Challenge of Health Care Delivery and Health Policy
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The Challenge of Health Care Delivery and Health Policy
Why Health Is So Important To Americans
For every flourishing country, health is an important factor. Access to efficient and high quality care is essential for maintaining health and minimizing unnecessary deaths as well as attaining health equity for the entire American populace. Access to healthcare affects an individual’s physical, social and mental health status as well as his or her quality of life. It should never be forgotten that better health is important for individual happiness and wellbeing. Again, good health has multiple advantages to the economic sector. Under normal circumstances, a healthy population is more productive, and saves better (Knickman, & Kovner, 2015). There exist numerous factors that influence the health status of the citizens and one of them is ability of a country to provide quality care for its citizens. Healthy living prevents individuals from long term diseases like Diabetes and Asthma saving Americans from unnecessary stress associated with various diseases. To remain healthy, Americans must not only eat healthy foods but also participate in physical exercises.
- Defining Characteristics of the U.S. Health Care Delivery System
It is essential for individuals to understand the defining characteristics of the US healthcare system, to comprehend the basics of how it functions. Below are some of the US healthcare characteristics explained briefly.
Privately Governed
There exists no central governing agency in the US healthcare system. Instead, the US has numerous private hospitals and clinics which function on their own (Malatzky & Bourke, 2018). There exists minimal integration amidst services and service providers, something that leads to high healthcare costs for the patients. In the United States of America the private sector runs the healthcare sector and as such, the government is only a subsidiary to the private sector.
Technology-Focused
The US healthcare is very advanced technology wise and has the best equipment and procedures for the patients. Although the incorporation of technology in healthcare is a good thing, it should never be forgotten that too much concentration on the purchase of healthcare equipment increases the healthcare cost for the patients. To the majority of the Americans, having high-tech equipment in their healthcare system is redundant as they cannot afford it.
Limited Access
In the US not all people have an easy access to healthcare. Most of the healthcare providers demand for health insurances before treating the patients, a disadvantage to the uninsured Americans who cannot afford to pay for health services from their pockets. However, with the Affordable Care Act, the number of the insured Americans has significantly increased.
Legal Risks
Americans are known for suing people for any mistake done to them, regardless of how small it might be. This has made things very hot for the American private care providers who have become extra careful in avoidance of malpractice lawsuits.
- Seven Key Challenges Facing the Health System
The US healthcare system is faced with numerous challenges and one of them is insufficient funding. The Affordable Care Act has increased the number of the patients without a proportional upsurge in medical practitioners (Malatzky & Bourke, 2018). Similarly, the unwillingness in uptake of the social insurance cover has coerced the Federal Governments to finance the scheme. Another challenge facing the healthcare system is rising drug costs as well as growing patient consumerism. It is also important to mention medical errors, poor healthcare quality, access and health disparities, evidence based medicine and huge healthcare costs as some of the leading healthcare challenges facing the healthcare system.
- Stakeholders Who Shape and Are Affected By How the Health System Is Organized and How It Functions
The healthcare system has multiple stakeholders who are impacted by the organization and functioning of the system. Amongst the key healthcare stakeholders involved in the shaping of the system include insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms, government, patients, and employers.
References
Knickman, J. R., & Kovner, A. R. (2015). The challenge of health care delivery and health policy. Jonas and Kovner’s Health Care Delivery in the United States,
Malatzky, C., & Bourke, L. (2018). Different perspectives on the key challenges facing rural health: The challenges of power and knowledge. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 26(6), 436-440.