Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:Introduction to Health Care and Public Health in the U.S.
Unit:Introduction and History of Modern Health Care in the U.S.
Lecture:Components of Health Care Delivery and Finance
Slide content:Health Care System Stakeholders (the ps ) Patient: The one who gets health care, often called a consumer or citizen when they are well Provider: Those who provide health care, e.g., physicians, nurses, allied health Purchaser: Those who buy health care, usually employers or the government Payor: Those who pay the health care system, i.e., the insurance companies and government Public health: Protectors of the publics health 16
Slide notes:Another important aspect of health care systems is to understand the different stakeholders, all of whose names start with the letter p. First and foremost, obviously, is the patient, the one who gets health care. Sometimes this individual may be referred to as a consumer or citizen, especially when they are well, and not a patient seeking care in the health care system. There are also providers, although some take issue with that term, but that is an umbrella term for all of those people and organizations who provide health care professionally. This includes physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and others. Purchasers are those who buy health care in the United States. For most people who are employed, the purchaser provides a health insurance benefit to the individual. Another big purchaser of health care in the United States is the government, through Medicare, Medicaid, and other government programs. The payor actually pays the dollars for the health care. This is typically insurance companies, at least in the United States. Thus, the employer may purchase the health insurance, but then, the health insurer is the payor that pays for the care. Sometimes the government is the payor as well as the purchaser. Finally, there is the public health system that aims to protect the public's health through activities such as clean water, food sanitation, clean air, preventive measures, and so forth. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 4.0 16