Federal Nursing Home Administrator Practice Exam

What is likely to continue among healthcare providers regarding costs?

1. Increased efficiency in care delivery

2. Cost-shifting efforts

3. Decreased funding from government

4. Standardized reimbursement models

The correct answer is: Cost-shifting efforts

The correct answer emphasizes the trend of cost-shifting among healthcare providers. Cost-shifting occurs when healthcare providers attempt to redistribute costs to other payers or to the patients themselves. This practice often arises in response to financial pressures, such as reduced reimbursements from Medicare or lower payments from private insurance due to increasing operating costs. This adjustment can manifest in various ways, including raising prices for services billed to privately insured patients or shifting the financial burden to patients through higher copays and deductibles. As healthcare costs continue to rise and reimbursement models evolve, it is expected that providers will increasingly engage in cost-shifting strategies to maintain their financial viability. While other options present potential scenarios in healthcare, they do not encapsulate the ongoing trend quite as distinctly. Increased efficiency in care delivery could happen, but it may not directly relate to cost disputes. Decreased government funding might affect some providers, but it does not necessarily imply a direct correlation with how costs are managed. Standardized reimbursement models could potentially simplify payment structures but do not inherently address the underlying issue of rising costs and the need for providers to maintain revenue, which drives cost-shifting behaviors.