Earning a Healthcare Administration Degree: A Smart Choice
News stories covering trouble in the healthcare industry tend to focus on two areas: doctors and nurses. However, one of the most crucial professions in the healthcare services industry rarely receives any attention at all. Healthcare administrators are the backbone of modern medicine, coordinating schedules, tracking patient information and facilitating communication between doctors and insurance companies. Though their work is done behind the scenes, healthcare administrators keep the health services industry on track. American hospitals, doctors’ offices, and long term care facilities rely on qualified healthcare administrators.
More People Have Insurance
Before the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, went into effect, upwards of 20 percent of Americans had no healthcare. After the first full year of the open insurance marketplace, that number dipped below 15 percent. As a result, 10 million new Americans had insurance, many of them for the first time. Previously, these people only visited a doctor for a major medical emergency, while preventative care and routine checkups were rare. Now that they have insurance, they can afford to see a doctor even when they’re only a little under the weather, leading to a sudden influx of new patients to be processed, scheduled, and billed.
The Baby Boomer Generation is Large
The generation born immediately after World War II, the so-called Baby Boomers, are putting a tremendous amount of strain on the healthcare system. The sheer size of the generation dwarfed the one before and after, creating a population bubble. You could be one of the professionals providing care to an entire generation!
Life Expectancy is Growing
People are living much longer than they did a century ago. The average life expectancy in the United States is approaching 80. A report from the CDC indicates that people over the age of 45 see the doctor more than twice as often as younger adults. Most of the visits by older patients are for treatment of chronic conditions, like heart disease, cancer or diabetes, and the number of visits per year only increases as the patient ages.
There are Better Treatment Options
Modern medical techniques have made some health issues that were once a death sentence a manageable health problem. Everything from heart conditions to rare genetic diseases are being treated by increasingly effective drugs. To get that prescription, however, the patient must first see their doctor, which leads to a steady stream of patients in waiting rooms across the country.
Healthcare administrators provide the back office support doctors and nurses need so they can focus on patient care. Without a highly-trained administrator, even a small private practice falls into chaos, and patient health can suffer.
That's my boy Jamel. 2014 ECPI University Bachelor of Science. Love him and am very proud of him. He did it. pic.twitter.com/U8BA8Q1eXk
— DJ Smooth Vee (@DJSmoothVee1) June 2, 2014
So, are you ready to make the next move?
If you would like to become a healthcare administrator, you can begin by making a two and a half year commitment toward earning your Healthcare Administration degree at ECPI University. Our year-round program is designed to cover a variety of topics that range from small business accounting, marketing, technology, and human resources.
Contact ECPI University today to learn more earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science with a concentration in Healthcare Administration. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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