The US Health Care System
Abstract
The United States has the best medical practices and procedures in the world, also faces a healthcare crisis. The system is not cost-effective at both the patient and government level; in terms of government level, it uses most of its GDP in the provision of healthcare services while at the patient level it is costly to access it thus giving the most privileged in the society to access it. The US system does not provide insurance to all its citizens this result to inequality. The funding of this system is from privately funded organizations which include individuals financing from their own pockets and privately owned businesses. It also acquires funds from the local, federal and state governments; the federal government being its primary source of funds. This article analyzes the US healthcare system to give future guidelines on its reformation, where an ” ideal” healthcare system will be discussed and used as an example. The “ideal” healthcare system argues that the healthcare services should be accessible to all at an affordable price and that all citizens should have the right to healthcare.
The US Health Care System
The united state healthcare delivery system is unique among the developed countries. It has distinguishing characteristics from the rest of the systems in developed states in the following perspectives; it does not have universal care coverage. The system has legislation that mandated health care for almost every citizen, and it does not have a standard policy; thus, it can be said to be a hybrid system. The US health care system is mainly funded by private enterprises which include private business and households in the state, the government which includes the federal, local and state government.
The state has an insurance system though not all its citizens had the cover; the health insurance includes Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans and Military care which are government plans and the private health insurance plan. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), health care cost is high because of minimal government contribution in financing health care unit. The US spends more than the average of other developed countries, having the highest percentage of budget allocation on the health care system (Emanuel, 2018).
The health insurance in the US can be said to be uneven coverage; this is because the poor and the minorities in the society are undeserved. The minorities who contribute to the highest number of uninsured citizens have no access to paid sick leave; this can result in reduced productivity, increased health care costs and prolonged pandemics. The minimal provision of health insurance to the employees from the employers leads to the increased number of the uninsured population in the US (Dickman & Woolhandler,, 2017). Another contribution of uneven health insurance coverage is the variance in the insurance contribution based on the wage levels where firms with high numbers of low-wage workers provide insurance unlike firms with a low number of low- wage workers. The affordable care act introduced the policy of the youths between the age of 19-25 and children to be under their parents’ health care plan; this increased the number of insured youths in the society.
The ideal health care delivery system will introduce private health insurance since it is highly beneficial to its users. The private health insurance will aid in settling the disadvantages of the US health care system, for example, it provides options to the citizens to choose from where they will omit the services they do not need (Groves & Kuiken, 2016). This will help the low-income earners to contribute to their ideal cover hence reducing insurance costs, making them access the health services easily. Secondly, the ideal system will introduce employer-sponsored health insurance which will be mandatory to all employers. This platform will help the minorities working in firms to access the insurance hence helping them get services from the health system as their counterparts. The access to the health system will motivate workers increasing the productivity of the firms and enhancing the health of the workers. An introduction of the union of workers that will be used to help the low-income workers will be put in place; this will help them get covered by health insurance and get paid sick leave. The ideal health care system will help solve the disparity in the health care coverage cost and its availability to the state’s citizens.
The US health care delivery system is run through a mix of private companies and the government. In the US health system, many of the citizens are either uninsured or underinsured even though the government spends a high percentage of its total GDP on health care. The citizens incur high cost in accessing the health services in the US, which makes the minorities and the poor have difficulties in obtaining high-quality services (Emanuel, 2018). The ideal health care system will extend the insurance coverage to all the citizens irrespective of their social classes. The extension will help the poor and the minorities in accessing the insurance cover; therefore, they will receive health services as the rich in society. The ideal system will decrease the costs of obtaining insurance through the expansion of wellness programs. The steps taken by the later will help in bridging the gap between the poor and the rich resulting in easy access to insurance coverage for all.
Health care is a right for every citizen, and it is not a privilege to those who access it; this is because it should be provided to all regardless of their contribution to society. Healthcare as a right gives the population an equal opportunity to access the medical services they require (Dickman & Woolhandler, 2017). Example the disabled, the aged, the young and the unemployed can access the health services while it’s a right to all and not a privilege. Health care can be used as a tool to ensure the health right to all is achieved effectively and efficiently. The proposed health care system will ensure the deserving and the undeserving receive the health care right equally regardless of their position and contribution in the economy. Health care as a right in the proposed system will improve the accessibility of health care services resulting in a cost-effective operation and increased citizenry.
