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Healthcare delivery system of the United States
Health care system in the USA
Problems with our healthcare system
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Healthcare in the United States is an incredibly complex issue and a large portion of the nation’s economy. As healthcare costs continue to rise and burden the American family, something needed to be done to address not only the runaway costs but also the quality of care. Innovation and medical discoveries over the years have greatly improved care for patients, but numerous facets of the healthcare industry have been insufficiently addressed. Despite the proposals of various politicians, advocacy groups, and medical leaders across the country, little progress was made. March 23rd of 2010 marked a major milestone in American healthcare progress when President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.1 Although the purpose of this legislation is to change healthcare in a positive way, this law is certainly ambitious. The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was put into place in order to increase access to affordable and quality insurance while also making coverage more secure.
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, over 47 million Americans were uninsured in 2012.2 The exact number of Americans who do not have healthcare coverage is somewhat controversial as some believe this number includes illegal immigrants and those who are able to afford coverage, but simply choose not to purchase a plan. Despite the controversy, the majority of the uninsured come from working families of low with low income levels. Americans living without health coverage has been a major problem in this country as these people do not receive proper treatments and preventative therapies they require. The lack of insurance ultimately leads to a lower quality of life and further increases costs in the l...
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...re as a way of providing affordable coverage and peace of mind to Americans. One aspect of the law which gives peace of mind to many parents across the country is language regarding pre-existing conditions for children. Prior to the reform law, children could be denied coverage under their parents’ plan based on pre-existing conditions. Obamacare made limits and benefit denials to these patient illegal.
Young adults, specifically those under the age of twenty-six are now able to remain on their parents’ insurance. Prior to the law this was not always the case. However, with young adults attending college at higher rates and with fewer able to find full-time gainful employment, this is a great benefit for the young adults of America. Individuals under twenty-six may retain their coverage even if they get married or are eligible for insurance through their employer.5
To begin, one of the common reasons cited in support of Obamacare is a decrease in health and gender-based discrimination by insurance companies. The changes in requiring all Americans to have affordable coverage, as well as changes in how insurers can set premiums, will allow those with medical conditions and disabilities, as well as women who need pregnancy care the ability to have healthcare insurance without having to potentially be denied coverage or forced to pay a much higher than average price (The Pros and Cons of ObamaCare 1).
Due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law on March 23rd, 2010; health care in the US is presently in a state of much needed transition. As of 2008, 46 Million residents (15% of the population) were uninsured and 60% of residents had coverage from private insurers. 55% of those covered by private insurers received it through their employer and 5% paid for it directly. Federal programs covered 24% of Americans; 13% under Medicare and10% under Medicaid. (Squires, 2010)
Access to healthcare provides financial stability by assuring people that they will not be financially destroyed by injury or illness. Additionally, when people can afford regular medical care they tend to avoid chronic problems and financial stress. In a study provided by the American Medical Students Association, researchers reviewed the costs and benefits of universal health care. They came to the conclusion, after reviewing other articles and statistics from multiple sources, that, “The annual cost of diminished health and shorter life spans of Americans without insurance is $65-$130 billion.” (Chua 5) This comes from people not having adequate health care and then losing their jobs because they...
On a global scale, the United States is a relatively wealthy country of advanced industrialization. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is among the costliest, spending close to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) towards funding healthcare (2011). No universal healthcare coverage is currently available. United States healthcare is currently funded through private, federal, state, and local sources. Coverage is provided privately and through the government and military. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population is covered to some extent, leaving a population of close to 48 million without any type of health insurance. Cost is the primary reason for lack of insurance and individuals foregoing medical care and use of prescription medications.
For the last five years of my life I have worked in the healthcare industry. One of the biggest issues plaguing our nation today has been the ever rising cost of health care. If we don't get costs under control, we risk losing the entire system, as well as potentially crippling our economy. For the sake of our future, we must find a way to lower the cost of health care in this nation.
Healthcare has been a topic of discussion with the majority of the country. Issues with insurance coverage, rising costs, limited options to gain coverage, and the quality of healthcare have become concerns for law makers, healthcare providers and the general public. Some of those concerns were alleviated with the passing of the Affordable Care Act, but new concerns have developed with problems that have occurred in the implementation of the new law. The main concerns of the country are if the Affordable Care Act will be able to overcome the issues that plagued the old healthcare system, the cost of the program, and how will the new law affect the quality of the health delivery system.
The United States spends vast amounts on its healthcare, while falling short of achieving superiority over other developed nations. One cannot overlook that the deepening recession has left many without jobs and therefore lacking health insurance. According to Fairhall and Steadman, (2009), even though the recession is hard on all, it is worse on the uninsured due to health care and insurance cost rising faster than incomes. Nevertheless, even those with jobs are lacking in health insurance due to employers, who provide insurance, are increasingly dropping their sponsored insurance. Many find that purchasing a health policy or paying for medical care out-of-pocket is cost prohibitive. “Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 3.6 million,” (Fairhall & Steadman, 2009). In 2009 it was stated that approximately 46 million Americans were uninsured, however not all of that number is due to the inability to afford coverage. According to a 2009 story written by Christopher Weaver of Kaiser Health News, 43% of that number should be classified as “voluntarily” uninsured. This subset of uninsured Americans consist of nearly half being young and healthy; therefo...
