HSC 300 CORE EXAM TEST 2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔current issues in health care
navigating a complex health care system - ✔✔- in one study of 1500 people with
chronic illness, 2/3 stated they felt anxious, confused or helpless about the process of
seeking care and receiving care
- unclear instructions
- contradictory information from different providers
- hard to understand insurance policies
- feeling as though health care professionals are not communicating with one another
- often pts are left to manage their own care with little understanding of how the health
care system works
✔✔current issues in health care
cost efficiency - ✔✔- the u.s spends 11 times more on health care now , compared to
1980 and we spend more than any other country
- we lack equitable care for all citizens
- people without insurance tend to forgo care and preventive services more and seek
care when their health is critical, and more expensive
- the u.s also spends large sums of money on wasteful practices
✔✔current issues in health care
treatment appraoches - ✔✔- dualistic view
- holistic view
✔✔current issues in health care
patient empowerment - ✔✔- defined as having considerable knowledge regarding
health thus more influence concerning their own health
- empowered pt's tend to ask more questions, state their preferences and attend
consultations
- providers can not longer tell pt's what to do, and rather must act as coaches, teachers,
and colleagues, working alongside patients
✔✔social changes
changing populations - ✔✔- the aging population by 2050 the number of people over 60
will be twice as large as it was in 2015
- the racial and cultural shift, by 2042 minority populations will become the majority. it is
unlikely that this shift will be seen in health care professionals
- growing numbers of individuals with low education, income and health literacy
✔✔social changes
technology use - ✔✔- nearly 1 in 3 american's communicated online with a physician,
mostly through email
, - technology helps to expand health communication
- we have new technologies such as ehealth and telemedicine
- electronic health records, when used effectively, can save time, prevent mistakes and
help coordinate patient care
✔✔managed care
conventional insurance - ✔✔- makes up less than 1% of employee sponsored health
coverage
- under this plan a monthly premium is paid and the first $1,000 of annual medical
expenses are paid out of pocket
- after the first $1,000, the patient pays roughly 20% of the expense and the insurance
company pays the other 80%
- catastrophic cap covers 100% of the cost after the "expected" out of pocket expenses
are paid, to reduce risk of overwhelming debt
- is considered fee for service because providers are reimbursed for each service they
provide
- uses a third party payer system, the insurance company, to pay for the services
- diagnosis related groups (DRG's) are used for reimbursement of hospital stays where
a flat fee is reimbursed for all services
✔✔managed care
HMO's - ✔✔- health maintenance organizations hire physicians whose salaries are paid
by patient premiums
- patients pay a monthly premium and a copay for each visit/rx
- primary care physician is assigned and referrals are needed for specialty care
- HMO's are capitated systems, where each enrolled person pays a set monthly
premium regardless how much they use the system
✔✔managed care
PPO's - ✔✔- preferred provider organization are similar to HMO's except there is an
annual deductible and copays can vary
- contract with independent providers so the patient may select any provider they want if
they are in the network
- no referrals are needed for specialty care
- providers are paid fee for service at a discounted rate
- provider not on preferred list do cost more
✔✔managed care
high deductible health plans - ✔✔- with these plans, patients pay lower monthly
premiums, but their copays and deductibles are 2-3x higher and the catastrophic cap is
several thousand dollars higher as well
- you pay less but if something happens, you will pay far more
- most patients qualify for tax exempt health savings plans that can be used for current
or future medical expenses
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔current issues in health care
navigating a complex health care system - ✔✔- in one study of 1500 people with
chronic illness, 2/3 stated they felt anxious, confused or helpless about the process of
seeking care and receiving care
- unclear instructions
- contradictory information from different providers
- hard to understand insurance policies
- feeling as though health care professionals are not communicating with one another
- often pts are left to manage their own care with little understanding of how the health
care system works
✔✔current issues in health care
cost efficiency - ✔✔- the u.s spends 11 times more on health care now , compared to
1980 and we spend more than any other country
- we lack equitable care for all citizens
- people without insurance tend to forgo care and preventive services more and seek
care when their health is critical, and more expensive
- the u.s also spends large sums of money on wasteful practices
✔✔current issues in health care
treatment appraoches - ✔✔- dualistic view
- holistic view
✔✔current issues in health care
patient empowerment - ✔✔- defined as having considerable knowledge regarding
health thus more influence concerning their own health
- empowered pt's tend to ask more questions, state their preferences and attend
consultations
- providers can not longer tell pt's what to do, and rather must act as coaches, teachers,
and colleagues, working alongside patients
✔✔social changes
changing populations - ✔✔- the aging population by 2050 the number of people over 60
will be twice as large as it was in 2015
- the racial and cultural shift, by 2042 minority populations will become the majority. it is
unlikely that this shift will be seen in health care professionals
- growing numbers of individuals with low education, income and health literacy
✔✔social changes
technology use - ✔✔- nearly 1 in 3 american's communicated online with a physician,
mostly through email
, - technology helps to expand health communication
- we have new technologies such as ehealth and telemedicine
- electronic health records, when used effectively, can save time, prevent mistakes and
help coordinate patient care
✔✔managed care
conventional insurance - ✔✔- makes up less than 1% of employee sponsored health
coverage
- under this plan a monthly premium is paid and the first $1,000 of annual medical
expenses are paid out of pocket
- after the first $1,000, the patient pays roughly 20% of the expense and the insurance
company pays the other 80%
- catastrophic cap covers 100% of the cost after the "expected" out of pocket expenses
are paid, to reduce risk of overwhelming debt
- is considered fee for service because providers are reimbursed for each service they
provide
- uses a third party payer system, the insurance company, to pay for the services
- diagnosis related groups (DRG's) are used for reimbursement of hospital stays where
a flat fee is reimbursed for all services
✔✔managed care
HMO's - ✔✔- health maintenance organizations hire physicians whose salaries are paid
by patient premiums
- patients pay a monthly premium and a copay for each visit/rx
- primary care physician is assigned and referrals are needed for specialty care
- HMO's are capitated systems, where each enrolled person pays a set monthly
premium regardless how much they use the system
✔✔managed care
PPO's - ✔✔- preferred provider organization are similar to HMO's except there is an
annual deductible and copays can vary
- contract with independent providers so the patient may select any provider they want if
they are in the network
- no referrals are needed for specialty care
- providers are paid fee for service at a discounted rate
- provider not on preferred list do cost more
✔✔managed care
high deductible health plans - ✔✔- with these plans, patients pay lower monthly
premiums, but their copays and deductibles are 2-3x higher and the catastrophic cap is
several thousand dollars higher as well
- you pay less but if something happens, you will pay far more
- most patients qualify for tax exempt health savings plans that can be used for current
or future medical expenses
