Health care is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy and allied health. The exact configuration of health care systems varies from country to country, but in all cases requires a robust financing mechanism; a well-trained and adequately paid workforce; reliable information on which to base decisions and policies; and well maintained facilities and logistics to deliver quality medicines and technologies.
The delivery of modern health care depends on an expanding group of trained professionals coming together as an interdisciplinary team.
The health-care industry incorporates several sectors that are dedicated to providing health care services and products. According to industry and market classifications, such as the Global Industry Classification Standard and the Industry Classification Benchmark, the health-care industry includes health care equipment and services as well as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and life sciences. The particular sectors associated with these groups are: biotechnology, diagnostic substances, drug delivery, drug manufacturers, hospitals, medical equipment and instruments, diagnostic laboratories,
According to the United Nations system, the International Standard Industrial Classification, health care generally consists of hospital activities, medical and dental practice activities, and other human health activities. The last class consists of all activities for human health not performed by hospitals, physicians or dentists. This involves activities of, or under the supervision of, nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, scientific or diagnostic laboratories, pathology clinics, home, or other para-medical practitioners in the field of optometry, hydrotherapy, medical massage, yoga therapy, music therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, chiropody, homeopathy, chiropractics, acupuncture, etc
The philosophy of healthcare attempts to synthesize the general meaning of the healthcare industry as a social institution. Through the study of people, processes, politics, and ethics in the healthcare industry, a workable philosophy of healthcare develops. And as a social philosophy, healthcare represents the primary means by which people improve the overall quality of their daily lives. The ultimate purpose of healthcare philosophy is to provide an analytic framework for the collection and analysis of all pertinent data in the healthcare industry, especially for fields like biotechnology, chiropractic, medicine, and nursing.
Preventive and wellness visits, including chronic disease management:
Preventive care visits have no copay.1 The ACA requires that all 50 procedures recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force be covered as preventive services. These include well-woman visits, domestic violence screening, and support for breastfeeding equipment and contraception.
Maternity and newborn care. That must be provided without cost since it is preventive care. Most young people who don't have insurance will find this is a needed benefit if they become pregnant.
Mental and behavioral health treatment:
It includes treatment for alcohol, drug and other substance abuse and addiction. Insurance companies avoid paying for these diseases, which need a long-term commitment. They raise co-pays to as high as $40 a session and limit the number of therapist visits.
Pediatric care:
Dental and vision care must be covered.
Prescription drugs:
Plans must cover at least one drug in every category in the U.S. Pharmacopeia.2 Your out-of-pocket drug expenses count toward your deductible. That wasn't true for all insurance plans before the ACA. They also usually offered this at a cost.
Emergency room services:
Most plans already included this. Some charge extra if you go to a hospital that's out of their network or go without pre-authorization. Obamacare plans don't charge extra.
Hospitalization:
Not all plans cover enough of this tremendous cost. Most people don't realize that a day in the hospital can cost between $2,000 and $20,000 a day. If you have a high-deductible plan or one with a low maximum, you may be surprised by how much you wind up paying out-of-pocket.
