Government Should Not Regulate Health Facilities In Market

Government Should Not Regulate Health Facilities In Market

Introduction

The government should not regulate the number of healthcare facilities and services in a market because America's aging will increase demand for healthcare facilities, continuing shift toward delivering healthcare services in an outpatient environment increases the need for additional facilities, reform will increase demand for health care facilities, regulate the number of healthcare facilities in a market would Limit the competition.

Regulating health care facilities affects the quality of the services provided to patients in clinical settings. In the midst of high demands for health care facilities among people, regulating the facilities affects the access to these facilities, and people confronts difficulties and issues when it comes to access and quality of health care services. With more regulations in health care system and its facilities, the health care professionals end up providing low quality services that does not meet the needs and demands of the citizens of the country.

Discussion

Overview of Health Care Facilities

Health care facilities include many types of clinics from small and simple to large medical clinics, complex, and costly, teaching and research hospitals. Health care facilities in US are governed by many regulations and technical requirements. The facilities are also subjected to immense pressure and less defined needs such as shortages, issues of the workforce, reimbursements, malpractice insurance, insurance availability and programs, physician and hospital relations, safety and health care services for uninsured patients, advancement in the technology, and capacity.

Trend to specialization has resulted in a growing demand for some types of healthcare facilities. This types including nursing homes, hospitals, outpatient facilities, hospices, adult day care facilities, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation facilities, psychiatric facilities, and various specialized outpatient facilities (Carr, 2010).

The health care facilities in US are confronting rapid changes and day by day innovations that it has become difficult to predict its impact on people especially with intense involvement of the government to control these facilities. For a better life and health living, the citizens of America need a health care system that is not under the control of the government. The consumers should be given the freedom of choice to decide how they would want to meet their needs in a free market for their services. One of the most pressures that face the freedom of open new health facilities is Certificate of Need (C.O.N.) programs. There are almost 36 states that impose and follow the requirements of CON stringently. This impedes the establishment of newer hospitals and clinical facilities. In order to establish new hospitals, a certificate from state board has to be taken that suggests that a new facility is required in particular vicinity (heritage.org, 2013).

Types Of Health Care Facilities Subjected To Regulations

Obamacare and other reforms introduced in healthcare system are directing health system towards the wrong direction. Too much pressure and regulations on the facilities have made services benefiting the government rather than the patients. Regulating the facilities result in adverse impact on the overall health care system and health ...