Health Care Sector in the USA - Research Paper Example

? Universal Health Care Task: Healthcare is the exceptionally vital service of providing quality medical services. Today, one-third of the American population spends some time every year devoid of the conventional health insurance. To exacerbate the situation, fugitive health costs have become a progressively more weighty threat, not only to individual family finances security, but also to the American corporate unit. The United States of America virtually puts in a lot of capital in health care services than any other state. However, the health insurance project does not give an impression of achieving its intended purpose of providing quality health security. In the contemporary American society, health security seems to be confined to a given section of the local populace. I am a loyal retiree and an inhabitant of the United States of America. No member of my entire family is currently entitled to health insurance coverage. My health insurance coverage was, unfortunately, withdrawn when I lost my job. Nonetheless, I do admit that even when I enjoyed the privileges that come with full-time job, I never benefited from the scheme as to my expectations. Consequently, my quest for valuable health care services coerced me into conducting a research on the proposed free Universal Health Care; its legitimacy and suitability to the ordinary American population. The research paper is a detailed, analytical editorial based on a number of past research studies. INTRODUCTION The universal health care, also known as the social health protection, is a system which provides quality health coverage and financial shield to all citizens of a given country. Its key goal is to provide a significant package of financial and medical promotions to all members of the state’s populace. Germany was the first country to see the universal health care system implemented to its citizens when, through Otto von Bismarck’s societal legislation, it introduced the Health Insurance and the Accident Insurance Bills of the early 1880’s. Many states have since adopted the coverage system. These include; the UK, Brazil, Thailand, Rwanda, Italy, Spain and the other Nordic countries. Apparently, the United States of America is one of the mere few developed states that do not embrace the Universal healthcare system. Today, scores of debates and arguments have developed in America pertaining to whether or not the Universal health coverage is morally justified. The so called Obama Care was established and approved in 2010 as an idea of the Institute of Medicine. Its principal concern is to ensure that all Americans have affordable health coverage by 2014. The Americans’ take on the current health care system Most American citizens sympathize with the fact that the present-day American healthcare system is skewed toward the concern of corporate bodies rather than independent individuals and small scale business units. The contemporary American health insurance policy employs a scheme known as pooling in which employers attached to large corporations insure their employees with health care insurances, subject to contract. However, there is usually a wide disparity between the sick and healthy as a majority of the insured employees live healthily. As a matter of facts, the said discrepancy covers the expenses of the sick resulting to sound premiums for the companies’ employees. Conversely, this approach is only appropriate for companies with the substantial number of employees thus creating hurdles for undersized businesses. Miniature business units find sheer intricacy in covering their employees. This is attributed to the high ratio of the hill to the healthy resulting in sky-scraping premiums. In contrast, such establishments often fail to afford the premiums hence opt out of upholding the health coverage system for their employees. As a result, most American employees in the small business sector tend to believe that the proposed free Universal health coverage will be a better deal if well implemented. The Americans’ take on the proposed Universal Healthcare According to a comprehensive poll conducted by the ABCNEWS in mid October 2010, more than 60% of the American population prefers the suggested Universal health insurance scheme to the contemporary employer-based system. The support for change in the health care system is utterly based on the discomfort the citizens have with the existing system’s structure, cost and direction. According to report, more than 70% of the Americans are virtually dissatisfied with the contemporary healthcare costs. On the other hand, while the current system seems to be characterized by a number of flaws, it is also perceived to work for some people. The insured Americans, including those employed in key corporations, are satisfied with the present quality of care and costs. In accordance with the ABCNEWS findings, more than 80% of the insured populace rates its health care positively. In addition, among the insured