features of healthcare in the united states
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HIIT1021stpaper.ans.docx
Name: Adedotun Adereti
Course : HIIT 102
Date: September 14, 2018
The healthcare delivery system in the United States is unique and complex, when compared to other developed countries that has national healthcare for their citizens. In these countries, the government provides the citizens with access to routine and basic health care (Shi, 2019) while that is not available in the U.S. There are so many factors that influence the U.S healthcare delivery system, some of these factors are political climate, stage of economy development, technological advancement, social and cultural influence. There are major characteristics of the U.S healthcare delivery system which are as follows;
No central governing agency and little integration and coordination
The healthcare system in the United states is complex because there is no centralized control system. Lack of centralization in the United states health care system makes health care to be expensive as it can not be managed by global budget. Due to the large private sector involvement in the US health care system, most of the Doctor’s office and hospitals are privately owned and independent of the government. The federal and state government have huge impact in the US healthcare delivery system, public sector expenses and reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare patients are determined by both federal and state government. In contrast to the US healthcare system, other developed countries have a centralized Healthcare system that makes financing and delivery of health care available to all citizens.
Technology-driven delivery system focusing on acute care
The United States has been the most advanced in medical technology. Progress in science and technology generates a demand for new services though there is a shrink in the resources to finance healthcare (Shi, 2019). There are other factors that contributes to increase in the demand for expensive care in the US health care system; Some patients believe that modern technologies offer better care, some physician office would want to try new technology and some medical institution like hospital believe that having the latest technology allows them to compete in the healthcare market. These factors hike up the cost of care because hospitals, physician office are now pressured to recover the capital invested in obtaining the technologies thereby leading to increase in the cost of healthcare. Advance medical technology has ushered in new and successful medical interventions but there are consequences linked to these advanced technologies being over used. For instance, the high cost of medical intervention has caused inflation in the cost of healthcare, which has made it difficult for employers to offer part-time workers insurance benefit (Shi, 2019).
High on Cost, Unequal in Access, and Average in Outcome
The United States spend 13% of gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare which is mostly medical care which is not the case in other developed countries. Not everyone in the US has access to healthcare when in need of preventive care. Healthcare is only available to those who have health care benefits through their employers, covered by government healthcare programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, those who can afford to pay out of personal funds and those who can pay for the care and services they obtained. The only way to get access to healthcare is by buying an health insurance out of pocket or getting one through your employer and this leads to the high cost of healthcare, uninsured people do not have access to routine and basic care which is also known as primary care except they pay the fee charged by the physician and those that cannot afford it, have to wait till the health challenges gets worse at which point they can obtain free care. In the absence of insurance, patients are unable to receive adequate care that is needed which has led to increase in mortality rate in the US, though the US is one of the most advanced economies, they are behind in the healthcare provided for her citizens. (Shi, 2019)
Imperfect Market Condition:
The US healthcare delivery is mostly in private hands but is partially governed by free market forces (Shi, 2019). There are key characteristics of a free market which prove that the US healthcare market is not free. In a free market, many patient (buyers) and providers(sellers) act autonomously, Patient should be able to choose their provider with price and services rendered being the determinant. For free healthcare market, there must be unrestricted competition among providers based on their prices and the quality service they render. Free market works well when information about care services and products are made available to patients which is not the case in the US; Patient don’t have information about other expense that comes with the care obtained. For instance, the of recovery care and anesthesiology is not made available to patient who is about to undergo a procedure.
Government as Subsidiary to the private Sector:
In the US health care market, the private sector dominates unlike other countries where government provides the health care for residents. The gaps left opened by the private sector in the US healthcare market is covered up by the government. (Shi, 2019)
Market Justice versus Social Justice: Conflict throughout Health Care
There are two opposite theories that controls production and distribution of health care in the US. The market justice’s principle puts the responsibility of reasonable distribution of health care on market forces in a free market (Shi, 2019). In market justice, medical care and its benefit are made available based on the ability of people to pay out of their personal funds. In the just distribution principle, the distribution of health care is based on the need of the health care not the ability to pay.
Multiple Players and Balance of power
There are numerous key players in the healthcare system of the United States. Insurance companies, labor, physicians, big businesses and hospital consist of the powerful group that are represented by high price lobbyist before law makers. Conflicts arises when interest of each player contradicts the other. For instance, government always wants lower cost while physicians and other providers want the reimbursement of care rendered to patient increased. However, the conflicts that occur between these players is that it does not allow any player to have control of the system.
Quest for Integration and Accountability
In the United States presently, there is an attempt to use primary care as unifying center for constant and coordinated healthcare system. This method was well known with the enlargement of managed care, but the progress got stuck before budding. The proposed plan for primary care will comprise integrated health care by presenting full health care services. This model has stressed the importance of the relationship between patients and provider. The idea is for providers to provide quality health care and for patients. Protecting their own lives by using available funds (Shi, 2019).
Access to Health Care Services Is Selectively Based on Insurance Coverage
As stated earlier, access to healthcare in the US is restricted unlike other developed countries that provides national health plan to their citizens. Access is only granted to specific group of people which include those who have coverage through their employers, those covered under the government care program, those who can afford to buy their own coverage and those that can pay for services they obtained. The best medical care worldwide can only be obtained in the US, but this care is only available to those mentioned above. Due to the restrictions, over 15% of Americans are uninsured. The only access the uninsured have is to pay the fee of the physicians, access institutions that are funded by federal government or acquire care for acute illness. (Shi, 2019).
Legal Risks Influence Practice Behaviors
The rate of at which people are diagnosed globally with any form of ailment is rapidly growing either newly diagnosed or pre-existing condition; the need for health care is tremendously growing as well. Access to health care especially for the less privileged nations is very crucial and needed. Ability to pay providers for the services patient receives is another concern. The cost of healthcare in these modern times is very high and some citizens cannot afford to pay. The quality of healthcare made available to citizen is another area. Advancements in technology has improved the quality of healthcare when compared to what it was decades back. More improvements are still needed for better treatment.
. References Shi, L. &. (2019). Delivering Health Care in America. Burlington: Jones & Barlett Learning.
