Achieving Universal Access

Having Universal Healthcare Coverage is not something that is able to be accomplished without effort, dedication, and time. It is also not something that one state or one country can really accomplish by themselves overnight, it is something multiple countries would have to work together to complete. All countries have their own healthcare system that they follow, and each country has certain things that is best for them but not what is best for others. If we are trying to have Universal Healthcare, then we must make it for all. By combining different parts of all healthcare systems that different countries have then there is a possibility that Universal Healthcare Coverage can happen, but it will be a long process. This is not because of the lack of ideas, but mainly because even applying this universal idea to one country can open up a list of possible problems that can cause a domino effect. United Healthcare Coverage allows countries to make the most of their strongest asset: Human capital. Supporting health represents a foundational investment in human capital and in economic growth-without good health, children are unable to go to school and adults are unable to go to work. One must remember that healthcare is not infinite and sometimes has limitations. There are a limited number of doctors, nurses, and many other types of medical staff as well as a limited number of healthcare insurance companies. Let us dive deeper into some of the ways that universal healthcare coverage can be achieved and what must happen for it to be possible. According to Folsom, Nagpal and Hussein(2017) some of the ways that the US might be able to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage is that they can start to align health financing and primary healthcare goals, Engage the private sector in the provision of primary care, Leverage medical audits to improve quality of care and system efficiency, use costing studies to form evidence-based provider payment policies and Employ data analytics to monitor provider payment systems and quality of care. (Folsom, A., Nagpal, Dr. S., & Hussein, R. H. T., 2017). As we know, not everyone is able to have and or afford healthcare and the ones that can there are different plans for each type of health insurance. Each of the different types of insurances have different benefits, co-pays, out of pockets costs as well as stipulations that are needed to be met before using certain insurances. As we try to navigate how to accomplish Universal Healthcare Coverage, some of these problems will have to be fixed to make it easier for people to get the best care that they can. In healthcare there are the private and public sectors that help the citizens of their countries with insurance. A way for the United States to get closer to achieving their goal is to try and combine both private and public sectors. As we know both sectors fight for more clients and in turn this can cause problems for the people as they sometimes do not know which is best for them. Most private sectors will usually congregate more in urban and or rural communities while public sectors will be found more in the more populated areas. According to Jordan “Universal Healthcare Coverage has its pros and cons. On one hand, it provides access to necessary medical services for all citizens and can lead to improved health outcomes. On the other hand, it can result in long wait times, reduced quality of care, and high taxes.” (Jordan, A. 2023, June 12). If both sectors can come together to create a bigger and more improved healthcare sector, then there is a possibility of reducing some of the problems that we fight daily, in order to take a step closer to achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage. There are many different types of health insurances such as: Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid, Health Maintenance Organization, Preferred Provider Organization, Point-of-Service, Exclusive Provider Organization and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. When someone has selected a specific insurance plan that they want to use they will then be given the choice to choose from the different level of benefits received from their insurance ranging from Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum (Web MD Editorial Contributors. (2022). As we try to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage the variety of different plans and level for each plan can cause some difficulties when giving care to those who need it. Some levels may allow a patient to receive higher level of care or maybe a slower wait time when needing to see a doctor. If everyone had the exact same insurance and care plans, then favoritism or entitlement would not cause problems in people’s everyday lives. The health of everyone throughout the world is not the same. There are some people that require constant medical help due to diseases that they were born with. Not everyone is able to afford healthcare, mainly those who are impoverished or ones who do not make enough to afford healthcare along with all their living expenses such as food and housing. Making healthcare affordable for everyone no matter their financial situation can in turn allow for a possible growth in some areas in the medical field. You can think of it as an investment, as you take care of the young and show them what the healthcare is able to do for them and for others they can see and make decisions later in life to possibly go into the medical field causing a growth in population in medical professionals. As the medical field grows with more workers, then more hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities will also need to be built. This in turn can cause a sort of domino effect, as there are more projects and things needing to be built then we would need more workers to build these facilities. As you continue down the line there are more and more things that need to happen all because you started to take care of the children. Once the medical field has grown to a size that is then able to care for others then we arrive at another problem which is affordable healthcare coverage. Healthcare coverage can sometimes be seen as a right, but I feel that it is more of a privilege. The people who can afford healthcare compared to those who are unable to afford it have many differences, but that major one I feel is what type of healthcare coverage they have. Some people have great coverage that allows them to see a doctor whenever they want to and not have to worry about certain costs. There are others who are less fortunate and are given the bare minimum, but these are also the people who are usually the sickest as well as the poorest. By achieving Universal Healthcare Coverage, we aim to make everyone the same no matter their status. This can cause problems at times because some might feel that they are entitled to more due to their economic status or maybe even their jobs. As time goes on, the goal is for everyone to have healthier lives. Children grow up happy with their parents, parents being able to take care of and provide for their children by having jobs that they can work because they are no longer sick. It is a process that will take time but, the future is limitless, and the goal will be for everyone to be treated the same when it comes to healthcare. References: Jordan, A. (2023, June 12). The Pros and cons of Universal Healthcare. The Pros and Cons of Universal Healthcare. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pros-cons-universal-healthcare-aim%C3%A9e-jordan Folsom, A., Nagpal, Dr. S., & Hussein, R. H. T. (2017, December 12). Opinion: 5 ways to make progress towards universal health coverage ... Opinion: 5 ways to make progress towards universal health coverage. https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-5-ways-to-make-progress-towards-universal-health-coverage-91726 Web MD Editorial Contributors. (2022). Types of Health Insurance Plans: HMO, PPO, HSA, fee for service, pos. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/types-of-health-insurance-plans