Technology-Dependent Children: Hospital versus Home Care

摘要

The technical memorandum is about problems arising out of success. Recent advances in medical technology have permitted sick children who once would have died to survive with the assistance of needed for just a short time, but sometimes the dependence on life-sustaining technology is permanent. As technology for helping keep children alive has improved, a new population of technology-dependent children has emerged. This small but growing population of children raises new problems for the health care system. Because the care is expensive-often more expensive than most American families can afford-children and their families depend on third-party payers-insurance companies, Medicaid, or philanthropists-to finance the needed care. But the structure of the health insurance system has not kept pace with the needs of these children. Most technology-dependent children are eligible for Medicaid coverage in the hospital, but coverage of home care is more limited. Consequently, some children have remained hospitalized even when their families are able to provide good, lower cost care in the home.