The significance of the body’s well-being is a concept that individuals cannot ignore. Different health challenges face people depending on their social and economic classes. With current changing trends in nutrition and health systems, many challenges face effective health care provision. The significance of improved health care manifests itself in the increasing populations that are demanding good health care in the world. Health care generally is the management of health-related problems. Preventive measures are of more significance as compared to curative and palliative measures in tackling health issues.
The main challenge facing health care is the widening disparity in health provision. The majority of the people lack medical coverage; hence many people never get correct medication and medical care. This occurs every day in America hence if you are an American citizen, there is a need to examine the reforms, the health care system is undergoing. A greater population of American citizens lacks the required health coverage.
This is because the majority of these citizens come from low social-economic classes. Statistics show that approximately forty-two million U.S citizens presently lack health insurance. The government is trying to solve the problem has applied policies that have short-term impacts, instead of implementing, policies that deal with the root causes of the problem. Professions describe the policies adapted as patchwork because they only center on the present and lay less emphasis on the future of the U.S. (Bureau of labor education p.1-2).
The United States spends a lot on its health care system, compared to other developed countries, although results show no impact. For example, in 1998 the country spent close to $4,200 billion on reviving its health system. The increasing costs on health care provision result from changing medical technologies and a poor method of drug dissemination, due to poor management systems in the health sector. For example, of all the total expenditure on health, almost 20% of the total expenditure goes to the administration department. In addition, most of the health care providers in America have shifted the previously used policy on health care provision (Woolhandler & Himmelstein pp.1253-1256).
In addition, the increasing number of citizens who lack insurance has contributed to the expensiveness of the system. This is because, majority of the uninsured suffer from health problems that are either preventable or their treatment could have been cheap, were they discovered early. Treating diseases in later stages costs more time and resources. This is due to added costs in surgery, intensive care units, and medication (Bureau of labor education p.1-2).
The U.S health care system needs a great overhaul from policy planning to implementation, to meet the current health crisis. As most democratic leaders suggest, the entire system should be re-examined and restructured with an emphasis on closing the gap that exists in drug prescription. The government can achieve this by introducing solutions that are easy to implement. As snow argues, solutions adapted previously by the government have not yielded any desired outcome; instead, the situation keeps worsening (Snow p.274-276). Snow further suggests concerned bodies should implement the process in phases.
The elderly in America is more vulnerable to diseases; hence, the overhaul must take into consideration the effects it will have on medical care (Andrews Para.1). In addition, due to the many costs incurred in treating the elderly, the government should produce cost policies on the elderly.
These policies should give a guideline on benefits that the caregivers, families, and patients should receive. As Snow argues, this should not limit the essential care to the elderly, but rather the policies should help in planning and budgeting for this special group (Snow p.277). The government’s proposal to protect Medicare is bound to promote good health practices among all citizens because the implementation of the proposal will automatically reduce the “donut-hole” gap, which exists in the dissemination of prescription drugs (Obama plan p.1).
To address the insurance issue, the governments promised to make sure those with insurance premiums are more secure. In addition, it gave proposals of providing insurance premiums to those who lack coverage (Obama plan p.1). These proposals are good, but still, the government has to implement more measures to make sure they work. To make sure the insurance benefits all citizens, the government should come up with state-managed insurance plans. In addition, the government’s initiative to introduce subsidies for middle and low-level earners is good for bridging the gaps existing between the classes in American society. There is a need for the introduction of a universal insurance system.
In presidents Obama’s proposal, the government plans to introduce pooling strategies in the insurance sector. This greatly is likely to improve health provision, because individuals will have the freedom to choose between private and public plans. The government must offer support to all state-based insurance providers. The government can achieve this by, formulating policies to control tax credits and provide insurance protection to the disabled and mentally handicapped. (Richmond & Fein pp.228-230).
In addition, many American insurance companies misuse the rights granted to them by the government. In the past, the companies have embraced practices that limit their member’s access to healthcare. Most American employees have minimal insurance alternatives. Hence, the government’s proposal to regulate the private sector’s powers is likely to benefit all citizens (Henry P. 1). In addition, these proposals will help to control many private insurance companies that in most cases stop giving support to their customers, because they have expired. The move will also help the poor, whose insurance coverage has expired.
The Government also proposed to expand all public programs. The government plans to achieve this through expanding Medicaid and SCIP. Through this, all the business enterprises will have a chance to access insurance premiums. This will benefit the common citizen because the small businesses will afford to pay for their worker’s health.
To reduce the costs incurred by health institutions in providing health, the government should come up with ways of disseminating disease information to the public. In addition, it should make sure all citizens have free access to preventive services. If the services cannot be free, then the government should find ways of subsidizing the prices, so that even the poor can access them (Obama Plan p.1).
Although both the democrats and republicans are struggling to make sure that all American citizens access good health, their approach differs. The government plan to provide insurance to all citizens and control private insurance companies has received substantial opposition from the republicans. Republicans believe that this move will disadvantage private insurers. The proposal by republicans on individual choices will affect health provision on low earners because there is a likelihood of many employers taking advantage. In addition, the Democrats plan to increase tax collection, by increasing fees on some public sectors, on top of reducing expenditure on Medicare.
The Republicans who propose no tax increase have opposed this; instead, they propose the provision of tax credits to all individuals and families (Arvantes Para. 1-12). The democrat’s proposal is better, although it will need more workforce and time for implementation. Generally, this plan will ensure all individuals have equal access to health care, hence a healthy nation.
Due to the financial crisis facing the government, and the nature of complexity in the implementation of reforms, all sectors should participate in the reforms. The reforms need a collaboration of both the private and public sectors. This will ensure all decisions from all medical stakeholders and consumers are included in the planning and implementation process. The government in addition must create balance in its spending through wide consultation with other developed countries (Snow p.276). In this regard, the government’s proposal to create independent bodies to oversee the implementation will help in reducing graft and abuse in the health sector. In addition, this will make medical practitioners observe medical ethics instead of practicing defensive health care (Obama Plan p.1).
In conclusion, the American health problem not only affects its citizens but is a global issue. The government therefore should try to implement both short and long-term plans, which will address the problem effectively. This is because if not correctly handled, it is bound to reappear in the future in a more complicated nature. In addition, the reforms should mainly address the differences that exist among American citizens. Policies to be adopted must ensure equal access to healthcare by all citizens, despite their socioeconomic backgrounds.
Works Cited
Andrews, W. What Will Health Care Reform Cost. Money watch. 2009. Web.
Arvantes, J. republican, democrat health care plans differ on direction of healthcare reform. AAFP. 2008. Web.
Bureau of labor statistics. The U.S. health care system: best in the world, or just the most expensive. 2001. Web.
Henry, J. President elect Obama health care reform proposal. 2008. Web.
Obama plan: stability and security for all Americans. 2009. Web.
Richmond, B., and Fein, R. The healthy mess: how we got into it and what it will take to get out. Cambridge: Harvard university press, 2005
Snow, D. B. Prescription for National Healthcare. American journal of managed care reform 15(5) (2009): pp.275-276.
Woolhandler, S., & Himmelstein, D, U. The deteriorating administrative efficiency of the U.S healthcare system. New England journal of medicine 324 (1993):1253-1256.