The United States (U.S.) has a health care system that is much different than any other health care system in the world (Nies & McEwen, 2015). It is frequently recognized as one with most recent technological inventions, but at the same time is often criticized for being overly expensive (Nies & McEwen, 2015). In 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.) This plan was implemented in an attempt to make preventative care more affordable and accessible for all uninsured Americans (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.). Under the law, the new Patient’s Bill of Rights gives consumers the power to be in charge of their health care choices. (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.).
Until Obama-care, The United States was one of the only developed nations that did not provide some sort of health care for its citizens. To most other nations that do provide healthcare, it is because it is considered a human right that all people should be entitled to. That hasn’t been the case in America, however, where only those who could afford it could have healthcare plans. Those who stand to gain the most from universal healthcare are the already mentioned 45 million americans who currently don’t have any form of healthcare. For many of these individuals, there are many obstacles that prevent them from gaining healthcare. 80% of the 45 million are working class citizens, but either their employer doesn’t offer insurance, or they do but the individual can n...
The Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, is a new health policy created by the American federal government. Its purpose is to make healthcare more affordable and friendly for the people. Unfortunately in some way that does not prove to be the case. It is becoming apparent that Obama may have made some misleading statements to help get the ACA put into action. The ACA is sprinkled with many flaws that call for a reform such as people’s current plans being terminated, high costs, and at minimum some people’s hours being cut by their employers.
This paper will take into account the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Law and how all three branches of government are involved with the creation and analyze issues associated with the ACA. Subsequently the paper will describe the role of public opinion and lobbying groups. Thirdly this paper will evaluate the concepts of equity, efficiency, and effectiveness showcasing their role in the law and its passage. This paper will take into consideration the anticipated effects on cost, quality, and access, including discussing the balance of markets and the government. In closing this paper will highlight the anticipated effects on Medicare and aging as well as Medicaid and the poor. The ACA was signed on March 23, 2010 with the intention to offer all U.S. Citizens and residents a qualifying health care coverage plan. The law’s focus is to expand coverage, control health care cost, and improve health care delivery system.
Obamacare is necessary in America because it calls for all citizens to have health insurance. To understand Obamacare, health insurance, in general, must be understood. It can be defined as “coverage for medicine, visits to the doctor or emergency room, hospital stays, and other medical expenses” (health). Every insurance policy is different; different plans call for different coverage, different co-payments, and different treatment options according to Investor Words. However, until the Obamacare law was passed, millions of Americans were uninsured. In summary, Obamacare mandates that all Americans have health insurance while offering the in...
The growing number of uninsured and underinsured is on the rise. In 1979, 11 million African americans were uninsured (Jaffe 10). Today, the number is 15 million and it is increasing every year (Jaffe 11). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, thirteen million blacks in America have health care and fourteen million do not (Fitzgerald 31). Also, those who are insured today may be at risk tomorrow if their employer drops coverage, or the head of the household changes or loses their job. Most blacks in the United States who are uninsured simply cannot receive health care at an affordable price because their employer does not offer it and self-insurance cost much more. The lack of adequate insurance can be devastating to families both in financial terms and in terms of timely access to needed health care (Jaffe 12). Altogether, collection agencies report every year that most blacks are in debt due to unpaid medical bills, because they are not insured or they are underinsured.
The Affordable Care Act has been at the center of political debate within the United States for the since current President Barack Obama signed it into law in 2010. The act represents the most significant regulatory healthcare overhaul of the United States healthcare system since the passage of both Medicaid and Medicare collectively Initially, the ACA was enacted with the goals of increasing the availability of affordable health insurance, lowering the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance and reducing cost of healthcare for individuals and the government (Robert, 2012). Proponents of the act’s passage have articulated that the ACA provides service for free, such as preventative health coverage for those registered, it requires that insurance companies can no longer deny person’s or children with pre-existing conditions and will close the Medicare “Donut Hole” for prescription drugs. While the Act has the potential to provide better quality of healthcare for the American populace, opponents argue that the ACA is flawed and could create a quagmire of cost and confusion with its implementation. Arguments against it hold the belief that it would force employers with religious affiliation to provide services to employees through their health plans that directly contradict their values. As a result of cost, companies may void out of their employer health insurance and pay a penalty as opposed to pay for employee insurance. Lastly, the act is said to focus more on registration the actually addressing cost of healthcare. While these issues are pertinent, the overall accessibility to healthcare created by the ACA and outweighs the negating arguments.
Health insurance facilitates entry into the health care system. Uninsured people are less likely to receive medical care and more likely to have poor health. Many Americans are foregoing medical care because they cannot afford it, or are struggling to pay their medical bills. “Adults in the US are more likely to go without health care due to cost” (Schoen, Osborn, Squires, Doty, & Pierson, 2010) Many of the currently uninsured or underinsured are forced accept inferior plans with large out-of-pocket costs, or are not be able to afford coverage offered by private health insurers. This lack of adequate coverage makes it difficult for people to get the health care they need and can have a particularly serious impact on a person's health and stability.