Discussion 2: Cost, Quality, and Access Challenges in Health Care Delivery Post your responses to the Discussion based on the course requirements. Your Discussion postings should be written in standard edited English. Initial postings must be 250–350 words. In Discussion 1, you analyzed case studies that demonstrate the different experiences patients may have related to cost, quality, and access to health services. As a health care administrator, you must be prepared to address these issues at the team, department, and/or organizational level. How will you support your organization to contain costs, while providing appropriate access to care that meets quality standards? Consider the following example: According to a 2013 article in Kaiser Health News, Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico, a busy federal government hospital on the border of the Navajo Reservation that sees a complex population of patients, learned it would be paid 1.14 percent less for each Medicare patient as a penalty for poor quality scores. Those who gained financially from the Medicare reimbursement policy change included large teaching hospitals and specialty hospitals. For instance, a physician-owned hospital focused on cardiovascular care in Arkansas received one of the largest bonuses (Rau, 2014). This example highlights some of the complexities surrounding cost, quality, and access that health care administrators frequently encounter. Review the health care challenges related to cost, quality, and access discussed in the Learning Resources. In addition, think about similar examples you have noticed in current news or in the literature. Identify a specific example related to health care, economics, policy, or other pertinent topics that is presented in the Learning Resources or another credible source. If you are an international student, you may select an example from your own country. You will use this example as the focus of your initial posting for this Discussion. To prepare for this Discussion, analyze your selected example and consider how it illustrates concerns related to cost, quality, and/or access. Also consider potential implications of this issue for the management and leadership of health services organizations. Post a substantive and cohesive response to the following: • Provide a description of the example you selected. • Analyze how this example illustrates concerns related to cost, quality, and/or access to health care. • Evaluate one or more potential implications of the issue(s) described in your example for the management and leadership of health services organizations. Reminder: Use clearly identified sources to support your posting and responses. Due date 09/12/2017 Learning Resources Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus. Required Readings Institute of Medicine. (2014). Dying in America: Improving quality and honoring individual preferences near the end of life: Key findings and recommendations. • Chapter 12, “Cost, Access, and Quality” (pp. 464–500) Select and read three or more of the following resources to support your Discussion postings. Institute of Medicine. (2014). Dying in America: Improving quality and honoring individual preferences near the end of life: Key findings and recommendations. National Academy of Sciences (2014). Dying in America: Improving quality and honoring individual preferences near the end of life: Key findings and recommendations. Retrieved from http://www.iom.edu/%7E/media/Files/Report%20Files/2014/EOL/Key%20Findings%20and%20Recommendations.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Healthy living. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyLiving Gold, J. (2014). FAQ on ACOs: Accountable Care Organizations, explained. Retrieved from http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/aco-accountable-care-organization-faq/ HealthCare.gov. (2014). Type of plan and provider network. Retrieved from https://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/plan-types/ HealthyPeople.gov. (2014). Foundation health measures. Retrieved from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/tracking.aspx Levi, J., Segal, L. M., Fuchs Miller, A., & Lang, A. (2013). A healthier America 2013: Strategies to move from sick care to health care in the next four years. Retrieved from http://www.kresge.org/sites/default/files/Trust-for-Americas-Health.pdf Medicare.gov. (2014). Linking quality to payment. Retrieved from http://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/linking-quality-to-payment.html?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2014). Four U.S. organizations honored with 2014 Baldrige National Quality Award. Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/baldrige-award-111214.cfm Note: Click on the links provided to view information about each of the award recipients and compare quality-promotion strategies used in multiple sectors (i.e., service, nonprofit, health care).