International Healthcare Comparisons

“There are three basic goals for a National Health Care System; 1) keeping people healthy, 2) treating the sick and 30 protecting families against financial ruin from medical bills”, (Physicians for a National Health Program, 2016). No truer statement could there possibly be written or proclaimed as there is a crisis in healthcare costs across the United States. United States, one of the most developed western country, yet we suffer from – higher infant mortality rates, have shorter life spans and are affected by more chronic disease and or illness – than our contemporaries all while spending the most for insurance per capita and less annual doctor visits with less physicians, (OECD Health Data 2015). There is a question to be answered, “why”, why are we trailing our contemporaries and more important than that is, is our National Health Care system really working for us? The year 2010 was the beginning of change in the United States where we transitioned from primarily private insurance and welfare to a universal healthcare model, under President Obama with the signing into Law of the Affordable Health Care Act March of 2010. The purpose of the Affordable health care act is to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable healthcare, however in 2016 we are still questioning we’ve been successful based on funding, government sponsored healthcare programs, effects on the current HCO, elderly, military and accessibility.

This paper will discuss the Canadian healthcare system compared to the United States healthcare system. Although they’re close in proximity, these two nations have very different health care systems. Each healthcare system has its own difficulties, and is currently trying to find ways to improve. Canada currently uses the Universal Health Care system; which provides healthcare coverage to all Canadian citizens (Canadian Health Care, 2007). The services are executed on both a territorial and provincial basis, by staying within the guidelines that have been enforced by the federal government (Canadian Health Care, 2007).

All healthcare systems, regardless of funding mechanisms, ration the limited resources of health care to some degree (Petrou & Wolstenholme, 2000). Even setting limits on patient choice is a form of rationing that takes place in almost all countries’ health systems (Lauridsen, Norup & Rossel, 2007). In the United States, health care is rationed according to free market principles while other countries employ other means such as long wait times for non-acute conditions or delays in the

The purpose of this paper is to compare the Canadian and the United States health care system. the first part of the paper will focus on describing each country health care system. The second part will focus on analyzing, evaluating and comparing these two countries system efficiency and benefits. The last part, is an overview of the recent policies changes and its effect (positive and negative) on each country citizens and proposed future reforms for better coverage in these countries.

The waiting time for medical services is long in both countries. The waiting time is mostly determined by the number of medical doctors and facilities available in relation to the population. According to the report done by the American Medical Student Association (2011), it was discovered that the doctor-to-patient ratio in the U.S. is more than in Canada. As a result, the survey discovered that about 42% of patients in Canada had to wait for about two hours compared to the U.S. whereby 29% had to wait for two hours. Also, 43% of Canadians compared to 10% of Americans are forced to wait for about four weeks to see a specialist. In addition, the same study discovered that 37% of Canadians compared to 34% of Americans found it difficult to access medical services during weekends and holidays. As a result, 47% of Canadians compared to 50% of Americans felt that it would have been possible for them to be treated on a regular basis than on an emergency basis if medical personnel were available (American Medical Student Association, 2011).

The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the current level of national healthcare expenditures and to determine if we as Americans are spending too much on healthcare. The author of this paper will provide examples and solutions where we as a nation should add or cut from the healthcare expenditures. This paper will also detail how the general public's healthcare needs are being paid for, the biggest economic healthcare challenge, why the challenge should be addressed, and how this challenge to be financed.

America has a very disorganized and fragmented healthcare system while Canada has a very structured and established system. Since there is no healthcare system in the world that is considered perfect all countries implement polices that they believe will be the most beneficial for their residents, The United States’ and Canada’s systems are both constantly being reformed to fit the current needs their residents however there are strengths and weaknesses for both of the systems.

Healthcare costs in the United States have been rising for several years and show no sign of stopping. In 2008, the United States spent on 2.3 trillion on healthcare, more than three times the $714 billion spent in 1990, and over eight times the $253 billion spent in 19801. Although the large amount of money invested in healthcare does translate to better care for Americans, the worsening economic situation, rising costs, and federal government’s deficit have placed a great strain on the system. This includes private employer-sponsored health insurance coverage and public insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a private and non-profit healthcare analysis organization, “in 2008, U.S. health care spending was about $7,681 per resident and accounted for 16.2% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); this is among the highest of all industrialized countries”1. Concerns for the enormous strain on the financial systems that fund healthcare and the desperate need to provide adequate healthcare for Americans have driven many a President since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, to seek some type of healthcare reform and universal healthcare for all Americans. President Barack Obama succeeded where many had failed and on March 23, 2010, a national health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law. On March 31, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued new rules

In 1998, the United States devoted 13% of its economy to health care, and this figure rose to 16% by 2008. However, despite this rise in government expenditure on health care, outcomes for patients remained the same (Obama, 2016). The quality of the health care system in general was not great; health care

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)”.

Emanuel, Dressel, Davis, Shoen, Shea, and Haran all have their own opinions, but it is still not clear what system is the most beneficial. Health care in Canada is different than here in the United States, but it is arguable of which country’s system is better. It is also debatable of whether the U.S. can adapt a different system and still be successful. This is a current problem in society and should not be ignored.

Over the past century, individual health-care costs in the United States of America have tripled. Just in 2014, the annual health-care spending hit $3.8 trillion. (Munro) Not only does the overall cost of healthcare keep rising, but also the number of uninsured citizens is staying stagnant. Even with the recent controversies over Obama care, American citizens are not gaining the advantages that they need in obtaining basic health-care. The cost will only further increase, unless some action is taken. As much as implementing a universal health care system would seem to benefit the United States, it is fiscally impossible to do it with the current state of our economy. (Gibberman) The opportunity

Though the cost of the healthcare system in the United States is the most expensive in the world, there is a large percentage of Americans that have no health insurance. Healthcare is the country’s largest economic division, larger than the national defense. Although, millions of people cannot afford to take care of their health needs. Insurance premiums have almost doubled in the last eight years, making health insurance for millions out of their grasp. Growing medical bills are continuously leaving families in debt.

Healthcare spending in America has continued to increase to an extent that it exceeds the growth in national income and the increase in spending in other developed or industrialized countries. Despite of the huge healthcare expenditure that has characterized the nation's annual budget, many Americans are without adequate healthcare. As a result, several measures have been adopted by the government from time to time in attempts to solve the problem of increased national healthcare spending. However, most of these attempts have failed to address the problem even as healthcare expenditures continue to increase. This problem has also contributed to numerous concerns among Americans since the cost of healthcare in the country is increasing rapidly than the incomes of those who pay for these services. Regardless of the failed attempts to deal with the problem, the growth of healthcare spending more than the national income contributes to the need for effective measures to reduce healthcare expenditure. Therefore, it's important for policymakers to take appropriate measures to limit the rising cost of healthcare in methods that will also contribute to improved quality of healthcare.

Controlling insurance costs are a significant political topic in America. The uninsured in America totals forty five million, causing it to remain a high social concern (Shi & Singh, 2013, p. 338). Many of the insured seek care at hospitals, often leading to bad debt write offs. These loses get factored into paying consumers’ costs. It is estimated that insured consumers pay an extra one thousand dollars in premium cost each year to offset losses from seeing uninsured patients (DeMoss, 2015). If the health care system fails to control costs, it could destroy the infrastructure of the healthcare system (PBS, 2009). In 2010, America spent 17.9% of the GDP on healthcare expenses. Health insurance premiums have increased 3%-13% since 2000 (DeMoss, 2015).