Americans who have been subjects to sever health defects, about 90% are a satisfied lot. Furthermore, opponents of the proposed system claim that the system is not without charge provided that it is the citizens who pay the doctors and hospitals directly. Benefits of the Universal Healthcare The American politicians and the Universal Healthcare antagonists have often disparaged the recommended coverage system that is well-liked in most of Europe. According to the opponents, the contemporary American health care system is the best in the world. The argument indeed wins the day given the satisfaction and pride in America capitalism. However, the argument does not seem to take into account the unsung merits and wellness of the coverage system. Some of the benefits are discussed herein. Foremost, wholly free health care services would encourage the sick to exercise preventive medicine practices and make medical inquiries at early stages of health complications avoid difficulties during treatments. Today, most patients who cannot afford health insurance costs tend to avoid preventive medical measures. Majority of the American citizens are uninsured. In addition, those that are covered with the insurance policy are subjected to exceptionally elevated premiums and deductibles. Consequently, patients habitually miss out on preventive medicine practices as well as minor health hitches. As a result, health crises that could be curbed at early stages or utterly prevented become severe complications. In point of fact, this mode of health care operation does not only distress the wellbeing of the patient but the comprehensive expenditure of the entire nation. The Universal Healthcare provides for government sponsorship, which would eliminate the deterrent low-income Americans have for visiting medical professionals. Moreover, Americans could work part-time or even stay at home with little or no worries about the health coverage for their families. Today, business corporations and individuals who choose to keep their health arrangements still have to pay an elevated amount. However, low-income individuals who are subjected to deductibles due to insurance cover find a difficulty in catering for other necessities such as food and rent. As a result, less capital goes back to the economy. However, a less complex government controlled scheme would help reduce the health expenses. On the other hand, the proposed Universal Healthcare scheme would eliminate wasteful formalities such as duplicate paperwork, insurance submission and claim approval among others. Instead, medical professionals would concentrate on diagnosis and treatment of patients rather than on insurance procedures. The current health care system incorporates an enormous amount of paperwork including medical history questions that are repeated over and over again. Each time a patient visits a general practitioner he/she must fill and submit a claim that has to be approved by the medical department. In addition, checks must be mailed, and co-pay bills sent to patients. Upholding the Universal healthcare scheme implies that; patients’ particulars would have to be kept in a centralized system hence eliminating the unnecessary paperwork and procedure involved. As a result, physicians can focus on their profession. Today, medical practitioners have to attend classes in order to understand insurance procedures yet medicine is a complex domain just as it is. This limits the professional’s production. To set hurdles, some doctors even quit their profession in the pursuit of freedom from such non-medical procedures. Suppose the Universal healthcare is put into practice appropriately, doctors and other medical practitioners will have the chance to entirely utilize their professional knowhow. Conclusion Lack of health security is outstandingly soaring at all time. A majority of low income Americans lose their health coverage every day due to the sky-scraping costs. Furthermore, the system is even becoming unbearable to the well-off families. On my opinion, the proposed Universal healthcare is appropriate for the American populace and should, therefore, be implemented. Annotated Bibliography Greenberger, N., Davies, N., Maynard, E., & Wallerstein, R. (1990). Universal Access to Health Care in America: A Moral and Medical Importance. Annals of Internal Medicine, 637-638. The comprehensive editorial expresses diverse views of the American College of Physicians (ACP)’s leadership on the Universal Healthcare. The article closely examines on the ills of the present-day American health care services including high costs attributed to soaring premiums and deductibles and unnecessary insurance paperwork. In addition, it proceeds to review the ACP’s suggestions on how to improve the American medical realm. Some of the ways initially proposed by ACP comprise conducting key reforms in the sector and absolute change in political advancement among others. Nonetheless, the unit came in common consent with the idea of implementing the Universal healthcare system. Johnson, A. (2010). Recession Swells Number of Uninsured to 50.7 Million. