Introduction
Managed care has become one of the main drivers to increase the availability of medical services and improve its quality for the population. It is essential because it includes several laws and regulations that affect the federal, state, and local levels at once. Thus, the study of concepts and aspects included in managed care is necessary to understand what is behind measures to improve the quality and provision of cost-effective care to patients.
Discussion
First, it is crucial to determine how managed care changed medical settings. Hence, federal, state, and local health regulations were developed to provide for-profit health care and health insurance for residents of the United States of America. One of the initiatives that contributed to the transformation was the development of specialized health plans by insurance companies that provide greater accessibility to the population. Moreover, the changes affected the use of the provider’s network. It implies exchanging the necessary information about medical service providers, which can be easily accessed.
A unique role in this process is played by medical assistants, who contribute to the efforts of the health care team in an area of managed care. Their job is to be responsible for a reasonably large number of activities. One of them is communication, reconciling medicine, conducting medical procedures, and teaching patients. Because medical assistants are often the patient’s first contact with a healthcare facility, they must have specific attributes, responsibilities, and skills. Thus, they must show professionalism and intelligence and be able to properly communicate information to individuals and answer all questions that arise. On the other hand, medical assistants should be able to maintain a friendly environment, calmness, and comfort for patients. It is worth remembering that these specialists cannot perform such procedures as making a diagnosis and prescribing a treatment plan (ATA. 2022). These essential actions are outside the scope of their practice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the introduction of managed care has contributed to significant changes in the United States healthcare system. Therefore, the main result was the expansion of the availability of medical services for the population, which at the same time did not lose the proper quality. Furthermore, within the framework of this initiative, an important role is assigned to medical assistants. Even though they do not have the same responsibilities as doctors, they are the first people patients meet when enrolling in a medical program.
Reference
ATA. (2022). What medical assistants can and cannot do?ATA College. Web.