Health care systems should ensure that everybody has adequate insurance coverage (Michael and Joseph, 1976). This need to be done by adopting a health care system whose insurance plans benefit health care consumers and prevent insurance companies from denying claims that are genuine and appropriate. For multi-payer health care models like the US, ensuring tight regulation enables a government to have cost control clout like the one provided by a single-payer under the Beveridge model.
Initiating government-run insurance programs benefits citizens by offering cheaper insurance programs. By operating like a single payer, a government will be empowered to have market power that enable negotiation for lower prices. For example, a negotiation for lower prices from drugs produced from different pharmaceutical companies has been done under Canada’s health system. A single payer system will solve serious problems that relate to access, cost and fairness.
Furthermore, the system will be instrumental in reducing administrative costs and promoting universal access to healthcare (especially preventive health care). Expanding successful public programs to cover an entire population rather than a certain group in a population will cut down administrative costs (Groves, 2008). For instance, the expansion of Medicare to extend beyond the elderly will lower health care costs and increase peoples’ access to heath care. There is need for people to explore alternative health care models and to learn on how problems experienced in the system can be resolved.
Policy makers, governments and stakeholders will need to work together to improve how health care systems and to address problems experienced in the systems. Conclusion Promoting and maintaining a healthy population is a priority for many governments. Governments ensure that a healthy population is maintained by putting into place an effective health care model. Through the model, people are provided with proper preventive and curative medical care as well as protected from financial ruins that may emanate from high medical bills.
Different countries have varying health care models. Almost all developed countries have adopted a universal health care model except the US. When compared to universal health care models, the American health system experiences more problems. In order to address the problems and to improve the health care services given to the people, the American health care model will require some reforms.
References
David, U. , Elizabeth W. , Deborah, T, and Steffie, W. 2005. Illness and Injury as Contributors to Bankruptcy. Published at Health Affairs Journal Groves, T. 2008. “Stronger European Medical Research”. British Medical Journal 336: February 2008 Gerard, A. , and Peter, S. 2001. Comparing Health System Performance in OECD Countries. Health Affairs Journal, Vol. 20: No 3(May/June 2001); pp 219-232 Hadley, J. 2007. “Insurance Coverage, Medical Care Use, and Short-term Health Changes Following an Unintentional Injury or the Onset of a Chronic Condition”, Journal of American Medical Association, March 14, 2007; 297: 1073 – 1084