The high cost of health care in the US can be described as unsustainable because it causes strain on the economy. The government programs include Medicaid and Medicare, while employers and own personal funds form the private health insurance plan. The expensive health care system results to bankruptcy to the people whose bills are not catered for by the insurance, reduction in seeking health care services thus chances of increased pandemic and low living standards for those who spent much on health care (Groves & Kuiken, 2016). The ideal health care system will introduce a single health insurance system as it’s primary funding that will incorporate all the citizens. The incorporation of all citizens in the health system will reduce the disparity in service acquisition. The proposed system will give room to the citizens to contribute to the insurance according to their ability and choice of their insurance cover.
The US health care system utilization of resources is high compared to other developed states; this makes the other systems better than the US system example Switzerland. There health care cost per capita was $10,600 per person while that of Switzerland was $7,300 per person in the year 2018, according to the OECD statistics. This comparison indicates that the US spends disproportionate GDP on healthcare. The prices charged in service provision results to the cost difference between the US and other developed countries. The contentment of the citizens from the expensive healthcare system can be visible when their health is improved via the services given. Improving the healthcare system to provide better quality care will result in economic well being (Niles, 2019). The US government should come up with policies to ensure the healthcare services are accessible to all its citizens at a low cost.
The federal government is the primary payer of healthcare expenses that should promote the health and wellness of its citizens. The following policies can be enacted to achieve the provision of low-cost healthcare services. One, the cost incurred while seeking medical assistance should be made visible example deducting of medical expenses; this makes them more aware of the costs (Eckelman & Sherman, 2016). Two, the government should reduce federal subsidies in the healthcare system example by imposing caps on Medicaid spending or reduce financial assistance to high-income earners by increasing taxes. Three, they should be a change in federal healthcare payment programs example introduction of alternative payments like bundled payments or initiatives that pay-for-performance to encourage service providers.
The new system is ideal for US citizens since it gives them an equal opportunity to access health care services. It also reduces the cost of acquiring health insurance through the provision of affordable insurance platforms. The proposed system will also reduce the costs of acquiring health services by providing a single line insurance system which will give a chance to all citizens to contribute according to their ability. This system will base health care as a right and not a privilege; therefore offering all the citizens an equal chance to receive the health care services; thus, equality is achieved (Eckelman & Sherman, 2016). The introduction of a private insurance system will aid in disparity reduction in the society since the citizens will have an option to choose the insurance that best suits them, this will reduce the straining of the citizens to fit in a particular category.
The increased demand for healthcare services from the citizens should be delivered without straining the available resources. Healthcare services requirements are on the rise because of increased pandemic crises example, Covid -19 and chronic diseases. The resources which include human capital, i.e. the doctors, hospital beds, protective gears should be used effectively to prevent wastage and to ensure maximum return. The new system will ensure the demand is sustainable by increasing the number of beds available in the hospitals, provision of affordable medical services, and use of a single healthcare insurance system. The proposed system can enact protocols that limit the stay of patients in hospitals, control consumption of hospital resources and use of government financial incentives.
In conclusion, the new proposed healthcare system is affordable to all, thus bridging the gap in health services acquisition. The system also helps accommodate the less privileged in the society, thus resulting in a healthy and happy community. Reduction of medical costs will increase the living standards of the citizens since they will be in a position to cater to their other needs besides health. The proposed system will help the service providers work effectively and efficiently through provision of token like pay-on-performance hence a thriving health system. The new system will be a solution to the expensive US healthcare system by providing affordable services. Thus the ideal system can be said to be accessible to all at an affordable price for quality services.
References
Dickman, S. L., Himmelstein, D. U., & Woolhandler, S. (2017). Inequality and the healthcare system in the USA. The Lancet, 389(10077), 1431-1441
Emanuel, E. J. (2018). The real cost of the US health care system. Jama, 319(10), 983-985.
Eckelman, M. J., & Sherman, J. (2016). Environmental impacts of the US health care system and effects on public health. PloS one, 11(6), e0157014.
Groves, P., Kayyali, B., Knott, D., & Kuiken, S. V. (2016). The’big data revolution in healthcare: Accelerating value and innovation.
Niles, N. J. (2019). Basics of the US health care system. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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