A Basic Program of Hospital Insurance and Supplementary Assistance Program - Research Paper Example

In a developed and evolved society healthcare should be an inalienable right of every single person. Quality, and accessible healthcare is also needed for ever one in America irrespective of socio economic status. In my view the government is responsible for making equitable and affordable health care system for every American. The President and Law makers should strive to achieve universal health coverage in the United States sooner than later. Today Governments have become central to social policy and health care in most developed countries, as per the WHO’s report, “The World Health report 2000-health Systems: Improving performance”, their involvement is justified on the grounds of both equity and efficiency (WHO 2000). Although America leads the world in spending on health care, it is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not ensure that all citizens have coverage” (Iom.edu 2011). According to the Institute of the Medicine of National Academies, Lack of health insurance causes roughly 18,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. It emphasizes that by 2010 everyone in the United States should have health insurance. Lack of regular care can result in more expensive care for preventable or treatable conditions, and disruptions in learning and development. The United States loses the $65 billion to $130 billion annually as a result of the poor health and early deaths of uninsured adults. That entails the president and Congress to act immediately by establishing a firm and explicit plan to reach this goal. The recommendation, envisions an approach that will promote better overall health for individuals, families, communities, and the nation by providing financial access for everyone to necessary, appropriate, and effective health services (Iom.edu 2011). The ultimate responsibility for the overall wellbeing of a country’s health system lies with government, which in turn should be more responsible. So to say, well-being of the population is the very essence of good government. For every country it means establishing the best and fairest health system possible with available resources. The health of the people is always a national priority: government responsibility encompasses the tasks of defining the vision and direction of health policy, exerting influence through regulation and advocacy (WHO 2002). The healthcare reform bill signed by president Obama on 23 March, 2010 to overhaul the healthcare promises to provide health insurance to 32 million covering 95 % of the Americans who do not have health insurance (White houe.gov 2011), though its provisions are not yet fully unfolded it is change in the right direction. Many states in the US are taking measures not to focus exclusively on the poor, but seek to guarantee health access to all uninsured people, achieving universal coverage. It needs federal leadership and support, regardless of strategy is adopted to achieve this goal.  Steuerle and Rennane (Urban.org 2011), in a report published recently concluded “that no cohort of Americans, with the possible exception of the very affluent, pays enough Medicare taxes and premiums to cover their costs. The gap is growing over time, too”. The Americans blithely proclaim their health care system to be the best in the world, however, costs and access to healthcare have become real concern. Its health care spending in 2009 reached $2.5 trillion, which translates to $8,086 per person or 17.6% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (CMS.gov 2011). The costs of the health care system in the USA are financed by businesses (21%), households (28%), governments (44%), and other private sponsors (7%) (CMS.gov 2011), this represents yet another record high percentage of GDP taken by health care like every year. Despite of the huge spending on the health care according to the above mentioned report, more than 48 million people don’t have health insurance in 2008(Census.gov 2011). That shows the system is not working for everyone, and there is growing recognition that the costs and lack of access to health care. Major remedies whatever provided by the policy makers in an attempt to address the issue have been under political compulsions and constrains rather than analyzing the system as a whole. According to the federal government Health reform website (2011), "A major goal of the Affordable Care Act, the health insurance reform legislation President Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010 is to put American consumers back in charge of their health coverage and care. The Affordable Care Act cracks down on the some of the most egregious practices of the insurance industry while providing the stability and the flexibility that families and businesses need to make the choices that work best for them" (Health care.gov 2011). To really analyze inequalities and injustice in the present health care system in the US, it will be prudent to follow the guidelines of the WHO (2000) pioneering report on health systems improving performance. The WHO emphasizes that the main objective of a good health system is to improve health; “The objective of good health itself is really twofold: the best attainable average level – goodness – and the smallest