Health Care in the United States

Recently the Untied States top priority has been to provide accessible and affordable health care to every American. Those that lack access to coverage find it much more difficult to seek proper treatment and when they do they maybe left with astronomical medical bills. The CommanWealth Fund found that one-third or thirty three percent of Americans forgo health care because of costs and one-fifth or twenty percent are thus left with medical bills that have problems being able to pay. The federal government, through the Affordable Care Act (2010), has mandated that every person have health coverage in order

The first characteristic of the US health care system is that there is no central governing agency which allows for little integration and coordination. While the government has a great influence on the health care system, the system is mostly controlled through private hands. The system is financed publically and privately creating a variety of payments and delivery unlike centrally controlled healthcare systems in other developed countries. The US system is more complex and less manageable than centrally controlled health care systems, which makes it more expensive. The second characteristic of the US health care system is that it is technology driven and focuses on acute care. With more usage of high technology,

One of this health care’s programs objective is to limit the number of uninsured (Shi & Singh, 2015). This controversial healthcare plan incorporates a privately funded insurance which is paid for through employment and solely by the patient and a publicly funded insurance by the government. Medicare is provided for senior citizens 65 and older, and Medicaid is provided for low income citizens. The federal government and state government both partake in the funding of Medicaid. Although insurance is provided to the low income through Medicaid, the United States continues to suffer from cost escalation spending 17.1 percent of GDP on healthcare in 2013, a 50 percent more than the second nation (Commonwealth, n.d.) The high cost and limited coverage continues to spark up the conversation for a

The U.S. is an industrialized nation that continues to be behind on providing health care coverage to all citizens. However, the German health care system came up with a plan that ensured all citizens are provided with some form of health care coverage; nevertheless, the U.S. continues to dispute health care reform and how to provide coverage to all citizens. “Health spending per capita in the United States is much higher than in other countries – at least $2,535 dollars, or 51%, higher than Norway, the next largest per capita spender. Furthermore, the United States spends nearly double the average $3,923 for the 15 countries ("Health Care Cost," 2011, table 1)”.

While the Affordable Care Act is a step in the right direction for providing healthcare for all Americans, it will still leave as many people uninsured as it covers. There are two possible solutions for the country to enact. One would be universal healthcare coverage or national healthcare. It is defined as a health insurance program that is financed by taxes and administered by the government to provide comprehensive health care that is accessible to all citizens of that nation (Medical dictionary, 2012). There are many countries around the world that already have the plan in place, some having only adopted the health care coverage plan within the last ten years. Brazil, Thailand, and Sweden are just a few countries that have a universal healthcare plan in place in their country. While not perfect, all citizens are covered under these government run healthcare plans.

Despite these financial controversies, looking at the numbers seems to suggest otherwise. In regards to the financial statistics, universal health care actually proves to cost less. Currently, Americans spend more than $900 billion per year, twice the amount of most developed European nations and 40% more than Canada (Universal Access 2). This statistic shows that although Washington attempts to control costs by leaving health insurance in the hands of the people, in the end private health insurance is simply not efficient in terms of its monetary principles. By contrast, the nation and its people would therefore benefit from a universal plan that would ensure care while at the same time eliminating the capitalistic idea of profit that arises when private

In 1993, the Clinton administration proposed a far-reaching health-care reform bill called the Health Security Act. This plan would have guaranteed health insurance to every American. This proposition did not get broad consumer support, and Congress scuttled it, saying it was too expensive, too bureaucratic, and too intrusive. Despite defeat of that bill, many Americans are still committed to achieving universal coverage for all Americans. Many universal health care advocates favor a national health insurance plan funded by the government. The majority of industrialized nations have such health care systems, sometimes called “socialized medicine.” However, critics say that the United States cannot afford a national health care system. Moreover, most national health care plans are inferior to the best of our health plans. Switching to a government-funded system would destroy what is good about the present system.

