Healthcare policy is a set of decisions or plans undertaken to attain specific goals in care programs. The main features of the US health policy include pluralistic politics, government as a subsidiary to the private sector, piecemeal reform, and presidential leadership. These characteristics work separately or together to promote health policy growth, ultimately benefiting the country (Schultz, 2018). The government, as a subsidiary, characterizes US health policy as a personal or secondary sector because healthcare is not a government responsibility, but the private sector plays a dominant role. Consequently, Americans prefer market solutions over health care intervention by the authorities. In general, US government care has grown in response to the increased demand. Moreover, fragmentary reform symbolizes the health policy of the US since the government’s role as a health care provider is to provide insurance to older people through tax revenues (Shi & Singh, 2021). Lastly, presidential leadership is a feature of health policy in the States because Americans will always yearn and seek a powerful presidential authority.
The future of health policy in the US will increase care costs and health care technology. Medicare spending will expand if the government sponsors the installment of the marketplace for populations with low income. Expansion in healthcare expenditure will, in turn, affect the whole US system of health maintenance. Healthcare technology has and will continue to expand since the initiation of biometric devices. Through innovation, patients will take an extra active role in their health. In my opinion, the biggest issue that health policy can address is high care costs. When care expenses are elevated, government taxes also increase, reducing investments in infrastructure and education. Poor development frameworks will, in turn, concur with economic, business, and household growth. Thus, it is clear that if the rapid extension of health care spending continues, the US economy will be harmed.
Another big issue in the US is immigration, a prominent distinctive feature that makes America a unique nation. The border security debate has become toxic since politicians prioritize politics over their principles, and sensible Americans get caught between radicals on those two sides. These border discussions are not about immigration acceptance but how to enhance the process so that the sovereignty of America will benefit all (Hasan et al., 2019). There is an overlap between health policy and immigration. In general, immigrants have low health care insurance, and their quality of care is also inferior to those born in the US. Additionally, refugees live with the fear of deportation. They develop stress, which can hinder their mental and physical development.
Various policies can be put in place to address the health of immigrants. These strategies include equality of health care, strengthening collaboration and inter-country mechanisms, and promoting refugee-sensitive care policies. In health care equality, children and the elderly should be given priority to care access. Inter-country alliances such as United Nations aim at improving immigrants’ health. Refugee-sensitive policies provide affordability, equitability, and accessibility to the vital promotion of health. For this to happen, these policies will need to improve regulatory frameworks to tackle the requirements of immigrants.
Politically, these migration policies are partly likely to occur and partially not possible. Their likeliness is because refugees need state machinery for protection, especially those living within borders. Moreover, certain governments forbid their countries from sending people to other harmful conditions where there is discrimination on race, nationality, and religion (Hernes et al., 2019). Some nations make these policies differently; for instance, Australia has a policy of detaining non-citizens until they leave the country or get a visa. There is no limit on time in detention, and the immigrants have no right to question the legality of this action. Logically, the likeliness of these policies being implemented is high. This is because many individuals consider refugees’ protection a lifesaving deed. Helping immigrants is also beneficial to the country they are migrating to if they build a productive life.
References
Hasan, M., Hossain, M., Azad, M., Hossain, M., & Afsana, A. (2019). Comparison of green tea and probiotic as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoter in broiler ration. Bangladesh Veterinarian, 35(1-2), 13-24. Web.
Hernes, V., Arendt, J. N., Joona, P. A., & Tronstad, K. R. (2019). Nordic integration and settlement policies for refugees. TemaNord. Web.
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A, (2021). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (8th ed.). Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Schultz, R. (2018). Implementation of policies to protect planetary health. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2(2), e62. Web.