feasible differences among individuals and groups –fairness. Goodness means a health system responding well to what people expect of it; fairness means it responds equally well to everyone, without discrimination” (WHO 2000). The mission of the WHO is: the attainment by all people of the highest possible level of health, with special emphasis on closing the gaps within and among countries. However, this depends largely on the effectiveness of health systems of countries. It is imperative for every country to put health at the centre of planning and development agenda (WHO 2003). Funding for healthcare is very crucial for having good, quality and sustainable healthcare delivery keeping pace with the advances with the science and technology. Government should explore ways and mechanisms for the development or consolidation of very large pools. Insurance schemes as designed by Health care Reform Act of president Obama to expand membership among the poor would, moreover, be an attractive way to channel external assistance in health, alongside government revenue. Based on the source of their funding, three different models: the Beveridge model, the Bismarck model and the Private Insurance model (Tulchinsky and Varavikova 2001; Lameire et al.1999,p.3-9;WHO 1993) that have been suggested by experts can be utilized in funding process and centralized data bank should be in place (Dick and Steen1997). The first example of a state mandated social insurance is witnessed in the Bismarck model. Bismarck, Chancellor of Germany, in 1883, enacted a law requiring employer contributions to health coverage for low-wage workers in certain occupations. The popularity of this law among workers led to the adoption of similar legislation in Belgium in 1894 and Norway in 1909 (Vesna and O’Donovan p.19-47). Until Britain followed suit in 1911, by initiating medical care for British wage-earners and finally, Wartime Britain’s national emergency service to deal with casualties that led to many developments and ultimately in 1948, the National Health Service, possibly the most widely influential model of a health system came into being (Newhouse et al. p1501–1507).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. Medicare provides enrollees with a basic program of hospital insurance and supplementary assistance program to aid in paying healthcare bills (Raffel, p.221). Medicaid is also a national health insurance program, but it is administered by states and it can potentially assist a broader range of people than Medicare. The program serves to provide services for the “categorically needy,” such as those who are blind, aged, or disabled, and for the “medically needy,” those who can afford to live, but cannot afford to pay for medical care. Specific coverage and benefit details vary from state to state (Raffel, p. 224). This is intended to help people with high medical costs that are not old enough for Medicare. People feel the government has allowed these programs to grow much faster than the economy. The issue of not having health insurance for all has become a really big concern and one of the reasons for social injustice and inequality. Desire to have universal health insurance and healthcare reform has been growing. There is a need to have uniform universal health care insurance in place to allow people to have access to quality healthcare. The health care reform should be such to allow people their personal choice of physicians and hospitals and make it affordable for everyone. Universal Healthcare has been effective and successful in other nations, and it has huge potential for the US. The on going healthcare reform, started on March 23, 2010, enacted has potential and scope of giving the responsibility of healthcare to the government. Work Cited Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditure Data 2009. Web. April 6, 2011, 2011. Census Bureau, USA. Health Insurance. Web. April 6, 2011, 2011. Congress Budget Office. Selected Publication Related to Health Care Reform Legislation 2009-2010.Web. April 5, 2011, 2011. Dick, R. and Steen, E. The computer-based patient record: an essential technology for health care. National Academy Press, Washington, USA, 1997. Health Reform. The Affordable Care Act’s New Patient’s Bill of Rights. Web. April 5, 2011, 2011. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Insuring Americas Health Principles and Recommendations. Web. April 18, 2011.2011. Lameire, N., Joffe, P. and Weidemann, M. Healthcasystemems - an international review: an overview. Nephrol Dial Transplant; 14(6): 1999, 3-9 Newhouse, J, P., Manning, W, G., and Morris, C, N. Some interim results from a controlled trial of cost sharing in health insurance. New England Journal of Medicine, 305: 1999, 1501–1507 OECD. Health Data. Web. April 6, 2011, 2010. Raffel, M. and Raffel N. The U.S. Health System: Origins and Functions. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, Inc., 1994.   Steuerle, C, E. and Stephanie, R. Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Benefits over a Lifetime January 2011The Urban Institute. Web. April 6, 2011, 2011. Tulchinsky, T, H., and Varavikova, E, A. The New Public Health: An Introduction for the 21st Century. San Diego: Academic Press, 2001, 2004. Vesna, B. and Donev, D. 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