Future of the Healthcare Industry in USA

Universities stemmed some of the biggest medical advances in the health care industry amongst the world. The educational platform for the United States spells long term success for health care, by growing the next generation of top health care providers. In comparison Germany and Canada also are represented amongst the top 50 medical schools in the world, but lack any representation of the top 10 prestige rankings. On top of that, both other countries lack volume and opportunity to receive a valued medical education when compared to the United States.

In this paper, I will describe the concepts of market justice and social justice, explain how the two principles complement each other and in what way they conflict in delivery of health care in the United States. Secondly, I will discuss how health care is rationed in the market justice and social justice systems. Finally, I will discuss the types of health insurance that is based on market justice and social justice principles.

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or ‘Obamacare’ in 2010 and its implementation in 2014,there has been a steady decline in the uninsured population of the United States of America. The number of Americans with health insurance, has reached a historic peak. According to recent data from the Census Bureau about health insurance coverage, the number of uninsured Americans fell from 33 million the year prior to ACA implementation to 29 million in 2014.The total uninsured rate dropped by more than 4 percent since the health care law took effect. The ACA has significantly reduced the number of Americans who were not able to acquire health insurance due to poverty, unemployment, or having a pre-existing condition.

Before the Affordable Care Act, 50.7 million Americans (16.7 percent) were uninsured. The main reason for this was money. The majority of these uninsured American families simply couldn’t afford health insurance and those who did have insurance spent a good chunk of their income to pay for it. The percentage of Americans who were covered by employment-based health insurance (the most popular form of insurance at the time) was the lowest it had been since 1987 when the first statistics on

The number of Americans without health insurance is still high enough that the negative consequences outlined above pose a significant threat to many people. As of January 2015, the percentage of uninsured Americans stood at 12.9% of the total population (Levy, 2015). Although this may seem like a low number, this statistic indicates that there are tens of millions of people in the U.S. who are susceptible to the risks of dying at the hands of something that could have been prevented with coverage. Thus, the uninsured rate is still high enough to warrant concern from policy makers and should serve as a call to action to work towards getting as many Americans as possible covered.

Identify and describe at least three of the most difficult issues facing health care in the United States today.

Healthcare in the United States is an interstate system that accounts for 15% of the U.S. GDP and $5,635 per capita. Nearly 45 million – or 1 in 5 – Americans are uninsured. With insurance premiums rising yearly, the number of uninsured Americans projects to continue to climb. While new technologies will increase the efficiency of healthcare, the costs of these new tests and treatments will likely outweigh the savings. As the cost of healthcare rises, many employers will be forced to eliminate health insurance benefits for their employees, further increasing the number of uninsured Americans.

health care services are limited, it is necessary that the available services are distributed fairly and in the most equitable way possible. In an effort to comply with the principle of justice, individuals who have unfair advantages over others must give up their privileges for the betterment of all (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008, p.73). The discriminatory practice of denying health care coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions while others had insurance was in direct violation of this ethical principle. Although health care reform is often fueled by logical socio-economic reasons and the laws are rationalized within the context of the political sphere, compassion for others is at the base of these changes. Compassion is the ability

Sered and Fernandopulle argue why America current health system is in such horrible condition. Based on interviews with 120 uninsured men and women, medical providers, policy makers, and advocates in America, they discuss the consequences of being uninsured. There are more than forty million people uninsured in America and they detail what it means for society as a whole when so many people suffer the consequences of inadequate medical care. They analyze America job’s market and how fewer long-term jobs with health benefits are available. Sered

In attempting to remedy the unjust nature of the American health insurance system, one cannot determine what a just system should be based on the current assessment of society. Inequalities within the current system cannot foster discussion for what we believe is justice because preconceived notions cloud the judgment of even the foremost health policy intellectuals. Many philosophers therefore turn to creating hypothetical societies where these inequalities do not exist as a means to facilitate the discussion as to what true justice requires. Two such individuals, Ronald Dworkin and Charles Fried, have constructed such situations as a means to assess what a just healthcare system should be comprised of in a truly fair-market economy. Although they agree on issues pertaining to the resources available to individuals in a fair market, they also disagree on what constitutes justice in regards to how individuals may spend their allocations. An assessment of the disagreements between the two reveals that the main consideration for what justice demands of society boils down to the degree to which individuals are responsible for purchasing their share of health insurance as well as their fellow citizens’.

Because the principle of fair opportunity should apply to everyone, then we must not only improve the health of the population but reduce health inequalities, as well. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides us with the opportunity to advance health equity and social justice through expansion of Medicaid, establishment of state health exchanges and changes to private insurance to increase access. However, this opportunity has not been fully realized since the inception of the ACA because it was not implemented as a federal mandate, but rather allowed

The quality of and lack of healthcare in the United States has been a major issue and in fact a major failing in terms of keeping the society healthy. This paper relates to the lack of good health care for many people based on the insurance companies' unfavorable policies. It also delves into the Affordable Care Act and how that legislation is designed to remedy some of the unfair policy and other flaws in the commercial health insurance industry.

In the United States health care is required for everyone and private and public insurance are the two options available to choose from, but there are still many gaps in coverage rates present (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). Medicare is one form of private insurance and the program’s main purpose is to provide care for those who are 65 and older, disabled, or who are in the last stage of chronic kidney disease (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program are available for those who have a low household income (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). It is estimated that 56% of residents within the U.S. are covered by private voluntary insurance with 51% being provided by employers and 6% being acquired on their own (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). Approximately 28% of the insured are covered by private programs which include Medicare providing 15% of coverage, Medicaid providing 12% of coverage, and military care constituting 1% (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). In the year of 2011, 28% of the population, equaling 50 million residents, were uninsured (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). It is predicted that the newly enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will decrease the number of people in the country who are without health insurance (International Profiles of Health, n.d.). By the year 2022, 25 million more people in the country

“About 44 million Americans have no health insurance and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance. This means that nearly one-third of Americans face each day without the security of knowing that, if and when they need it, medical care is available to them and their families”

As a result there seems to be the growth of commercialization in health care where it seems that a competitive profitable market will bring on a more efficient and effective health care system. The opposing thoughts argue that injustice is being done on the poor patients, and nothing should keep them from getting the care they deserve (Andre, C. & Velasquez, M., n.d.).