Summary: The New Mexico Health Care System

The delivery of the U.S. healthcare system has changed drastically over the years from the inception of organized healthcare to today’s underdeveloped system. Prior to the 1920’s,

The healthcare policies in Mexico and the United States are similar in that both healthcare systems utilize a combination of public and private insurance (freecontentweb.com). Healthcare has rapidly become an important topic in many countries. This comparison will focus on similarities in healthcare reform, healthcare insurance availability, healthcare access, and healthcare cost of both countries. Prior to healthcare reform in the US and Mexico, millions of people did not have access to health care due to the cost and lack of insurance. Healthcare reform was established to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care in both countries. Even though health care reform made insurance coverage available in both the private and public sector, access of care is limiting. As a result, patients find it difficult to get appointments when they need care. In addition, many patients continue to struggle with the cost of healthcare. Although both countries have some similarities related to healthcare, obvious differences exist.

In the United States, the federal government left health insurance matters to the States up until the early 20th century. The States, in turn, left health insurance up to private and voluntary programs. However, the Progressive Era would bring with it calls for social insurance to improve conditions for the working class. Although it would take several more decades, those calls would eventually lead to landmark

In recent years, health care has been a huge topic in public debates, legislations, and even in deciding who will become the next president. There have been many acts, legislations, and debates on what the country has to do in regards to health care. According to University of Phoenix Read Me First HCS/235 (n.d.), “How health care is financed influences access to health care, how health care is delivered, the quality of health care provided, and its cost”.

Mexico and the United States have each adopted a goal to provide the best possible, health care for all citizens. With this in mind, each country has identified a different approach to reaching this goal. A discussion of similarities and differences are addressed in the following paragraphs as well as an explanation of why different approaches exist.

Norma Raffel and Marshall Raffel’s The U.S. Health System: Origins and Functions presents a thorough history of healthcare in the United States and explains the present situation. The current U.S. system of federal healthcare came into being in 1965 through Congress’s amendment of the Social Security Act and the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare began as a national health insurance program for persons age 65 and over, regardless of income or wealth. In 1973, coverage was extended for those on disability for at least two consecutive years. Medicare provides enrollees with a basic program of hospital insurance and supplementary assistance program to aid in paying healthcare bills (Raffel,

In 1927, the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care was formed. This committee, which included health economists, physicians, and public health experts, researched the American health care environment and produced in 1932 a landmark report Medical Care for American People which revealed the significant discrepancy in costs, quality, and quantity of medical services in the United States. The primary concern was that health care system did not provide sufficient services to satisfy the health care needs of Americans, especially the minorities. Most people could not finance their health care needs themselves. Therefore, it was proposed to transform the system so that health care would be financed through insurance and taxation (Jost, 2012, p. 54). This initiative was widely supported and first insurance plans appeared.

In 1927, the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care was formed. These committees, which included health economists, physicians, and public health experts, researched the American health care environment and produced in 1932 a landmark report Medical Care for American People which revealed the significant discrepancy in costs, quality, and quantity of medical services in the United States. The primary concern is that health care systems do not provide sufficient services to satisfy the health care needs of Americans, especially the minorities. However, people do not have the financial stability to support their health care needs. Therefore, it was proposed to transform the system so that health care would be financed through insurance and taxation (Jost, 2012, p. 54). In fact the initiative was widely supported and the first insurance plans appeared.

Despite the increased access to heath care in Mexico, Mexicans do not consider it as the first line of care due to the increased importance given to folk medicine, family and over the counter medicine. Medicine that patients in the US can only get by prescription such as antibiotics IM injections, IV fluids and birth controls this population can purchase them from Mexico at low and be mailed to them in the US. This behavior accounts to the low access to care in the US. Due to low literacy level and socio economic status, many Mexicans in the US

Other developed countries, such as Germany, Austria, Hungary, Norway, Britain, Russia, The Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Switzerland, all had socialized or nationalized healthcare as late as 1912. The primary reason for the emergence of these programs in Europe was income stabilization and protection against the wage loss of sickness rather than payment for medical expenses, which came later (pnhp.org). In the United States during this time, federal regulation of health care programs was nonexistent; states were given the responsibility and right to regulate within themselves and to determine what- if any- programs were available to their

The main historical developments that have shaped the health care delivery system in the United States. Knowledge of the history of health care is essential for understanding the main characteristics of the system as it exists today. For example, the system’s historical foundations explain why health care delivery in the United States has been resistant to national health insurance, which has been adopted by Canada and most European nations. Traditionally held American cultural beliefs and values, technological advances, social changes, economic constraints, and political

Further, there is an interest in developing cross-border health insurance programs that would come from Mexican-American partnerships. There is a view of the American as a financial commodity within the healthcare arena. In this study conducted in 2012, the researchers identified that over 1 million Americans, just in the state of California, receive some type of health care service in Mexico, such as medical or dental procedures or prescription drug services. That is a substantial amount of income to Mexican health care businesses. This gets back to the idea of seeing Americans as commodities and creates a service that previously wasn’t widely used.

Healthcare industry in United States has been an important industry for a long time. It is one such industry that has representation from both public sector and private sector. The current health care system is segregated and fragmented in America. Some states have very effective and efficient healthcare system while some states lack the desired infrastructure. The evolution of healthcare system in USA can be traced back to 1750. The period from 1750 to 1849 is termed as preindustrial period where the care of sick people was primarily handled by families (Brian, 2010). The period of 1850 to 1969 is termed as postindustrial period which reflects the growth of organized medicine and systematic healthcare delivery.

The United States Healthcare system is different from other countries for a variety of reasons. Other wealthy developed countries have a national insurance programs based on global budgets. There are three basic models for the structure of their National Healthcare Systems. These programs, mostly cover all citizens in those countries. In contrast, the United States is yet to develop such a healthcare system. Two programs which impact the United States healthcare system is Medicare and Medicaid. The United States has different external factors which influence and shape the system. This paper will evaluate the key differences between the United States healthcare system and other nation’s healthcare systems. The differences between Medicare and Medicaid programs will be analyzed. Lastly, how managed care reduces the overall cost of care the Florida Medicare form will be discussed.

Mexico, much like the United States, is composed of free states that add up to thirty one in total. The people of Mexico trace their heritage to that of multiple nationalities that range from Native American indigenous to individuals with ancestry to European nations. This fact maybe due to the Spanish conquest of Mexico and the shipment of ethnicities that are not usually endemic to the region making Mexicans what they call “mestizos.” Again like the United States, Mexico has a presidential system with legislative, executive and judicial branches. Differences arise from the length of terms of office such as the President of Mexico is elected for six years with only being able to serve one term instead of the usual four years in office in the United States and the possibility of re-election. Mexico has a bicameral legislature made up of senators and deputies like the president they are prohibited to be re-elected to the same government position but they are able to be put in office for the other opened government positions. For example a deputy may not be elected twice to be a deputy but can be elected to be senator or president of Mexico. In terms of economy Mexico has entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, a legislation implemented between Mexico, Canada and the United States that removes most tariffs on trade between its members. NAFTA looks to increase trade within all countries involved. Since this trade agreement Mexico has been oriented towards manufacturing becoming United States second largest source for export and the third largest for imports. Though Mexico has made large strides toward becoming a developed nation there remains substantial income inequality that affects the Mexican citizen’s opportunity for getting health care. In an article in the World Health Organization website it describes