Introduction
Good health is key to human well-being and contributes to prosperity, economic independence; as healthy people are more productive, and live longer. In the United States, there have been disparities in the provision of health service due to the fact that health insurance cover has been left entirely in the hands of private business. The system works only to benefit owners of these health facilities whose goal is to maximize their profits or returns out of their investments (Simmonds, 2021). This has incapacitated many citizens who cannot afford to pay for their health coverage (Simmonds, 2021). The current scheme favors the wealthy while those from poor families are left to suffer.
In the United States, the health system is designed such that it denies people their right to health services. America’s health policies and frameworks do not support a universal health scheme, but a health insurance system (“Ethical Issues in the Provision of Health Care,” 2018). This mechanism pushes individuals or their employers to pay for their own health insurance coverage, thereby living a large number of people from poverty-stricken families without quality care because they cannot afford to insure themselves.
The lack of true universal healthcare coverage in the United States is rampant in all the states. Florida comes out as among the worst states in healthcare provision. Recently, a Commonwealth Funds analysis found out that Florida only spends $19 per person on public health (Sexton, 2020). In the same report, it was revealed that the state of Florida was among the 17 states that had more than 5% disparities in uninsured rates between white 15%, 21% Blacks, and 26% Hispanics (Sexton, 2020). The report graded the 50 states and the District of Columbia on 5 categories of access and affordability; prevention and treatment; avoidable hospital use and costs; healthy lives; and Income disparities (Sexton, 2020). Florida’s lowest scores among the 5 categories were access and affordability, and prevention and treatment, with 47% and 48% respectively (Sexton, 2020). This gloom picture is widespread across all counties in Florida including Orlando and communities especially those who live on low incomes per month are greatly affected.
Incidentally, Florida is having a health coverage gap because over the years the state has always rejected the federal funding to expand Medicaid. This, therefore, has left households with incomes below the poverty levels out of the automatic Medicaid coverage (Swerlick, 20210. Lack of health insurance is affecting many households in the Orlando community and this must be changed through an overhaul of state health policies, legislation, and paradigm shift in politics (Swerlick, 2021). This paper will therefore discuss key areas which must be fixed to enable communities living in Orlando Florida to be able to access universal health insurance irrespective of their social status or household income levels.
Implementing Universal Healthcare Scheme
Firstly, there is general acceptance of the fact that Florida State like many other states in America has no universal health insurance coverage for its citizens. This is a big hindrance to people as far as healthcare access is concerned. It leaves people to rely on pocket medical care which is very costly and in many instances makes people forgo health services (“Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,” 2021). There is a need for the enactment of laws at the state level to compel the Florida state government to provide universal medical cover to all citizens of the state.
Secondly, there must be serious lobbying and push from Congress for the Florida state government to start accepting federal funding (Swerlick, 2021). This will expand Medicaid so that households with a low income below poverty levels in the state can benefit from the scheme (Swerlick, 2021). Already about 65% of voters in the state of Florida are supporting the expansion of the Medicaid scheme (Swerlick, 2021). Further, several studies have shown that Medicaid does improve healthcare coverage, access, prevents premature deaths, and protects households against financial insecurities (Swerlick, 2021). The health politics in the state must change and incorporate vulnerable communities.
Financing the Universal insurance scheme is very expensive and cannot be left in the hands of private entities who are in the business of generating revenues and profits. Florida government must take the initiative of enrolling all its citizens in a health provision scheme (“World Health Organization,” 2021). The state should come up with robust financing structures which cover everybody including infants within 2 months. The government must pool funds from all its sources to spread the coverage to all (“World Health Organization,” 2021). This will ensure that the most vulnerable are not left with the burden of footing hospital bills when members of their families fall sick. For this to happen members of congress must play their key role in passing necessary laws to anchor the provision of universal health insurance.
The governments should come up with investment plans for the physical and human infrastructure needed to deliver universal healthcare in 3 years’ time. This plan should include training of a sufficient number of health workers; and the construction of health facilities with clean water and power, medical equipment, laboratories, and management and information systems (Aman et al., 2019). The state must also strengthen supply chains to procure drugs, vaccines, and equipment needed, and ensure they reach all parts of Orlando (Aman et al., 2019). The investment should be based on the evaluation and costing of the needs of the community (Aman et al., 2019). This will be realized through lobbying and the formulation of policies that eliminate people from relying on out-of-pocket payment of medical care at the congress.
Florida State must be pushed at the congress to do away with the multiplayer healthcare system in which the patient, the employer, and insurance companies all contribute to pay for the patient’s care. In 6 months’ time, it should adopt a single-payer system, where government compensates facilities that provide care to citizens. This enables all to access medical services including those who cannot afford insurance cover (“Ethical Issues in the Provision of Health Care,” 2018). Serious lobbying must take place to push the state government to do away with the notion that health services, doctors, and health facilities exist for profits (“Ethical Issues in the Provision of Health Care,” 2018). Ethically, the multiplayer system leaves many poor people in Orlando, Florida with no proper health services because they cannot afford insurance coverage. Without universal cover, the most vulnerable in Orlando are left to suffer silently in their homes. There is a need for concerted persuasion and lobbying congressmen, and state government officials to eliminate partisan politics and rigid ideologies (Gostin, 2017). The polity from both parties must be persuaded to agree to core ethical values when discussing health system policies.
Table 1: What must be delivered to actualize universal health scheme
Conclusion
Good health is key to human well-being and contributes to prosperity, and even economic independence; as healthy people are more productive, save a lot, and live longer. In the United States, there have been disparities in the provision of health which is entrenched such that health has been left entirely in the hands of private business. This has incapacitated many citizens who cannot afford to pay for their health coverage. Florida comes out as among the worst states in healthcare provision because it has over the years rejected federal funding to expand Medicaid. The lack of universal health insurance is affecting many households in the Orlando community and this must be changed through the overhaul of state health policies, legislation, and paradigm shift in politics.
Congress must enact laws that will compel the Florida state government to provide universal medical cover to all citizens of the state. Secondly, legislatures should lobby and push the Florida state government to start accepting federal funding. Additionally, a legal framework should be in place to enable the Florida state government to come up with policy structures of enrolling all its citizens in a universal health scheme. Further, the government must invest in the physical and human infrastructure needed to deliver universal healthcare. Lastly, congressmen must push the state government to replace the multiplayer healthcare system with a single-payer system, where government compensates facilities that provide care to citizens. Ethically, the multiplayer system leaves many poor people in Orlando, Florida with no proper health services because they cannot afford insurance cover.
References
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Aman, A., Gashumba, D., Magaziner, I. & Nordstrom, A. (2019). Financing universal health coverage: Four steps to go from aspiration to action. The Lancet, 394 (10202), 902-903. Web.
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Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2021). Access to health services. Healthy People.gov. Web.
Simmonds, A. (2021). Open talk about minority, poor health-care gap may breed solutions. Sunsentile. Web.
Sexton, C. (2020). Florida health system ranked among worst in the nation. Sun Sentinel. Web.