Health care coverage in US applies three major approaches namely the dominant private health insurance, employer based cover as well as the government based coverage. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, the current US health care is characterized by many flaws. This conclusion can be arrived at by evaluating the prevailing important health care aspects which are the cost, accessibility as well as the satisfactory levels by the citizens.
Sadly, the US spends more on health care than she does on self defense despite the system only covering a small proportion of the population. This spending is about twice higher than the prevailing inflation rate. The high costs of health care can be blamed for the high inaccessibility levels. NCHC notes that a tune of 46 million Americans aged 65 years and below which comprises of 18% of the total population lack health insurance cover. In terms of national spending, the US spent $2. 4trillion in 2008 on health care. (National Coalition on Health Care, 2009).
This paper discusses the major gains that would be enjoyed if US was to adopt universal health care. As a solution to the prevailing problem, the Institute of Medicine of National Academies noted that the adoption of universal health care would be sufficient. Universal health care would offer patient focused care as the medical professional would not be motivated by profits as is the case in the current system. Inaccessibility to quality health care which is the greatest challenge in the US health care system would also be reduced.
If the US was to embrace universal health care, approximately 18000 deaths would be prevented annually. This is attributed to the fact that preventive approaches would be sought as the cost constraint would not hinder people from seeking early consultation visits to their care providers. In the current system, most people especially from the minority low income groups seek medical care as a last resort with some barely affording food let alone the costly medical care. (Physicians for a National Health, 2008).
The emergency services that some of them result into are very expensive. Again, diseases are easier to manage and maintain when they are at the early stages than when they progress into complex stages. By embracing universal health care, US would join other OCED countries in respecting human rights as stipulated in the UN declaration of human rights article number 25 which contends that it is the responsibility of any government to provide health care services to all her citizens. (www. unhchr. ch)
The high costs of health care in the US system which could be blamed on the bureaucratic processes in the highly commercialized health care system would be erased with the adoption of universal health care. Other countries that have embraced nationalized health care in the developed world spend less in terms of their national income on health care in addition to having higher health indicators of health such as infant mortality rates. Universal health care if effectively managed and organized would offer a better solution to the accessibility of health care to those in need of long term care.
In the prevailing system, the private health insurance firms use adverse selection which blocks those in need of health care services from accessing them. Such companies do this with the aim of reducing liabilities and thus registering profits, an endeavor of any rational business in operation. Universal health care would also have an economic effect on the overall economy as some companies who may be compelled by the high health care costs to relocate to other regions so as to reduce their employees health care costs would not move.
Like the case in OCED countries the US would spend less on health care while covering a larger proportion of the total population. If the financing of health care in this system would be based on people’s income then fairness in its financing would be ensured.
References: National Academy of Sciences. 2008. Insuring America’s Health: Principles and Recommendations. Retrieved on 5th May 2009 from http://www. iom. edu/CMS/3809/4660/17632. aspx Physicians for a National Health.2008.
Single-Payer National Health Insurance Program. Retrieved on 5th May 2009 from http://www. pnhp. org/facts/single_payer_resources. php. United Nation’s universal declaration of human rights. Chapter 25. Retrieved on 5th May 2009 from http://www. unhchr. ch/udhr/lang/eng. htm University of Maine. 2001. The US health care system: Best in the world or just the most Expensive. Retrieved on 5th May 2009 from http://dll. umaine. edu/ble/U. S. %20HCweb. pdf