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Affordable Care Act ( Aca ), And The Aging Of The Population

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Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the aging of the population are the three major factors driving healthcare costs at this time (CMS, 2014). The nursing profession has the ability to contribute to refining the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of care through the delivery of evidenced-based treatment strategies to known populations with communal needs, and by advocating for polices that address the fundamental aspects that influence health and healthcare (Curley & Vitale, 2016, p. 5). The NE must be well-informed of laws entrenched in policy, as well as those central to both healthcare delivery systems and payment structures. Having knowledge of policy and law will enable the nurse leader to provide financial stability and sustain quality …show more content…

These performance reimbursements are known as value-based (Sherman, 2012). Value-based purchasing (VBP) outlined by Roussel et al. (2016) is a payment methodology that rewards quality of care through payment incentives and transparency. Some of the key elements comprise of: “a) Contracts that explicitly detail the responsibilities of employers as purchasers with insurance, managed care, and hospitals and physician groups as suppliers, b) Information to support the management of purchasing activities, c) Quality management to drive continuous improvement in the process of healthcare purchasing and in the delivery of healthcare services, d) Incentives to encourage and reward consumers, and e) Education to assist employees become better healthcare consumers” (p. 352). Hospitals are no longer being reimbursed for “never” events, which encompass situations a patient may encounter during a hospital stay, such as hospital-acquired infections, pressure ulcers, and falls. It is imperative for the nursing profession to hold knowledge and appreciation of how patient care outcomes influence the organizations monetary bottom-line. The ACA programs are a fee-for-service reimbursement into expenditures for comprehensive bundles of care that authorizes the National Pilot Program on payment bundling in Medicare, which will increase efficiency in the delivery of care and consequently

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