The population health nurse attends a seminar on health care economics

The population health nurse attends a seminar on health care economics. What should the nurse realize as one of the biggest concerns influencing the economic health status of the United States?

1. Aging of citizens.
2. Declining birth rate.
3. Rise in asthma among children.
4. Rise of adolescent mental health problems.

ESSAYBID ANSWER

Answer: 1
Explanation: 1. Factors that have contributed to increasing health care spending include an aging population. An aging population contributes to greater demand for and use of services, particularly as the prevalence of chronic diseases with high costs for disease management increases in older age groups. The size of the older population relative to other age groups in the United States has increased consistently over the last several decades. People over age 65 consume a large portion of the health care services provided each year. The birth rate in the United States is not declining and while there are concerns about adolescent mental health problems and the rise of childhood asthma, these do not represent immediate priority concerns regarding the economic health status.