Week 2 discussion HCM

EMTALA

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) is an act that handled medical matters which does not discriminate on any one and offers guarantee of access to emergency medical maintenance and hence to the health system being used. The law was designed so as to make sure that patient access to emergency medical care and to hinder the aspect of patient being dumped, where patients that are not insured were taken to, basically due to financial constraints, from public to private health centers with no thought of what medical case they are experiencing or stability for moving them.

The primary provision of the law laid on according nondiscriminatory access to medical care when needed. The law is composed of three legal aspects on hospitals. Based on the act, it is just the facilities that take part in the Medicare are composed (American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency care guidelines, 1982). First the hospitals have to undertake a medical screening assessment on any individual that goes to the health center and wants care to offer if an emergency medical condition (EMC) is present. Secondly, if the EMC is present, the hospital employees have to either make the condition stable to the extent of what is possible to them or move the patient to another health center with the needed competencies (Frew, 1995). Lastly, the health centers with specialized competencies or tools are supposed to allow desires of moving of patients that require the specialized services if they have the ability to handle the situation.

EMTALA is not applicable to people that are off-campus outpatient health centers that do not in most cases offer constant emergency services, or the ones that have started to acquire scheduled, non-emergency outpatient services at campuses. EMTALA is not applicable after a patient has been handled, screened and admitted as an inpatient and makes use of hospital services.

Activities of a Health Plan

The Health plan activity makes use of resources and quality measures so as to assess the performance of a health practitioner. The planning of their activities, the staff allocate most of their time in handling technical matters. The health plans have four main duties: there is the health protection of the underserved working section of the demography who integrates the bigger size of the economically productive individuals in advancing states (Fields, 1999). The health protection aims to the meet the needs of the less fortunate while giving regard to quality and efficiency. This is necessary as it will be able to allow a bigger section if the population gets the much needed health services.

Secondly, there is the making of a strong general health services using the application of occupational health steps and methods. This may involve the use of technological tools that simplify the activities at the hospitals. This will make it better, easier and faster to meet the general health needs of the hospital. Thirdly, there is worker involvement in the provision of health care models. In the use of the health care staff in the provision of the health services, accountability is acquired through involving the workers in the operation of the hospital in meeting the goals of the hospitals. Lastly, there is the advancement of the occupational health studies, technology and practice. In any enterprise development is necessary so as to acquire growth in the company (Zibulewsky, 2001). The health sector is not exception, the advancement in technology, studies and research is necessary for the constant growth of the hospital and the services that it offers.

The health plan is composed of noting and management of “work-based issues,” recognition of tendencies that vary from exposure to varied hazards, management of reproductive objectives and of dire social risks as well as use of ergonomics in advancing health.

Reflection

There being a number of steps taken to put in place laws that are aimed at offering affordable health care, more need to be done. There has been concern over the fast rising cost of health care. The costs have gone up due to a number of reasons. The first one is that there are just too many patients in the system. The babies that were gotten in the past years in big numbers have now turned to become elderly and are now faced with several chronic issues. The second one is the high numbers of obesity in a number of countries like the US. This has brought about high levels of obesity, hypertension among other chronic issues.

If there was a small section of the population that was stopped from getting obese and advancing these issues, the costs of health care would drop so as to meet the each individual’s insurance (Ansell Schiff, 1987). For this to take place there has to be incentive health plans that make it possible and motivate people in eating healthy foods and exercise. The machines that offer fast foods should not be allowed to operate in schools. The children ought to be allocated with food that is rich in nutrients while low in fats and sugar.

Another issue is that there ought to be reimbursement. The health professionals ought to be allocated more office visits as they will get more time with clients. This will hence bring about limited primary-care and hence limited health costs. The health practitioners like the physicians ought to not be involved in governmental health plans. They should be allowed to operate freely as they wish only with limited legislations that will make sure that they do not get out of hand.

References

Ansell DA, Schiff RL (1987). Patient dumping. Status, implications, and policy recommendations. JAMA;257:1500–1502. American College of Emergency Physicians Emergency care guidelines (1982). Ann Emerg      Med.11:222–226. Fields W (1999). Defining America’s safety net. In: Fields W, editor. Defending America’s         Safety Net. Dallas: American College of Emergency Physicians. pp. 5–14 Frew SA (1995). Patient Transfers: How to Comply with the Law. Dallas: American College of             Emergency Physicians. Introduction to patient transfer regulations; pp. 1–2 Zibulewsky, J. (2001). The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA): what it is and what it means for physicians. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent); 14(4): 339–346.