elderly citizens over the age of 65 have Medicare for their insurance coverage. Citizens can also be approved for Medicare benefits should they be disabled or have end-stage renal disease. So, the question becomes, how is Medicare making an impact on our healthcare ecosystem of today? …show more content…
Stewart, M.D. states, “the greatest problem we face today in the field of health care are the rising costs of health care…” (Stewart, 1967) As Medicare was only 18 months old back in July 1967, Dr. Stewart seemed to hit the nail on the head with his statement. With this being said, Medicare over the years has made a great impact and helped give coverage for the elderly, disabled, or those with ESRD – End-stage renal disease. Medicare is one of the largest, if not the largest, healthcare plans in the country and over the years since its inception there have been changes along to the way. To give an example, Medicare implemented a program known as IPPS, which stands for inpatient acute hospital Prospective Payment System, which was adopted in 1983 and payments were based on patient diagnoses not cost-based payments (CMS.gov,