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition, A4. According to this all-inclusive editorial by Avery Johnson, a writer with The Wall Street Journal, there was a dramatic rise in lack of insurance in America in the year 2010. In accordance with the statistics of the 2010 Census Bureau, the drop is concentrated amongst the employed. On the other hand, many citizens are continually moving to government sponsored health insurance schemes. The article also gives the issue a political approach that depicts the Democrats as pro Universal healthcare system. Levin, L. (1994). If medicine doesn't affect health much, what does?. Social Policy, 24(4), 46. According to Lowell Levin, a professor of Public Health at Yale University, free Universal Healthcare has more limitations than benefits to society. The editorial claims that as much as health cover reforms is necessary approaches such as the ones encompassed in the Universal healthcare system are not essential. As said by the professor, the public should engage more in debates on how to improve the contemporary health status rather than on how to make health coverage affordable. Levin proposes that the health insurance debate should be freedom from its present-day identity with health care. In addition, he suggests that health investments move from the basic services of treatment and diagnosis but instead be elevated to prevention and medical promotion. Myers, S. (2010). Race-Conscious Policy Analysis and the Healthcare Reform Debate Review Of Black Political Economy, 37(3/4), 203-206. This article portrays the suggested Universal healthcare to be race cognizant. If the coverage is implemented, the African descents would enjoy privileges similar to the other American citizens. At the same time, they would also have to endure the cost control consequences of the system. According to the editorial, the power of the Universal healthcare protagonists coupled together with that of the insurance providers surpasses that of the marginal communities. Furthermore, he recommends the shifting from expenditure versus insurance nexus to the preventive medical care versus treatment. The black, American communities should strive to comprehensively understand the suggested Universal healthcare scheme. Fundamentally, Myers prefers the economic participation of health maintenance units in improving the contemporary medical situations. Petrou, I. (2011). Examining healthcare reform. Dermatology Times, 3-5. In the commentary, Dr. David Parser acknowledges health care developments as of good will. However, the scheme is not that beneficial to the medical professionals as well as their patients. According to him, the reforms, as structured, target insurance providers and hospitals rather than the practitioners. He proceeds to talk about the proposed 10-year security aimed at sustainable growth rate which allows medical practitioners to organize their operations and conduct business planning. Nonetheless, he also argues that the independent payment review board may undermine the services provided by the dermatologists hence affecting their respective patients. Ratzan, S. (2007). Health Reform in the USA: Is It Time Yet?. Journal of Health Communication, 12(3), 215-216. In relation to the article, healthcare provision has been continually under debate in the US. In 2007, all the presidential aspirants considered health care provision a key issue in their political campaigns. The Former President George W. Bush and Massachusetts and Californian bureaucrats pushed for health care considerations. According to the writer, the imperative health care concern requires significant reforms to improve its overall qualities. According to Ratzan, setting health related objectives is a key step in improving the healthcare systems. Scaliger, C. (2010). Promising Path for Reform: Considering that healthcare in America has been largely regulated and paid for by the government for decades and that ObamaCare is more of the same, what should be done?. New American (08856540), 26(10), 23. According to Scaliger, an ObamaCare antagonist, the scheme is a slayer of the present-day liberal medical care. He fails to find favor with the system and claims that it is government controlled and inefficient. In his opinion, the incentives offered by the proposed health care system deceive life choices. However, he considers exclusion of government interference a better idea in the provision of health care services. Sehgal, A. (2009). Universal Health Care as a Health Disparity Intervention. Annals of Internal Medicine, 561-562. In this article, Sehgal classifies health disparity operations into mechanistic, interventional and descriptive phase. According to a research conducted by McWilliams and his counterparts, improvements made in the health care sector do not necessarily eradicate disparities. However, disparities could be combated by insuring the marginalized populace as well as the underprivileged. Turka, L., & Caplan, A. (2010). The right to health care. