Universal Healthcare Insurance System - Essay Example

Shinichiro Murahata Universal Healthcare System for A Better Country In contemporary society, health insurance is indispensable to the lives of many people. This is due to the fact that people cannot predict when they would become ill or could suffer an injury. Therefore, it is necessary to carry health insurance for a rainy day. Now, a great number of people in the United States are confronted with the issue of health insurance. It is one of the serious matters where the U.S. government should take measures immediately. The Growing Problem of Health Insurance As of 2000, it was reported that 38.7 million people living in the US were not covered by any kind of health insurance (Macmillan 3). In addition to this, the number of people who do not have any health insurance has been swelling daily due to two main reasons: depression and the aging society in the United States. Indeed, there are public insurance systems called Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP (Childrens Health Insurance Program) which is intended for the poor, the elderly, and the children. However, these companies are usually owned and managed by the private sector, which makes insurance premium very expensive .As a result, a lot of people cannot simply afford to pay their health insurance. As a result, many people are uninsured. Presently, there are huge problems within the health insurance system in the US. Because of these undeniable problems, some people think that the inadequate health care system needs a significant and immediate overhaul. Even I myself strongly believe that U.S. government should adopt the system of national health insurance at once. The Case of Japan : A Nationalized Health Insurance Model Today, many countries have adopted the system of universal health insurance. This is due to the fact that there are several advantages in considering a nationalized healthcare system. For example, Japan is one of the many countries that adopted the universal health insurance system. It is proud of its longest life expectancy rate as well as the world’s best level of health fulfillment. Surprisingly, the proportion of the medical care cost to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is ranked at 17th place providing the world’s best standard of medical service with low medical expenditure. It is possible to have access to the best medical service possible without being restricted by income, anytime, anywhere and without bias. Therefore, people can prevent the disease from worsening because they can easily go to hospital once they have felt the symptoms. Even if they get a diagnosis at a big hospital ( university hospital) it will not cost so much. In my case, I was born weighing more or less 500g in a hospital. At that time, there was a great probability that I could die but thanks to the effort of the doctors and medical staff - I survived. Now, I live a daily life without any physical and mental illness. Usually, low birth weight babies are more likely to suffer serious diseases such as cerebral palsy, retinopathy of prematurity, and many other diseases. Also, I got hospitalized at NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for months, which was really costly. The hospitalization at NICU costs approximately 20 million dollars for a month, but the personal expense can be very small because the government bears most of the cost. If my parents had not had any health insurance, they must have paid a huge amount of medical bills. As a consequence, infant mortality rate in Japan is very low, 2.79 per 1000 people (The World Fact Book: CIA). Disadvantages of Nationalized Health Care System On the other hand, there are some drawbacks with the system of universal health insurance. In Japan, due to relatively scarce insurance cost imposed on one person, further increase in casual access to medical care services is seen in recent years. For instance, some people call an ambulance at night to be rushed to the emergency department of a large hospital only to find out later that it was just a slight cold. Sadly, some even use the ambulance as taxi. These thoughtless use of medical care service forced some patients in need to suffer from serious consequences which can result to death in the worst case. Moreover, this negative circumstance happens not only to patients but also affects the medical staff. Since the Japanese government basically settles coverage of health insurance treatment, some medical treatment carried out abroad ( especially cutting-edge medical care) cannot be used with health insurance in Japan. In addition, it sometimes takes considerable time before a new drug gets permit and regulation to be covered by insurance. There was even a case that a drug recognized ten years ago in U.S., a medically advanced country, is only lately admitted in Japan for insurance coverage. The US is one of the countries which do not have the system of universal health insurance. There are also positive aspects for this system. Health is the vital part of our survival. If the people’s health and health care facilities are insured, individuals have joy peace of mind. It is unfortunate that United States does not possess a system of universal health insurance, although this system encompasses various benefits for their holders. It is understood that people are used to the current health system thus they show some kind of resistance in accepting the new system. Unfortunately, some people have a mindset that contains various myths which will make them pay more if the government implements universal health insurance. The Health Insurance System of Canada: Peace of Mind to its Citizens On the contrary, according to the studies by two doctors, Battista and McCabe, claims the fact that the “United States of America spends 40% more