Health Care Reform And Access Of The American Political Agenda Ever Since The End Of World War

So why don’t these people get insurance? Well, as is so often quoted, “money makes the world go round.” When it comes to health insurance however, it is not the world, but only America that seems to have a problem with providing health care for a reasonable price to its citizens. 55 percent of uninsured people answered that the reason they are without the safety of insurance is the reason everyone expects--they cannot afford it (NRHA 1).

The U.S. health care system faces challenges that indicate that the people urgently need to be reform. Attention has rightly focused on the approximately 46 million Americans who are uninsured, and on the many insured Americans who face rapid increases in premiums and out-of-pocket costs. As Congress and the Obama administration consider ways to invest new funds to reduce the number of Americans without insurance coverage, we must simultaneously address shortfalls in the quality and efficiency of care that lead to higher costs and to poor health outcomes. To do otherwise casts doubt on the feasibility and sustainability of coverage expansions and also ensures that our current health care system will continue to have large gaps even for those with access to insurance coverage.

As a growing number of Americans find themselves without health insurance, it is demanded that the United States explore innovative policies aimed at extending coverage. The high cost of expanding coverage raises many questions about how best to improve access while preserving individual choice and maintaining quality of care. Differing viewpoints among policymakers, insurers, doctors, hospital administrators, employers, public health advocates, and health policy researchers provide a complete picture of the current and desired state of American healthcare.

Even with employer-sponsored programs and federal programs for those who qualify, many Americans are uninsured. Over 46 million Americans had no health insurance in 2006, and 86.7 million went without health insurance at some point in 2007 and 2008 (“Health Care Issues”). Why has the number of uninsured risen so drastically and why are employer-sponsored programs dwindling?

Individuals who are uninsured tend to be at risk in several ways. They include not having access to preventive care, holding back in seeking treatment may result into more serious illnesses thereby making treatment even more expensive for them to afford. Most public health facilities do not satisfy the needs of many uninsured Americans. Unlike their counterparts, uninsured individuals are

The impacts of a large portion of the population being uninsured can have an adverse reaction on the population who are insured. Study done by RAND Corporation and a UCLA shows that it hard for insured patients to find a regular source of care, have delay in their care or going care, and less satisfied with their care (Kelly, 2011, Para 2). Furthermore, high rates of uninsured population can also increase rate of acute health conditions and diagnoses. Thus, causing American health care to be more expensive and increase raise in disease, and sickness in the American population. According to Kaiser Family Foundation (2017), “Because people without health coverage are less likely than those with insurance to have regular outpatient care, they

In the United States, the number of uninsured continue to increase everyday with no solution. "As of today the number of uninsured American remained at 10.9 % in the fourth quarter of 2016"(Holahan, 2017). In today economy where unemployment is at an all time high, millions of peoples are without insurance due to unemployment. There are also a lot of uninsured American that are employed, that can't afford insurance.

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

The Medicare, Medicaid, and other types of public funded health insurance programs are the other major sources of insurance in the United States. These types of insurance programs target some particular populations of people and most Americans don’t fall into such populations. This mode of healthcare coverage left over 50 million American (17.6 of the population) including about 7.5 million children, without any form of health coverage in 2009. (Lapierre,2012)

With the current healthcare system in the United States there are many people who do not have health insurance due to cost.

“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”

Rising healthcare costs in the United States have made healthcare less affordable over time, creating a major public health issue for individuals without insurance. In a Health Affairs study about patient accessibility to care, the differences between adults with and without coverage has broadened from 2000 to 2010.1 The Obama Administration recognized this as an issue, and in 2010 signed into law the Affordable Care Act to make health insurance available and ultimately affordable to all US citizens, regardless of socioeconomic status.9 For 2016, it is projected that seven out of ten Americans who were renewing a health insurance plan received insurance for $75 or less per month, and eight out of ten received insurance for $100 or less.9 Now in an election year, universal health care in the United States is at a critical juncture for reevaluation. Should our nation continue on its noble path forward to improving its citizen’s health care accessibility, remain stagnant, or repeal and undoubtedly abandon the last six years of progress? Although there may be some limitations, the moral obligation to society, the increased health and well-being of individuals, and the overall economic benefits to our nation that will come with universal healthcare are justifications that make this healthcare model a clear option to consider.

In 2014, eleven percent of Ohio adults below the age of 65 lacked any kinds of health coverage (Exner, 2014). Even with the Medicaid expansion, this was just a 0.5 percent drop from the previous year. It’s apparent that people without insurance coverage have worse access to care than people who are insured. Skeptics of getting large medical bills, the uninsured are less likely to seek usual care, which sometimes leads to an extreme illness or even death. In 2015, 53% of the uninsured people in the country said that they or someone in their household had difficulty paying medical bills in the past twelve months (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2016). With an income that can barely put food on the table, they get into a dilemma of whether to make hospital visits or pray for the sickness to go away.

Millions of US citizens remain without healthcare coverage for a these reasons. Several main reasons we have many uninsured citizens are due to the following factors. One major factor is simple, unemployment – without a job Health Care benefits would not be offered. Individuals are responsible to pay for a health care plan out of pocket if you do not work or your job does not provide such plan. Many companies or employers do not offer a health care plan because this is not mandatory for businesses with less than 50 employees. Part time workers are also not covered as the number of worked hours don’t qualify them for coverage even if an employer

As insurance premiums rise and more employers drop coverage, an increasing number of Americans are living without health insurance. Nearly one in three non-elderly Americans—86.7 million people—went without health coverage for all or part of 2006-2007. And four out of five of those individuals were in working families.