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 934. According to the writers, health insurance is a right rather than a luxury. In addition, the Universal healthcare is deeply accepted because of its structure and costs. Today, lack of insurance for low-income families results into poor health services and towering mortality rates among others. Similarly, most citizens sympathize with the Universal education policy. Yates, R. (2010). Women and children first: an appropriate first step towards universal coverage. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 88(6), 474-475. According to Yates, is an extraordinarily imperative scheme aimed at poverty elimination and human rights protection. He claims that the implementation of the coverage system would lead to a more prompt achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for 2015 which fundamentally focuses on women and children. The MDG advocates for free medical services for women and children. Nonetheless, Yates suggests that alternative financing modes should be structured to substitute the user fees. Pixel, D., & Gelder, S. (2006). Health Care: It’s What Ails Us. Yes, 1. Retrieved from: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/health-care-for-all/health-care-its-what-ails-us Pibel and Gelder begin by referring at a few Americans who had been subjected to harsh health related actions before. Joel Segal, for instance, had been kicked out of George Washington Hospital when undertaking a knee surgery due to lack of insurance, as well as finance. Kiki Peppard, on the other hand, had to postpone a vital surgery until she could find an insured job. The writers argue that it is only the uninsured, low income American citizens who are subjected to such crises. In addition, the small scale business operations cannot thrive in a competitive environment since their large corporation counterparts insure their employees while they do not. The duo concludes by supporting the Universal healthcare. Philip, T. (2009). The Pros And Cons Of Universal Health Care In The United States. Brazen Careerist, 13. Retrieved From: http://www.brazencareerist.com/2009/06/08/the-pros-and-cons-of-universal-health-care-in-the-united-states The writer begins by identifying the United States of America as one of the very few countries that do not uphold the Universal healthcare system. According to Philip, most people support the proposed care system claiming it is a right and not a luxury. However, the writer proceeds to differentiate between the Universal healthcare and socialized medicine. He thinks many people confuse social medicine for Universal healthcare. He describes social medicine as an entirely government-controlled system. According to him, however, under Universal healthcare medical professionals remain uninfluenced. He goes and discusses the benefits of the suggested coverage. He says the current Health system is unreliable as citizens lose their insurance cover immediately they lose their jobs. On the other hand, he claims that the introduction and implementation of the Universal healthcare will eradicate competition in the realm of medical care hence leading to reduced invention and innovation. Lavidge, K. (2008). Does Universal Healthcare Make Everyone’s Life Better? Qn. Retrieved from: http://qn.som.yale.edu/content/does-universal-healthcare-make-everyones-life-better Kathy Lavidge says she has lived in England, a country that embraces the Universal healthcare, for 14 years. He further confesses that he has become believer in the gains associated with the system. He claims that healthcare in the United Kingdom is a universal right and that everybody including retirees are treated in the same way; similar to the retirees. Furthermore, according to him, there is absolutely no paperwork in the insurance and medical system relieving the physicians of the unnecessary additional duties. Hacker, J. (2007). Health Care For America. EPI Briefing Paper, 180. Retrieved from: http://www.sharedprosperity.org/bp180.html According to Jacob Hacker, the contemporary American health care system is uncompetitive over and above being inefficient. He argues that over 30% of the American population spends some time without health coverage. For the meantime, soaring health costs have continually become progressively more grave threat. He depicts the Universal healthcare as a true guarantee for quality and affordable health care and warns politicians to stop giving health issues political approaches. Sykora, J. (2010). What Are The Benefits Of A Universal Health Care System? Livestrong.com. