Jobs in healthcare will become more plentiful in coming years as members of the “baby boomer” generation age. There will be an abundance of opportunities in healthcare careers, particularly in geriatrics, end-of-life care and hospice and nursing home work. In addition, the large number of severely injured and disabled veterans returning from occupation duty in Iraq is already creating an urgent demand for workers in all healthcare fields that will continue for decades to come.
If this kind of work interests you, you’ll need to prepare with health care training and education. Online degrees are a convenient and economical way to start the training you’ll need in order to qualify for these jobs.
In addition to “hands-on” careers in healthcare in fields such as nursing, pathology, radiology and physical therapy, the U.S. Department of Labor anticipates a large number of openings for healthcare management jobs as well as healthcare administration jobs.
Healthcare administration is an area that will take on a great deal of importance in the coming years. If you saw Michael Moore’s movie “SiCKO,” you understand just how dysfunctional the present U.S. healthcare system is. The financial power of greedy insurance and pharmaceutical corporations and their undue influence over corrupt members of Congress presents considerable obstacles. However, there is growing rage among American citizens over this issue that may very well force changes at the state level.
Healthcare administrators are among those who see the problems firsthand and understand the issues; therefore, these people are in a position to help shape healthcare policy in the coming years as individual state governments begin the type of healthcare reform that most members of the U.S. Congress are unwilling to address.
Whether you choose an administrative or a hands-on career in healthcare, you’ll be able to complete your coursework at home, often at your own pace, by attending college online. Contrary to what you may have heard, online courses are similar to traditional classes at a brick-and-mortar university or college. You’ll hear lectures, read required texts, submit papers, take exams and even participate in class discussions. The only difference is that you’ll be using Internet technology such as podcasts and electronic bulletin boards for these interactions.
As you might imagine, training for healthcare careers in “hands-on” fields such as nursing, anesthesiology and pathology require some real-world clinical experience. Once you are at that stage, many schools can arrange for you to complete these requirements at a local hospital or other medical center near your home.
The adoption of electronic medical records is a necessary step, one which is expected to usher the healthcare industry into the future. But while the need is there, healthcare providers still remain skeptical and cautious of the move. Not because they do not wish to change the system, but because the costs of which would be significant and they warily eye the adoption of outsourcing such as with medical billing services in order to fulfill the need without breaking the bank.
Although outsourcing has gained worldwide acceptance, the US healthcare market still faces doubts over accepting offshoring as a solution for the healthcare reform, which includes the adoption of electronic medical records and the transition of medical coding to ICD-10.
In what Forrester (NASDAQ:FORR) estimates is a $50 billion market, prospects for increased revenues from healthcare related services is at its highest.
India is one of the countries currently positioning itself at the fore in an effort to obtain a significant share of business in the sector. The country is one of the leading outsourcing destinations in the world, catering to about 35-40% of the business process outsourcing market based on the third quarter 2010 results as presented by the Everest Group (NYSE:RE) on the 28th of October.
In an interview with HCL Technologies (NSE:HCLTECH) on the 21st of October, Vice-Chairman and CEO Vineet Nayar, names healthcare along with public services as verticals that the company is currently focusing on. Cognizant President (NASDAQ:CTSH) and CEO, Francisco D’Souza, also advised on the 2nd of November that the company believes that the healthcare reform will be one of the drivers for growth in the outsourcing business. Outsourcing company 3i Infotech (NSE:3IINFOTECH) meanwhile announced on the same day that that it is expanding its service offerings in North America, including healthcare through its business process outsourcing group.
Southeast Asian country, the Philippines, on the other hand is also positioning itself. A country boasting of an increased surplus of healthcare professionals, the country is moving to convert this surplus into business process outsourcing professionals working in the healthcare sector such as medical billing and medical coding. The Philippines, like India, is one of the top outsourcing destinations. In a study by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) which was released on the 27th of October, outsourcing revenues in the country, particularly in IT-BPO is continuously growing. According to Oscar Sañez, BPAP CEO, “The industry can grow from $9 billion in annual revenues and approximately 500,000 direct employees today to $20 billion and 900,000 employees by 2016 if current conditions are sustained and with a lot of hard work.”
Business process outsourcing firm, SPi Global, announced on the 28th of October that the company is eyeing the expansion of its healthcare business. According to Mike Beninato, CEO of SPi’s healthcare group, “The amount of money being paid for medical procedures in the US is escalating. Hospitals are looking for ways to do it more efficiently.” SPi owes about one third of its revenues to healthcare services such as providing medical billing and medical coding outsourcing services.
But while India and the Philippines both offer good prospects for US healthcare providers, offshoring concerns, one of the foremost being the issue of data security and the legal ramifications of sending sensitive information offshore, still plague healthcare providers particularly hospitals. According to George Conklin, CIO of Christus Health, “As soon as it [patient information] leaves the confines of the U.S., it’s not subject to the same rigorous laws as we are.”
A concern that although valid, may have to be surpassed with the healthcare reform deadline fast approaching. A fact which outsourcing providers keep in mind.
Until the recently approved reforms to healthcare are realized, and to the current political shifts and prospective resulting consequences are also, the healthcare industry will be in limbo. The current climate in the industry is very similar to what happened when Hillary Clinton was rallying the push for healthcare reorganization in ‘93. Only when it becomes clear what the future will be, hospitals and physicians are unable and uneasy to make plans for the trying times to come.
