Imagine you have been asked to deliver a two-part informative workshop at a local health care expo by your Director of Community Outreach. Before he approves your workshop, you have to submit a proposal for each workshop that thoroughly discusses the content you would like to present. The first half of the workshop will inform the expo attendees of the demand of health care services as well as the cost of the services, expenditure to the health care industry, and payment sources used by the health care industry.  It is important that consumers are aware of these concepts as they consider available health care services; therefore, you will want emphasize how the information you are sharing makes them better consumers.

Proposal Part l

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you present the content you would like to discuss in the workshop to help increase overall consumer awareness regarding health care services.

Include the following in your paper:

• Analyze      the demand for health care services.

  How       does the demand for health care services differ from other consumer       purchases?
  What       are the relationships between:

  Changes        in the cost of treatment or medicines and the demand for health care        services?
  Consumer/patient        need and the demand for health care services?

  How       do changes in the behaviors of the consumers increase and/or decrease the       demand for health care services?
  Why       is it important for consumers to understand the demand for health       services?

• Analyze      the cost structure for the delivery of health care services.

  How       do different markets (large city vs. rural area) affect the cost of       health care services?
  What       impact do specialized services (e.g., cancer or orthopedic centers) have       on health care costs?
  How       do specialized service centers differ from traditional hospitals? 
  How       are the objectives different for a for-profit vs. a non-profit health       care organization?
  Why       is it important for consumers to understand the cost structure for the       delivery of health care services?

• Analyze      the major sources of health care spending.

  How       has the trend of health care costs regarding the overall economy changed       over the past several decades?
  What       impact does technology have on health care costs? 
  Why       is it important for consumers to know the major sources of health care       spending?

• Analyze      the various payment sources and mechanisms in the health care industry.

  What       sources are used to pay the costs of health care services other than       self-pay and private health insurance?
  What       impact does the government have on payment sources for health care       services?
  Why       is it important for consumers to know the payment sources for health care       services?

Cite four textbook, peer-reviewed, scholarly, or similar references to support the assignment.