The U.S. health care system faces challenges and it is urgent that the American people become aware of these challenges. There are approximately 46 million Americans who are uninsured, and many insured Americans who face rapid increases in premiums have to pay 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, people must address shortfalls in the quality and efficiency of care that lead to higher costs and to poor health outcomes. If something is not done soon, there will be many more who will not have health care coverage that is affordable or they will be without coverage altogether.

Many developed countries such as Canada and United Kingdom have embraced universal health care with United States being the only exception that has not embraced universal health care to its citizens. One of the reasons is that universal health care will ensured that all Americans citizens to have the right to health care and will decrease health care costs by allowing people to receive regular and prevent medical care. And not have to wait until they are chronically ill to seek treatment when medical costs is way much higher. Another reason is health care should be a right because it will promote equal opportunity by decreasing the number of people who are economically disadvantaged in society due to bad health and medically-related financial trouble. And they won’t have to worry about when they get sick and have to pay. So I really think is a good idea that the government should provide health

Health care systems are organizations that are formed to meet the overall health needs of the population. Health care is regarded as one of the leading cause in promoting not only physical and mental health but the well-being of the population. Legislation is implemented requiring government to offer services to all members of its society. The role of health services and the organizations that provide aid is to focus on the health of an individual and to uphold their human rights. According to WHO (2013), a “well-functioning health care system requires a robust financing mechanism, a well-trained and adequately-paid workforce, reliable information on which to base decisions and policies, and well maintained facilities and logistics to deliver quality medicines and technologies (World Health Organization; 2013).

Based on the reports by the World Health Organization and the Physicians for a National Health Program, health care costs in the United States are very high since the country spends nearly double per capita unlike other developed countries like Germany, Canada, and Britain that have universal healthcare programs. Notably, the United States healthcare system has failed to provide Americans with quality or better care services since it's a private system that includes HMOs and PPOs. Actually, even individuals and families with health care insurance still find it difficult to pay for health care services despite of having a stable income. The current healthcare system in the United States has led to the emergence of concerns on whether healthcare is a right or privilege. Furthermore, there are also concerns regarding the role of government in healthcare even as the delivery of improved care services is largely impacted by some major legal, ethical, social, and legal issues.

Health care costs in the United States account for a large portion of the national expenditure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), per capita national health expenditures totaled $9,255 and total national health care expenditures totaled $2.9 trillion in 2013 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013).

Therefore; it is my opinion that the government should institute a form of national health insurance for every American. This will defiantly cover the unemployed, disable and the elderly. In some ways however; the government deals with this insufficient coverage through public insurance programs developed under the Social Security Amendments of 1965. This amendment created both Medicare, which provides voluntary supplementary medical insurance for the elderly, and Medicaid, which gives grants to states to provide insurance for those below a certain income level. Despite these programs that have designed to aid those who do not have group enrollment through employment, there are still millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. These are Americans who do not fall below the income level which would give them access to Medicaid, yet whose employers do not offer them insurance. Given these information I think it would be in the best interest of politicians and private investors to have a national insurance scheme. Moreover; it will make a great difference for U.S. companies, such as automobile manufacturers, to compete internationally when most developed countries provide national health insurance (Legerski,

How many Americans cannot afford treatment for fatal diseases because of money? How many Americans cannot afford even simple health check-ups? Millions of Americans do not have healthcare. America needs to adopt a free healthcare system to provide fair protection for all American citizens. America's founding documents promised equal opportunity, and that is not upheld when Americans do not have equal health opportunity.

“In 2007 nearly fifty-million Americans did not have health insurance, while another twenty-five million were underinsured”. (Health CS). The United States one of the most powerful countries in the world where a national health care system is nonexistent because there is no financial accountability. Politics, money and bureaucracy have left Americans with doubt, confusion and the worries on how to pay for health coverage. United States should have a national healthcare plan because it will cut down on cost be more efficient and make doctors more financially responsible when it comes to spending money.