The Quad Function Model
This component of the Quad-Function Model is all about who pays for health care
What is Financing?
Unlike some systems, the U.S. has this kind of centralized governing body.
What is No central agency?
This principle views healthcare as an economic good, allocated based on ability to pay.
What is Market Justice?
These private-sector entities finance and manage care for many Americans.
What are Private health insurance companies?
The system’s model consisting of Financing, Insurance, Delivery, and Payment is known as this model.
What is the Quad-Function Model?
This component protects against financial risk and covers costs.
What is Insurance?
The U.S. healthcare system is described as this kind of market, with multiple players and limited transparency.
What is an Imperfect market?
This principle sees healthcare as a social resource, advocating equal access regardless of ability to pay.
What is Social Justice?
This federal agency regulates drug and medical device safety.
What is the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)?
The U.S. healthcare market is described as this, meaning it's complicated and fragmented.
What is an Imperfect market?
Refers to the actual provision of health services by physicians, hospitals, etc.
What is Delivery?
Patients often face multiple bills because of this characteristic (meaning there are many payers).
What are Multiple payers?
Under Market Justice, access to medical care is viewed as a reward of this.
What is Personal effort and achievement?
This agency oversees Medicare and Medicaid programs.
What is CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)?
This term describes the part-access nature of the U.S. system—coverage isn't universal.
What is Partial access?
In this component, patients and insurers compensate providers, including out-of-pocket.
What is Payment?
This term describes the uneven access to health services across the U.S. population.
What is Partial access?
In Social Justice, this concept outweighs the needs of the individual.
What is Community well-being?
Alongside insurers and providers, these organizations shape opinions and policy around healthcare.
What are Professional associations and advocacy groups?
The debate between healthcare as an economic good versus a social resource frames this ideological tension.
What is Market Justice vs. Social Justice?
The Quad-Function Model includes Financing, Insurance, and Delivery.
What is Payment?
This describes the delicate balance of interests among insurers, hospitals, employers, and pharma.
What is Power balancing?
Market Justice promotes these; Social Justice relies on this structured allocation approach.
What are Markets vs. central planning?
These providers coordinate care, often serving as the entry point to the system.
What are Primary care physicians?
These four key system functions are foundational to how healthcare is delivered and financed.
What are Financing, Insurance, Delivery, and Payment?