Countries that have universal health care systems have a good overall health status of the population (William, 2005). To measure the health and wellbeing of a population, the life expectancy, infant mortality, and disability adjusted life expectancy are evaluated. When the US health care system is compared to the universal health care models, the life expectancy is low and infant mortality higher. Individuals who lack preventive care are likely to experience disability in future. Among the high income OECD countries, the US has in the past ranked low on the disability- adjusted life expectancy (DALE).
Although the US health care system has shown a high level of responsiveness, individuals who lack insurance or have limited access to health care through Medicaid find it hard to get responsive caregivers. This is as compared to those with adequate health insurance coverage under the universal systems. For instance, the National Health Insurance model which combines some elements of Bismarck and Beveridge promotes universal health programs that administratively cheaper than American for-profit insurance style.
Under the universal programs, people have access to good health care and get paid for claims by insurance companies. This is because, there lacks financial motive to deny claims. Canada uses the National Health Insurance model to ensure that all its citizens receive adequate insurance coverage in relation to health care. The American health care system has been considered to be unfair when it comes to health financing. The US has even at one time(in 1997) ranked at 54- 55th position among the OECD countries .
Developed countries such as Germany, Canada, and Denmark have shown fairness in health financing. For those who are underinsured or uninsured, unfair health financing drives them deeper into poverty due to the lack of financial protection from ill health (Krug et al, 1998). Universal models ensure that there is fair health financing when all citizens get adequate insurance coverage, low costs per capita, cheap insurance programs, and administratively simple insurance programs.
Government run health insurance programs prevents for-profit programs that lead to high costs of health care and reduced access to health care. Though the US health care system has managed to perform well, there is need to perform better given its level of financing resources. The system needs to be reformed so as to give a high level of performance and attainment. The level of satisfaction that citizens have with the health care system in the country is important.
In countries like Canada, Germany, and UK where universal health care systems are applied, citizens seem to be more satisfied with the health care systems in their respective countries. Many citizens have indicated that they are satisfied or fairly satisfied. On the other hand, many Americans are convinced that the American health care system has not delivered as it should. This has had many of them individually or as a group advocate for reforms in the system. There is need for governments and health sector policy makers to initiate changes in their health care systems.
These changes should aim at solving all the problems that are experienced in the system, and to improve the delivery of appropriate health care services to the people. In order to develop and implement strategies that will improve how the health systems work, health care providers, consumers, and policy makers need to work in unison. The strategies must be socially and economically viable for them to initiate reforms in the systems. The success of the strategies to improve health care systems will also require the goodwill of the governments and funding organizations (Sade, 1971).
In all countries, it is very important that an evaluation of the health care system is done to determine how successful the system has been in achieving the basic goals of a health care system. This makes it necessary for all governments and stakeholders in the health sector to develop and implement strategies that protect all citizens from financial ruins that may result from medical bills, keep people healthy, and ensure that all citizens get adequate health care services.
To solve the problem of high costs per capita in the US heath care system, the US government should adequately provide and finance health care through the tax payments. The high costs of healthcare in the US have been attributed to various factors. In order to lower the costs per capita, the US government needs to work with the policy makers and other stakeholders in the health sector in efforts to address factors that push the cost of medical care up.
For instance, strategies that address the US multi-payer system negative impacts and the rising costs of medical technology should be developed and implemented. The strategies need to be monitored and evaluated to determine their success in lowering costs per capita. For-profit health providers in the US have contributed to the high costs per capita. Legislation and regulation that prevents for-profit providers from exploiting health care consumers will need to be put into place (Smeeding, 2005). This will lower the administrative costs of both the public and private hospitals.