One of the major problems facing our country today is the healthcare crisis. The inequality in our current healthcare system has created a huge gap in the difference between the level and the quality of healthcare that different people receive. Having an improved and reliable health care system available for everyone should be a priority that the government must make available. There are countries whose health care system meets the needs of the patients while there are countries whose health care systems need a great amount of overhaul for them to be able to attend to their patients.
In this essay I will discuss the healthcare crisis and the differences in many countries healthcare systems. I will also list several ways that the injustice in our current healthcare system may be corrected. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that “injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane” among all forms of inequality (The University of Maine, 2001). Due to illnesses and diseases and emotional distress that anyone can experience, a heath care system has an important role in treating patients and providing them a much better and high-quality lives.
However, not all health care systems can meet these goals. The United States seems to be the leading country in terms of health care system. Large amounts of researches on health care systems look into the United States and its delivery of health care to its citizens. Many people are also wondering if the United States has the best health care system in the world while some are skeptical if the country has the most expensive health care. Indeed, studies showed that United States has the most costly health care system in the world.
But when compared with other leading countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, the United States is ranked last (Davis, et. al, 2007). Back in 2000, the United States was ranked 37th, with France as the leading country (Coutsoukis, 2007). France has been ranked first on the basis of the number of years that its people lived with good health and whether they have good access to better health care. As some people were skeptical about the basis for the ranking, several studies were conducted, this time including “amenable mortality” in the criteria.
France was first in the ranking. One good thing about France’s health care system is that everyone has health care. The country is also reported to rely on private and government insurance. Unlike the United States, France lets its citizens to have freedom in choosing hospitals, doctors, and care. Additionally, the health care system does not put much constrain on doctors with regards to making medical decisions. The same situation is evident on German health care system, where everyone has fully portable health insurance which comes with package of benefits.
Like France, Germany lets its patients have freedom in choosing doctor and hospital during illness. A survey showed that patients and physicians in Germany are both satisfied with their health care system (Reinhardt, 1994, p. 22). These scenarios are in complete contrast with some of the countries of poor health care system. One of these countries is Nigeria which has been suffering from a stagnant health care system. Its people either have limited access to health care or none at all.
Many blame this problem to the prevalence of fake drugs, AIDS epidemic and the unhealthy lifestyles of the people while others point at the lack of health policy as the culprit. Those who have illnesses that could have been easily treated with simple medications and healthy lifestyles can die. These problems are not solved because the country’s government does not collaborate with the local and state governments (Orabuchi, 2005). Myanmar is also one of the countries with poor health care system.
Many people die each year due to cases of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhea and several other illnesses. Corruption is prevalent, driving the people further into poverty that they have to walk for days just to see a doctor and most cannot afford to pay hospital and doctor fees. Indeed, corruption has reached the health care system. Even toilet use is paid. The cost of health care was further compounded when the government issued fuel hikes reaching to 500 percent (Mason, 2007). Having a better health care system takes time, money, and the joined efforts of the government and its constituents.
France and Germany are models of a health care system which cater to the needs of their people. Countries with poor health care system must strive to provide their people with a better access to health care system. One of the solutions to the inequality of healthcare in the United States has already been broached by President Obama. Recently he has passed a healthcare bill that calls for universal healthcare. Universal healthcare is a healthcare system that provides coverage to all individuals.
Strangely, a majority of U. S. citizens are against the idea of universal healthcare. The main reason for this is the fact that many Americans do not understand that a good universal healthcare system would lower the cost and raise the coverage of health insurance. One of the major arguments against universal healthcare is the cost. Throughout the world, the countries that have universal healthcare pay for it with taxes which most Americans will equate with taxes going up and this does not need to be the case.
If the government was regulated on its superfluous spending like the recent bailout of certain financial institutions and cut the cost of things like military spending, universal healthcare would practically pay for itself. Another excellent way to solve the inequality healthcare would be to go to a single-payer system. A single-payer system is one in which a single entity-a government run organization-would collect all healthcare fees, and pay out all healthcare costs. One of the major benefits of a single-payer system of healthcare would be that everyone would receive comprehensive medical benefits.
Care would be based on need, not on ability to pay. Another benefit would be that most people overall would pay less for healthcare than they do now. Also the quality of care that people receive would go up due to the time saved on administrative waste, time currently wasted on administrative duties could be channeled into providing care; and clinical decisions would no longer be dictated by insurance company policy. In conclusion I have discussed the healthcare crisis and the differences in many countries healthcare systems. I also listed several ways that the injustice in our current healthcare system may be corrected.