Angel Benson
September 19th, 2022
HSCI 710 Healthcare Delivery Systems
Comparative Analysis Assignment
U.S. Healthcare Systems: Financing Systems, Cost, and Quality
Currently, the United States includes both commercial and public insurance plans, as well
as hospitals, medical facilities, practitioners, and patients themselves. The current state of
healthcare in the United States is a complex web of government and corporate initiatives. When
it comes to developing plans, the healthcare framework in the United States is fairly expansive.
Markets for medical services involve both the government and for-profit and not-for-profit
organizations (Ridic et al, 2017). Despite the fact that certain medical professionals work for
nonprofit organizations or public groups, most primary care physicians in the United States
operate in the private for-profit sector (Ridic et al, 2017).
There is no single system of universal health care coverage in the United States. Either
the government provides health insurance or it can be purchased on the open market. Private
medical insurance is available from a variety of for-profit insurance companies as well as non-
profit insurers (Ridic et al, 2017). Approximately 84% of the population has access to either
private (70%) or public (26%) health insurance (Ridic et al, 2017). Relationships between
employers and employees account for about 61% of health insurance coverage (Ridic et al,
2017). Because group plans may be purchased through a business, there are financial savings
associated with them.
In contrast to Canada, where a single payer system is the norm, the United States has a
multiplayer system where a variety of third-party payers, including as state governments,
legislatures, and commercial medical coverage groups, are responsible for paying healthcare
providers (Ridic et al, 2017). Depending on the concept of the third-party payer, reimbursement
systems might take many various forms.
The U.S. health care system's strong point is its high level of technological innovation.
Sadly, there are certain problems with the American healthcare system. Its most obvious flaw is
justified by the fact that more than 42 million people lack insurance (Joynt et al, 2019). Access
problems result from a lack of health insurance. One further serious flaw in the American
healthcare system is its inability to properly control expenses (Ridic et al, 2017). Despite the
march slowing down as a result of managed care organizations (MCOs), the cost growth of
medical services continues (Ridic et al, 2017). Any strategy to enhance the U.S. health
framework must contend with the difficulty of addressing the flaws while maintaining the
strengths (Ridic et al, 2017).
Nigeria Healthcare Systems: Financing Systems, Cost, and Quality
With the goal of reducing the high rate of out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPs) and
providing citizens with financial risk assurance, the Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme
(NHIS) was established in 1999 and formally launched in 2005. (Onwujekwe et al, 2019). The
NHIS has a number of projects, including social health care coverage for formal area employees,
local area-based health care coverage (community based), private health care coverage, and
voluntary health care coverage, to make sure that nobody is overlooked. The NHIS's goal of
ensuring that all Nigerians have access to high-quality care has also been viewed as a step in the
right direction toward achieving universal healthcare coverage (Onwujekwe et al, 2019). Data
indicates that NHIS has failed to provide expected population coverage with financial risk
protection despite their best efforts. Households are heavily burdened by out-of-pocket costs,
which make up about 90% of all private health spending. Additionally, 60% of all healthcare
spending is covered directly by uninsured families (Onwujekwe et al, 2019). Many Nigerians
work in what is referred to as "under the table" jobs. You might assume that this form of
employment lacks health insurance policies. When members of this group become ill, they not
only must pay for care out of pocket, but the standard of care is subpar, and the citizens may be
turned away (Onwujekwe et al, 2019). In Nigeria, all healthcare financing mechanisms operate at
subpar levels. To reduce waste, resources are not distributed fairly or properly employed.
Inadequate service quality is perceived, and people and families are not protected from crippling
medical costs.
Financial risk protection for all Nigerians cannot be achieved under the current conditions
of major finance systems in Nigeria with regard to healthcare frameworks' objectives of access,
productivity, value, and quality of care (Onwujekwe et al, 2019). To ensure that Nigeria is
moving in the right way toward achieving universal health coverage, there are adjustments that
must be made to the health care system's funding, quality, access, and cost (Onwujekwe et al,
2019).
Canada Healthcare Systems: Financing Systems, Cost, and Quality
The healthcare system in Canada is excellent, in fact many label it as ideal.@It contains a
range of related health care coverages intended to include every Canadian resident,
notwithstanding the lengthy wait times for procedures (Longarini et al, 2017). It is supported
publically and has a nonmetropolitan or territorial focus. They have a federal government that
sets the rules. Individual citizens are granted access to dental care, preventative care, admission
to clinics, and many other advantages (Longarini et al, 2017). Residents of Canada are not asked
about or assessed based on pre-existing conditions. Everyone qualifies for health insurance,
regardless of their clinical background, income level, or financial situation. Canadian citizens
may supplement their government-provided health insurance by purchasing private insurance for
any services that are not covered. Canada has spent 9.1% of its GDP since 2001 on healthcare,
compared to 14% spent by the US. In addition to boasting a life expectancy of about 80 years,
Canada also boasts one of the lowest newborn mortality rates ever (Longarini et al, 2017).
