HCA Healthcare Midterm Study Guide
Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+
1. Name the four basic functional components of the US healthcare delivery
system. What role does each play in the delivery of health care?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-The four basic components are financing,
insurance, delivery, and payment. Financing pays for the purchase of health
insurance. Insurance protects the buyers of health coverage against catastrophic
risks. Delivery of health care enables people to receive services covered under their
health insurance plans. Payment mechanisms allow providers to receive payments
for services delivered to the insured.
2. Name and describe the four key determinants of health in the Blum's model.
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-In order of most important to least, the four
components are environmental, lifestyle, hereditary, and medical care.
Environmental is the shelter and geographical problems. Lifestyle is behavioral.
Hereditary is if you are born with it you cannot change it. Medical care is access to
primary care.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,3. Which conditions during the World War II period lent support to employer-based
health insurance in the United States?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer--Congress imposed wage freezes to control
high inflation which led to employers offering health insurance to their workers.
-Congress ruled that health insurance is necessary to became a part of employee
benefits.
-In 1954, Congress amended the Internal Revenue Code to make employer-paid
health coverage nontaxable. In economic value, employer-paid health insurance
was equivalent to getting additional salary without having to pay taxes on it, which
provided an incentive to obtain health insurance as an employer-furnished benefit.
On what basis were the elderly and the poor regarded as vulnerable groups for
whom special government-sponsored programs needed to be created?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer--The elderly & poor could not afford the
cost of care
-The elderly had higher incidences and prevalence of disease -
-Provision of charity care led to private payers being charged more for cost-
shifting/cross subsidization
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,5. Who are non-physician providers? What are their roles in the delivery of health
care?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-Nonphysician primary care providers
include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives.
They play a critical role in the provision of health care, particularly primary care to
underserved populations. NPs assists in pediatric, family, adult, psychiatric, and
geriatric programs. PAs assists in evaluating, monitoring, diagnostic, and
therapeutic practices to patients needing medical care. CNMs assists in maternal
and fetal procedures, maternity and child nursing, and patient assessments.
6. According to the Institute of Medicine, what are the four main components of a
fully developed electronic health record (EHR) system?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-- collection and storage of health
information on individual patients over time
- immediate electronic access to person and population level information by
authorized users
- availability of knowledge and decision support that enhances the quality, safety,
and efficiency of patient care
- support of efficient processes for health care delivery
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, 7. Discuss the relationship between technological innovation and health care
expenditures.
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-- new technology is expensive to develop
- costs incurred in research and development are included in total health care
expenditures
- the overall diffusion and utilization of technology is greater in the U.S
8. Distinguish between information technology (IT) and health informatics.
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-Information technology (IT) gathers, stores,
analyze, and transfers data.
Health informatics uses IT but goes a step beyond by emphasizing the
improvement of health care and focusing on efficiency, accuracy, and reliability of
health care delivery.
9. What is Medicare Part B? Discuss the financing and cost-sharing features of
Medicare Part B. Which main benefits are covered under Part B? Which services
are not covered?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-Medicare Part B is the Supplementary
Medical Insurance. It is completely voluntary. Premium cost sharing between the
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+
1. Name the four basic functional components of the US healthcare delivery
system. What role does each play in the delivery of health care?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-The four basic components are financing,
insurance, delivery, and payment. Financing pays for the purchase of health
insurance. Insurance protects the buyers of health coverage against catastrophic
risks. Delivery of health care enables people to receive services covered under their
health insurance plans. Payment mechanisms allow providers to receive payments
for services delivered to the insured.
2. Name and describe the four key determinants of health in the Blum's model.
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-In order of most important to least, the four
components are environmental, lifestyle, hereditary, and medical care.
Environmental is the shelter and geographical problems. Lifestyle is behavioral.
Hereditary is if you are born with it you cannot change it. Medical care is access to
primary care.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,3. Which conditions during the World War II period lent support to employer-based
health insurance in the United States?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer--Congress imposed wage freezes to control
high inflation which led to employers offering health insurance to their workers.
-Congress ruled that health insurance is necessary to became a part of employee
benefits.
-In 1954, Congress amended the Internal Revenue Code to make employer-paid
health coverage nontaxable. In economic value, employer-paid health insurance
was equivalent to getting additional salary without having to pay taxes on it, which
provided an incentive to obtain health insurance as an employer-furnished benefit.
On what basis were the elderly and the poor regarded as vulnerable groups for
whom special government-sponsored programs needed to be created?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer--The elderly & poor could not afford the
cost of care
-The elderly had higher incidences and prevalence of disease -
-Provision of charity care led to private payers being charged more for cost-
shifting/cross subsidization
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,5. Who are non-physician providers? What are their roles in the delivery of health
care?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-Nonphysician primary care providers
include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse midwives.
They play a critical role in the provision of health care, particularly primary care to
underserved populations. NPs assists in pediatric, family, adult, psychiatric, and
geriatric programs. PAs assists in evaluating, monitoring, diagnostic, and
therapeutic practices to patients needing medical care. CNMs assists in maternal
and fetal procedures, maternity and child nursing, and patient assessments.
6. According to the Institute of Medicine, what are the four main components of a
fully developed electronic health record (EHR) system?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-- collection and storage of health
information on individual patients over time
- immediate electronic access to person and population level information by
authorized users
- availability of knowledge and decision support that enhances the quality, safety,
and efficiency of patient care
- support of efficient processes for health care delivery
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, 7. Discuss the relationship between technological innovation and health care
expenditures.
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-- new technology is expensive to develop
- costs incurred in research and development are included in total health care
expenditures
- the overall diffusion and utilization of technology is greater in the U.S
8. Distinguish between information technology (IT) and health informatics.
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-Information technology (IT) gathers, stores,
analyze, and transfers data.
Health informatics uses IT but goes a step beyond by emphasizing the
improvement of health care and focusing on efficiency, accuracy, and reliability of
health care delivery.
9. What is Medicare Part B? Discuss the financing and cost-sharing features of
Medicare Part B. Which main benefits are covered under Part B? Which services
are not covered?
(SHORT ANSWER) - Correct answer-Medicare Part B is the Supplementary
Medical Insurance. It is completely voluntary. Premium cost sharing between the
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
