The UnitedHealth Group is an American-based health care company that offers insurance services and healthcare products. It was founded in 1974 by a group of physicians and healthcare professionals. This company headquarters is in Minnetonka, its purposes include building and shaping the health workforce, rewarding effective and quality care, reducing the overall cost of care, and strengthening the physician-patient relationship. Additionally, the organization strives to ensure that the community achieves better health.
The mission of UnitedHealth Group is to help people live healthier and to make the health system work better for everyone. The organization is connected by principles of compassion, integrity, innovation, performance, and relationships. The organization’s value is to celebrate ideas, people, and experiences. The association also creates a culture where team members are valued, appreciated, and are enabled to contribute towards their full potential. There are two complementary businesses, which are driven to transform one person, health care, one health system at a time.
The UnitedHealth care group functions globally, they lead in the development of the next generation health systems in a socially mindful way. It improves affordability and access to healthcare services. Furthermore, the company is committed to enhancing the quality of services by addressing various healthcare needs in the United States such as caring for the next decade undertakings. This is done by developing a strategic plan and technology that enhances the growth of the organization
Regulating Agencies that Oversee the UnitedHealth Organization
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) are some of the regulatory bodies overseeing the organization. The functions of these agencies include monitoring the facilities and health care practitioners, promoting safety, and ensuring compliance with the law. They also provide critical information about the quality and industry changes. OSHA monitors the employees’ safety regulation and they also do onsite inspections to assess hazards in the workplace. The CMS ensures that efficient, quality, and cost-effective care is provided to low-income people. It establishes levels of reimbursement and cares standards needed to improve modern practice in the healthcare organization. For instance, most industries are currently implementing electronic record keeping and health care coding.
Health Care Issue
There are rapid changes in technology and implementations needed to meet the current market demands in the healthcare organization. Thus, the major issue facing the UnitedHealth group is managing new methods and innovations. Additionally, some of the inventions require extra assets to be implemented, which interrupts the financial stability of the organization. Currently, the organization is trying to minimize costs by embracing the use of modern technology.
The Relevance of the Issue for the Organization
Massive changes in the healthcare industry have been enabled by technology. For instance, patients have access to better tools for diagnostic, efficient treatment, and non-invasive methods that heal quicker with less pain. Additionally, it has improved access to healthcare services because consultations and target treatments are currently done remotely using mobile apps. Generally, the presence of newer technologies for treatment has led to better outcomes and improved patients’ life quality.
Rapid changes in technology are issues of great concern in the health industry. A company is forced to phase out old technologies and implement a new one as it arises for it to be competitive. Consequently, extra resources are wasted annually in training staff to efficiently utilize novel methods, which is are not durable. Additionally, although the electronic record keeping currently used contributes to easy coordination and circulation of important information amongst the company’s teams and stakeholders. It has led to a breach of patients’ autonomy and privacy (Lehoux et al., 2017), this is because critical information such as personal data and billing address are accessible to hackers, who uses it to exploit the industry.
The Role of the Organization or Administrator in Compliance
In the UnitedHealth Group, a compliance officer is employed to help in maintaining the company’s procedures and policies. This is done by ensuring that the set regulatory frameworks are followed. Additionally, the administrator manages and oversees the organization’s compliance program that evaluates and reviews the rules and regulations issues within the company. They also brief the board of directors, senior managers, and the employees about regulatory agencies’ requirements and guidelines.
Actions Undertaken by Healthcare Administrators to Comply with Healthcare Legislation
The administrator ensures that the company complies with both the external and internal regulatory and legal requirements, bylaws, and policies. He also reviews and set standards for external communications by ensuring that disclaimers are used in emails to avoid breach of information (Fassett & Mizner, 2018). In addition, the officer examines whether facilities are safe and accessible for both the clients and stakeholders. Other duties undertaken by the compliance employee include updating or designing internal policies.
The administrator also sets appropriate disciplinary measures in case of a regulatory breach to avoid future recurrence. They provide an inner organization service that supports the UnitedHealth group business areas to avoid penalties due to non-compliance (Kim, 2017). Moreover, the officer helps in mitigating the organization risks that break health agencies’ regulations (Fassett & Mizner, 2018). Furthermore, they lead internal audits procedures and create the company’s policies.
References
Fassett, C., & Mizner Jr, J. J. (2018). Healthcare standards and compliance. Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professions E-Book, 46.
Kim, J. (2017). Staying responsible within the healthcare industry in the era of the responsible corporate officer doctrine. Indiana Health Law Review, 14, 129-130.
Lehoux, P., Miller, F. A., Daudelin, G., & Denis, J. L. (2017). Providing value to new health technology: The early contribution of entrepreneurs, investors, and regulatory agencies. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 6(9), 509.