The new health care reform, recently signed into law, from Obama claims to:
* makes insurance more affordable by providing the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, reducing premium
costs for tens of millions of families and small business owners who are priced out of coverage today. This helps over 31 million Americans afford health care who do not get it today – and makes coverage more affordable for many more.
* set up a new competitive health insurance market giving tens of millions of Americans the exact same insurance choices that members of Congress will have.
* bring greater accountability to health care by laying out commonsense rules of the road to keep premiums down and prevent insurance industry abuses and denial of care.
* end discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.
* put our budget and economy on a more stable path by reducing the deficit by $100 billion over the next ten years – and about $1 trillion over the second decade – by cutting government overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse.
It is also clear from their presentation that they are anticipating attacks based on cost to the American Taxpayer and to the idea that both Social Security and Medicare are at risk, that the change will simply rob Peter to pay Paul. These concerns are addressed upfront: “The Act will protect and preserve Medicare as a commitment to America’s seniors. It will save thousands of dollars in drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries by closing the coverage gap called the “donut hole.” Doctors, nurses and hospitals will be incentivized to improve care and reduce unnecessary errors that harm patients,” and further they state: “The financial health of Medicare will improve and guaranteed benefits will be preserved by ending the 14% average overpayment to private insurance companies under the Medicare Advantage (MA) program.” So not only are they protecting Medicare, but they are reducing costs, almost a hat trick.
Weak Economy
With the current economic hardship and enormous job losses across the country, these have unswervingly affected the cash flow to doctors and physicians. When jobs are lost, the loss of healthcare benefits is inevitable, and so access to health care is also. However, many doctors are postponing retirement since watching the stock market annihilate their retirement reserves. This delay will result in a much smaller number of employment opportunities being offered and graduating residents not finding as many available jobs as before. Residents today seem to prefer not to commit to less desirable jobs, and are choosing locum tenens opportunities. They are also putting off committing to full-time employment because of the scarcity and lower salaries. So in the near future, it appears there will be fewer and fewer good jobs available.
Demographics
In the United States, the population of 65+ is going to double by 2035 and will peak being almost one fifth of United States population. Even though older citizens are healthier than previous generations, the numbers of disabled and chronic condition sufferers are on the rise. So the demand for health care will rise for the next 25 years. This is the driving force behind the constant growth for demand of physicians, which may result in shortages of available medical services.
Aging is also directing the supply of physicians. Up to 1/3rd of the current 650,000 practicing physicians will be considering retiring by the year 2020. A shortage of primary care physicians is a particular concern due to this, and also the choice of younger physicians to choose to further specialize. The reason behind this is that further specialization beyond primary is the need for higher salaries to pay for their expensive education. The shortage is expected to hit rural and underserved areas the hardest.
Even with the health bill finally signed into law its effect on our health care is not known. By 2014 their will be an increase in the enrollment into health care insurance programs. This increase when, combined with the long term aging of the population, should push demand for services and therefore cost higher. However, no one yet knows what will happen to reimbursement rates from Medicare and this new program. The question is will there be rate a cut of reimbursement rates for different specialties by Medicare and this new program that may conversely become a decreasing factor of the income of all specialties, including Internal Medicine.
Clearly the Obama administration has its hands full. We are getting older and there are fewer young people to carry this growing financial burden. The Sins of the Fathers…..
Healthcare reform is a highly debated topic these days, due to new legislation passed by President Obama late last year. Although the American public seems to be divided in their stance on the reform act, the now majority Republican-controlled House is not its only critic- a recent study cites that many physicians themselves are actually opposed to the reform efforts. Among the major points made, physicians polled feel that reform calls for a greater number of healthcare workers, many of whom are not required to earn doctorate-levelhealthcare degrees like nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
The report recently released by Thomson Reuters and HCPlexus details the results of a national survey which polled nearly 3,000 U.S. physicians on the issue of healthcare reform. The overall consensus can be generalized to say that a majority of physicians feel “frustration and dismay in a time of change.”
Of the physicians polled,
65% believe that U.S. healthcare will deteriorate with five years
18% believe it will improve
17% believe it will stay the same
If the healthcare reform act passed by President Obama remains in legislation, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), an estimated 32 million currently uninsured Americans will have will access to healthcare. Physicians participating in the survey report concern over who will treat these new patients. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants will likely begin seeing and treating nearly as many patients as physicians themselves.
According to the report, “physicians overall have a clear frustration with the non-physician providers’ compensation, which is comparable to primary care physicians, citing that nurse practitioners and physician assistants are not as well-trained or as educated.”
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants do have an education above a bachelor’s degree, but are not required to have earned their doctorate from a medical school like a physician.Healthcare degrees of all levels are in high-demand in response to reform efforts, which will require greater numbers of healthcare workers overall, in both an administrative and clinical capacity. Online programs offering advanced healthcare degrees are growing in popularity as a method for working healthcare professionals to earn the additional credentials necessary to qualify for higher-level positions.
Results of the study also claim that a majority of physicians have a similarly cynical view on how healthcare reform will affect patients. Results conclude that:
58% feel the legislation will negatively affect patients
27% feel the effect will be positive
Survey results distinguished responses among physicians of different medical practices, for example, as primary care physicians, or psychiatrists. Of all participating groups, pediatricians and psychiatrists were the most optimistic about the future of healthcare. On the other hand, dermatologists were found to have the most negative outlook; not a single dermatologist polled reported a belief that current healthcare reform efforts would have a positive effect on physicians.
