When it comes to the government and healthcare the government
plays a huge role. They are the highest payer of healthcare and also
regulate the rules and policy making. The biggest government
healthcare service would be Medicare and Medicaid established in
1965 and now has over 63 million Americans enrolled in 2020 (Jain,
2021). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 is a very important
piece of what the government follows that can help with the lack of
the current healthcare system. The ACA allows the federal
government to focus on prevention areas like improving health
outcomes and reducing healthcare costs (Straube, 2013)
c Even with healthcare systems like Medicare and Medicaid there are
still about 28 million people without some form of health coverage (
American Hospital Association, 2022) Not having health insurance
impacts individuals on more then just a medical level, it can also affect
then on an emotional level as well as financial. The costs of an ER visit
without health insurance roughly averages about $2,200 for one visit
(Corso, 2021). Where as having healthcare coverage results in better
health outcomes and a general overall healthy well-being. If a person
has access for preventative care methods this reduces the risk of a
potential serious condition being found much later.
c The U.S is the only major nation that does not have universal health
insurance and spends more on health insurance then those that do
over it. For example the United Kingdom spends $2546 on health
expenditures per capita while the U.S is at $6102 (Davis, 2007). While
the U.S does not offer universal coverage there are steps that can be
made to help reduce the costs and cover more people. There could be
state regulations to help with the cost for those uninsured. For
example in 2016 Massachusetts had a program requiring employers
to provide health benefits to workers or pay an admittedly modest
$295 a year into a fund to help cover (Davis, 2007). The terms for
meeting the requirements for Medicare and Medicaid should also be
reevaluated in order to accommodate more individuals. Reducing the
restrictions and income could help assist with getting some of the
uninsured insured.
References
American Hospital Association. (2022). Report: The Importance of
Health Coverage | AHA. Www.aha.org.
https://www.aha.org/guidesreports/report-importance-health-
coverage
Corso, A. (2021, December 1). How Much an ER Visit Costs Without
Insurance | Mira. Www.talktomira.com.
https://www.talktomira.com/post/how-much-does-an-er-visit-cost
Davis, K. (2007). Uninsured in America: problems and possible
solutions. BMJ, 334(7589), 346–348.
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39091.493588.be
Jain, S. (2021, September 8). The Government’s Role as the Largest
Payer of Healthcare Services is Growing. Www.trillianthealth.com.
https://www.trillianthealth.com/insights/the-compass/the-
governments-role-as-the-largest-payer-of-healthcare-services-is-
growing
Straube, B. M. (2013). A Role for Government. American Journal of
Preventive Medicine, 44(1), S39–S42.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.09.009