funds as compared to other nations who have adopted universal health coverage”( p1). Reports from Federal Budget and General Accounting Office of USA reveal the fact that if universal health care is implemented ,then there would be a saving of $100- $200 billion every year. This is a huge monetary benefit that the US can secure for other pursuits. This advantage was recognized by the Canadian government long back in 1971; thus, they adopted single-payer system. As a result, people happier in adopting this system and they are contentedly enjoying peace of mind since they do not have to be bothered about health care concerns. They are not willing to revert back to their old, US type of health care system. The government of Canada knows that in terms of economic progress, they lag behind to USA but by adopting universal health insurance they are saving a lot in terms of funds. It is essential to understand that by adopting universal health insurance, single payer universal health care cost would decrease due to diminution of administrative cost. This is great savings as compared to the current US system of health care facilities where individuals are paying around 50-100% more administrative charges, which is a remarkable expense for a citizen. By adopting universal health care insurance enhanced management, monetary gains and ease can be accomplished. It is necessary for the citizens of US to have this understanding. Moreover, it is also essential that government should make the people aware of the benefits so they would dissolve their myths and wrong notions that they have in their minds. This brings better prospects to the nation, as we should never shop for health, since it is not a product. Imagine, people can enjoy the same kind of facilities at much lower cost. It is essential that government and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) must understand the benefits of health insurance and should create public awareness programs ( talks ,forums, brainstorming, debates) for them “to change their myths and beliefs for the better future and prospects” (qtd. in Battista and McCabe2). Disadvantages of Current System There are many disadvantages in the current system. Wastefulness is one of the negative aspects of the current health care system, which wastes between” $505 to $805 billion dollars every year” (Fox 1). Since medical records for an individual patient cannot be accessed by other health care providers, this means that tests and medical procedures need to be duplicated at additional cost. Administrative inefficiencies and unnecessary care such as overusing lab tests and antibiotics in order to protect against malpractice suits are also some of the contributors to wasteful spending on health care. Another disadvantage is the hikes in the cost of medical insurance and the lack of coverage of costs of prescription drugs, which is very hard on poor families and the elderly ( aflcio.org ). Apart from South Africa, it is the only country in the developed world which does not extend health care coverage to all its citizens. Moreover, it is said that the United States health care system is the most expensive in the world. For instance, in the year 1998, the per capita expenditure was $4478 as compared to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) median of $1783 or Switzerland at $2794 (King 2). The Need for a Nationalized Health Insurance System Currently, the U.S. is the only advanced country which does not have the system of public health insurance for every citizen. However, this situation can be addressed by embracing universal healthcare. For one, the government could save hundreds of billions of dollars every year for managing this insurance system. Many people believe that U.S. government needs a huge budget if it adopts universal healthcare insurance, but actually the fiscal burden is much less than that of current system. Other than insurance and pharmaceutical companies, all of the citizens regardless of income would benefit. Individuals would profit financially( by saving money) and medically ( having healthy life). Also, government on the state and federal level could divert the money spent now on the broken health care system to social programs which would further benefit society as a whole. Unlike the current system, patients would not be forced to choose from a list of doctors and would not have to rely on a bean counting to decide to if their condition will be covered by insurance. Americans are needlessly suffering and dying while huge amounts of money is being wasted, all for no reason other than the stubbornness of the leaders of the country to address the problem. It is not because universal health care does not make sense economically and politically. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies contribute a large amount of money to politicians. They have the funds to bombard the media with self-serving propaganda designed to scare people into continuing the current failed system. All Americans should be appalled and rise up against the present health care insurance right now, which is so blindly manipulated. Works Cited Battista, J., McCabe, J. “Talk Given To The Association of State Green Parties” .June 4, 1999. Fox, M. “Healthcare system wastes up to $800 billion a year”.2009. Reuters.1 Dec 2009 "Health Insurance." Current Issues: Macmillan Social Science Library. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Herkimer County Community College - SUNY. 24 Nov. 2009 . THE WORLD FACT BOOK: Japan. Central Intelligence Agency.1 Dec 2009 “The U.S. Health care system: Best in the world or just the most expensive?” American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization 1 Dec 2009 “What’s wrong with America’s health care?” American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization.1 Dec 2009 Read More