Where Do Nurse Practitioners Stand With Health Care?

摘要

It's clear, for at least 2 major reasons, that something about health care is going to have to change. For one thing, Medicare will run out of money in 2017, when its income will no longer cover its expenses.1 Second, about one quarter of Americans are uninsured.2 Uninsured individuals become seriously ill and have accidents and when they do, someone has to pay. If the individual can't pay, hospitals take the loss in the short run, but if the illness lasts long enough, the patient becomes eligible for Medicare or Medicaid and, in the end, the cost of their care is divided among all taxpayers.One reason why Medicare will run out of money is that the population is older than ever, with fewer younger folks contributing to the Medicare trust fund. Another reason is that Medicare is paying for services not delivered-or not delivered as billed-because some folks have figured out how to cheat.