Dysfunctional US Health Care System - Essay Example

The Dysfunctional U.S. Health Care System The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition” (WHO 17). This declaration gives emphasis to the great value of health to people in a society. Unfortunately, even though the medical institutions in the United States have formulated objectives for health and health care delivery, as regards both prevention and treatment, the existing health care financing system holds back the realization of such initiatives. These initiatives have two common goals: first is to enhance quality of life and expand life expectancy; and second, abolish health inequalities. These goals can be attained at both the individual and societal levels. In the article of William Marsiglio entitled Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids, the failure of U.S. healthcare system at the individual level is explained. The system fails to ensure the health of a large portion of its population, particularly the younger ones. The author explained that the health of the father has a substantial impact on the health of their children. Unhealthy fathers have unhealthy children. And the healthcare system greatly contributes to this recent pattern. Statistics show that “one third of American men are obese and one in 10 will become an alcoholic in his lifetime” (Marsiglio 365). The causes of this phenomenon are varied, ranging from internal problems (e.g. psychological, physical, emotional) to external ones (e.g. poverty, low educational achievement). According to the author, these causes are partly attributable to how the healthcare system works in the United States: “… individual’s health experiences are shaped by a multilayered social context and their call for prevention strategies” (Marsiglio 366). The veracity of this belief is substantiated by the commitment of Barack Obama to health care reform that could reinforce the relationship between good fathering and wellbeing. This kind of health care reform is crucial, especially because of the continued existence of barriers to health care access. Low-income fathers usually have lesser health choices and poorer access to health care, which consequently impede their ability to provide vital health care resources for their families and to become role models for their children. This article also demonstrates how the U.S. health care system could work at the individual level. Health care reforms should target the larger cultural and societal factors that contribute to poverty, such as barriers to better educational opportunities, negative stereotypes about masculinity, and racial discrimination. Men, especially fathers, should have a constructive frame of mind about their wellbeing in order to become good fathers. This goal is attainable, but will require both private and public support. As claimed by Marsiglio, “Getting large numbers of men to adopt such a mindset requires broad public support and will require an intense public health service campaign…” (Marsiglio 370) Health care organizations can encourage men to participate in projects intended to enhance their involvement in their children’s care. The U.S. health care system could help fathers develop good fathering skills and avoid unhealthy practices, such as drug use, drinking, and smoking. On the other hand, the article of Lisa Berkman entitled The Health Divide, explains how the U.S. health care system fails at the societal level. The author demonstrates how socioeconomic standing, or health inequalities, contributes to mortality rates and poor health outcomes. The country’s health care system gets a failing grade in this area. Even though the United States is a highly industrialized country and regarded as one of the most affluent countries in the world, it still ranks below in terms of health care delivery and performance. This failure is largely due to the widening gap between the rich and poor. Many low-income Americans have difficulties receiving quality health care. As a consequence, numerous policymakers believed that increasing access to quality health care will enhance quality of life for many Americans. But this solution alone is not enough, as proven by the case of Great Britain: “… studies in Great Britain have found that better access to care does not necessarily reduce health disparities between the rich and poor” (Berkman 390). Despite the universal and free access to health care, the gap in mortality rates between the haves and have-nots in Britain had in fact widened. These findings suggest that efforts of the U.S. health care system to solve health inequalities by improving access to health care is not sufficient; it simply does not work. What improves citizens’ health, according to several studies, is higher income. In fact, according to numerous researchers, higher income reduces mortality rates. Higher income reduces psychological, physical, and emotional stress which causes poor health. Unfortunately, better financial opportunities are still mostly granted to White people. Those belonging to other racial groups, such as African Americans, are still disadvantaged in terms of educational and employment opportunities. These inequalities attest to the failure of the larger American society to provide equal opportunities to all its members. Hence, policymakers are now looking for new, revolutionary solutions. The author provides numerous recommendations, but one stands out (Berkman 393): Today, many public health experts contend that if we were to emphasize altering the broader, environmental conditions that lead to poor health, we would increase our chances of reducing social inequalities in health. A review of past efforts to solve the health care crisis shows that environmental reforms have greater probability of succeeding than those dependent on individual responses and outcomes. Sadly, the current U.S. health care system is largely accessible to high-income Americans. The health disparity is continuously widening. Welch (2013) painfully describes this reality (Welch para 2): Medical care is intended to help people, not enrich providers. But the way prices are rising, it’s beginning to look less like help than like highway robbery. And the providers—hospitals, doctors, universities, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers—are the ones benefiting. Health care is a problem. Health care is not for the disadvantaged, poor, and marginalized. Health care is apathetic. The U.S. health care system simply does not work. But the dedication of many Americans to improve the system is a powerful motivation to continue the struggle toward a healthy society. Works Cited Berkman, Lisa. “The Health Divide.” In Goodwin, Jeff & James Jasper, The Contexts Reader. New York: W.W. Norton, 2007. Print. Marsiglio, William. “Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids.” In Goodwin, Jeff & James Jasper, The Contexts Reader. New York: W.W. Norton, 2007. Print. Welch, Gilbert. “Diagnosis: Insufficient Outrage.” New York Times 4 Jul 2013. Print. Read More