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/158282-what are-the-benefits-of-a-universal-health-care-system/ Julie Sykora lists a few countries like Canada, Germany and Japan among others that embrace the Universal healthcare system and compares their health services with the United States of Americas’ health care services. According to the writer, the US is the only industrialized nation whose nationals are not guaranteed health care rights. As a result, as many as 45 million citizens end up being uninsured. Sykora also criticizes the unnecessary paperwork incorporated in the American system and terms them repetitive and redundant. Vladeck, B. (2003). Universal Health Insurance in the United States: Reflections On The Past, The Present, And The Future. PMC, 93(1), 16-19. Retrieved From: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447684/ Vladeck claims that the disparities in access to health care services are most experienced in the United States of America than anywhere else in the world. He wonders why this has to be yet America provides some of the most advanced medical services in the world such as knee replacements and tumor diagnosis. After a detailed discussion on the possible historical and political-structural explanations, he concludes by advocating for the Universal healthcare scheme. Armstrong, E. (2012). The Unsung Benefits of Universal Health Care. Citizen’s Advisory, 161(3), 3-7. According to Erick Armstrong, most American, anti-Universal healthcare lobbyists and politicians only focus on the few ills attached to the proposed system. On the other hand, however, none of them is willing to talk about the overt benefits attributed to the system. Perhaps this is because of pride in American capitalism. In the real sense, no one is willing to discuss the billions of dollars individuals and small scale business entities spend on the current health care and insurance services. In addition, they are not ready to talk about the American food habits and other orientations that lead to health complications. Blevins, R. (2012). What Universal Healthcare Means to Americans. OEN, 1. Retrieved from: http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-Universal-Healthcare-by-Richard-Blevins-120629-114.html Richard Blevins starts by reviewing the June 30th decision by the US Supreme Court in good turn to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Republicans’ strategy to oppose the same. However, the report proceeds to examine the associated benefits of the Universal healthcare and the PPACA. Blevins argues that the PPACA would increase insurance coverage for pre-existing health conditions and would prevent the insurance providers from denying Americans coverage based on the pre-existing medical situations. References Greenberger, N., Davies, N., Maynard, E., & Wallerstein, R. (1990). Universal Access to Health Care in America: A Moral and Medical Importance. Annals of Internal Medicine, 637- 638. Johnson, A. (2010). Recession Swells Number of Uninsured to 50.7 Million. Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition, A4. Levin, L. (1994). If medicine doesn't affect health much, what does? Social Policy, 24(4), 46. Myers, S. (2010). Race-Conscious Policy Analysis and the Healthcare Reform Debate Review Of Black Political Economy, 37(3/4), 203-206. Petrou, I. (2011). Examining healthcare reform. Dermatology Times, 3-5. Ratzan, S. (2007). Health Reform in the USA: Is It Time Yet?. Journal of Health Communication, 12(3), 215-216. Scaliger, C. (2010). Promising Path for Reform: Considering that healthcare in America has been largely regulated and paid for by the government for decades and that ObamaCare is more of the same, what should be done?. New American (08856540), 26(10), 23. Sehgal, A. (2009). Universal Health Care as a Health Disparity Intervention. Annals of Internal Medicine, 561-562. Turka, L., & Caplan, A. (2010). The right to health care. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 934. Yates, R. (2010). Women and children first: an appropriate first step towards universal coverage. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 88(6), 474-475. Pixel, D., & Gelder, S. (2006). Health Care: It’s What Ails Us. Yes, 1. Retrieved from: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/health-care-for-all/health-care-its-what-ails-us Philip, T. (2009). The Pros and Cons of Universal Health Care in the United States. Brazen Careerist, 13. Retrieved From: http://www.brazencareerist.com/2009/06/08/the-pros-and-cons-of-universal-health-care-in-the-united-states Lavidge, K. (2008). Does Universal Healthcare Make Everyone’s Life Better? Qn. Retrieved from: http://qn.som.yale.edu/content/does-universal-healthcare-make-everyones-life-better Hacker, J. (2007). Health Care for America. EPI Briefing Paper, 180. Retrieved from: http://www.sharedprosperity.org/bp180.html Sykora, J. (2010). What Are The Benefits Of A Universal Health Care System? Livestrong.com. Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/158282-what are-the benefits-of-a-universal-health-care-system/ Armstrong, E. (2012). The Unsung Benefits of Universal Health Care. Citizen’s Advisory, 161(3), 3-7. Blevins, R. (2012). What Universal Healthcare Means to Americans. OEN, 1. Retrieved from: http://www.opednews.com/articles/What-Universal-Healthcare-by-Richard-Blevins-120629-114.html Read More