The Affordable Care Act: Cost, Quality, and Access to Care
The healthcare system in the United States was forever changed by the Affordable Care
Act. The current state of the American framework has also been framed in some way by
Obamacare. Obamacare was implemented by congress in 2010 during his presidency (Williams,
2019). The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is another name for it. Republicans and
states trying to eliminate this program have taken it before the Supreme Court to be reexamined
(Williams, 2019). Obamacare made an effort to abolish numerous insurance practices that
affected healthcare access, cost, and quality. One of the main goals of this legislation was to
provide access to many of the 51 million Americans who were either uninsured or underinsured,
although many continued to lack insurance (Williams, 2019). When the ACA was implemented,
healthcare expenses drastically soared.
The ACA's plan, like any healthcare plan, checked all the right boxes when it was
written, but its actual implementation fell short in some respects (Rapfogel et al, 2020). The
Affordable Care Act helped Americans living in rural towns and reduced Medicare expenses for
seniors (Rapfogel et al, 2020). More women's health coverage was approved as a result of the
ACA. Despite all the benefits, many people came to the conclusion that the Affordable Care Act
overall had a negative impact on costs.
Biblical perspective on responsibilities of the U.S. Healthcare System
The first thing that typically comes to mind when one considers Christianity—or religion
in general—and healthcare is ethics. All forms of recovery are greatly influenced by religion.
Every citizen should submit to the governing authorities, according to Romans 13:1–7. Since
God alone is the source of all authority, God alone has established the ones that already exist. So,
whomever opposes the authorities is opposing what God has appointed, and those who oppose
will suffer punishment. Because of this, tyrants terrorize bad behavior more so than good. Would
you not be afraid of the person in charge? When you act morally, you will win his approval since
he is God's agent working for your benefit. However, if you make a mistake, be afraid because
he does not carry the blade in vain. He executes God's vengeance against the wrongdoer since he
is God's servant and an avenging angel. In order to avert God's anger and for the sake of one's
conscience, one must therefore be in submission. (The Bible, the Holy).
Given that humanity is made in the likeness of God, it deserves to get high-quality
medical treatment (Williams, 2019). As he created us in his image, God has given us a purpose.
Despite the fact that man may fall short of his glory, God nevertheless views him as one of his
children and accords him leniency, equity, and value along with the necessary medical care
(Williams, 2019). Any advice, tactical decisions, and healthcare plans become fundamentally
Christian. But rather than being a matter of helping the citizens of its communities, the ongoing
healthcare concerns in the United States have become politically heated topics. Neither party has
thoroughly examined this viewpoint in an effort to resolve this conflict from a biblical standpoint
(Williams, 2019).
Conclusion
The health insurance systems of the U.S., Nigeria, and Canada all share certain useful and
advantageous structures. There is no one solution that will work for everyone to build a
functioning healthcare system. The Canadian framework appears to be the most effective of the
three; nevertheless, this does not imply that the United States or Nigeria should adopt identical
policies, as they might not function as effectively in other nations.
References
American Bible Society. (1995). Holy bible.
Cron, W. (2019). A BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE.
https://rts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/201306-Cron-William.pdf
10 Ways the ACA Has Improved Health Care in the Past Decade. (n.d.). Center for American
Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/10-ways-aca-improved-health-care-
past-decade/#:~:text=Conclusion
Onwujekwe, O., Ezumah, N., Mbachu, C., Obi, F., Ichoku, H., Uzochukwu, B., & Wang, H.
(2019). Exploring effectiveness of different health financing mechanisms in Nigeria;
what needs to change and how can it happen? BMC Health Services Research, 19(1).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4512-4
Canadian Health Care. (n.d.-b). Canadian-Healthcare.org. http://canadian-healthcare.org/
Ridic, G., Gleason, S., & Ridic, O. (2017). Comparisons of health care systems in the United
States, Germany and Canada. Materia Socio Medica, 24(2), 112.
https://doi.org/10.5455/msm.2012.24.112-120
Maddox, K. E. J., Bauchner, H., & Fontanarosa, P. B. (2019). US Health Policy—2020 and
Beyond: Introducing a New JAMA Series. JAMA, 321(17), 1670–1672.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.3451
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