The US is one of the countries in the world that is acclaimed to have the best Medicare. Most of the medical instigations advanced by most critics point out that the US spends the most among the OED (organization of industrialized) countries. For instance, the US spent 15% of its GDP on medical delivery on its citizens as compared to other OED countries. While some people hold that the US is hold that the country has one of the best mechanisms of providing, medical care to the people, others hold berate the system by accusing it of having malfunctioned health insurance schemes, unequal provision and fragmented administrative wastes. An understanding of this diametrically opposed argument requires a prior understanding of the medical disposition of the country in terms of provision and delivery. Therefore, this paper attempts to focus the position of the US in as far as the health care system is concerned. There is a provision of the various stakeholders involved in the healthcare systems and speculations into the future of the medical care of the country. Various laws and other acts of parliament governing the delivery process and the forces of influence have been given consideration in this report.
US HealthCare
The United States is one of the most industrialized countries in the world. Therefore the country commands a heavy industrialization and mechanization in almost all sectors of its economy. Research and markets (2011) note that the country is associated with some of the best medical care and practice in the world. Reports by the WHO indicate that the average life expectancy of the US citizen grew by 7.3 years between the years of 1960-2002 (Guo, 2008). This is a reflection of the improved lifestyle and healthcare systems in the country. There are various stakeholders who are involved in the provision of good healthcare in the country. The government has a good framework that is meant to take care3 of the healthcare matters in the whole country. Guo (2008) observes that most of the government agencies in the country have clearly defined policies that are meant to support the government’s tax policy in ensuring that better medical care is provided for their employees. Although this is the case, there are numerous faculties that are involved in the greater provision of healthcare and delivery. To understand this, we will first of all have a look at the various capacities in which the citizen should be involved in the provision of healthcare.
Society is a large functional group that its immenseness and propensity in providing better medical care should not be ignored. This therefore means that the US citizenry have a right and power to influence the way in which the medical care and health system of the country is shaped. Qianmei and Manuel (2008) argue that medical care and health systems of countries are based on the people’s demands and wishes. Anything that goes against the demands of the people is therefore wrongly placed in as a far as the demands are concerned. The question that boggles the mind is how the populace ensures that the country has a better medical care and scheme.
Parmer (1994) notes that the people are the ones who are ensured with the power to determine the type of leadership advance in the country. Therefore, they should be involved in the peaceful election of the type of leadership that has their wishes and interest at heart. The elected government has the responsibility of ensuring that there are proper healthcare systems in the country (Squires, 2011). One of the most selling points of the incumbent president Obama in his election debates was the fact that he gave a listening ear to millions of Americans who are affected by the problem of poor healthcare system. Through the election process, the society and generally the nation has the power to change the mechanisms that are adopted by the company in ensuring that the country receives the best healthcare practices.
The incumbent government is then vested with the power of crafting place the systems and forces that will oversee proper delivery of services to the people. There should also be incorporation of private partnerships in the medical and healthcare sector so the economy. Increased investment in the development of proper healthcare systems by the government, private developers and multinational companies should be encouraged through tax waivers and resources accumulation (Qianmei & Manuel, 2008). This will lead to expansion in the delivery and ease off the pressures that are associated with decline human resource in the American healthcare system. Guo (2008) observes that in 2002 the US had 2.3 practicing physicians per 1000 population as compared to the 2.9 physician for a thousand people. This means that if there are incre4asef investment in the healthcare sector by both the private developer and the government there will be increased healthcare and system in the country.
Education and research are other places that the country should be involved in developing the healthcare of its citizens. The public should be involved in various activities that are geared towards improving the healthcare system of the country. Guo (2008) notes that countries like China, Germany and Japan are some of the countries that have advanced their research in different field. The results of the research and education can be manifested by the increased industrial development of the countries in both the healthcare system and industrialization. Although the US is worldly acclaimed as one of the leading countries in provision of better Medicare, there are various parts of its economy that the country has not fully utilized. Therefore an increased investment in research and education through training of doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners will lead to increased delivery of services to the people.
The government and healthcare provision
The year 2008 is one of the coldest in the history of world economies. This was one of the years that the recession in global markets pushed the access to medical care to escalate almost beyond the reach of most average citizen in a global consideration. The US was also not spared the recession macabre. The question of whether the government should put in place mechanisms that shield the country against effects like this one or let the economy dictate the extent to which healthcare reforms should go is a critical one. Considering the pros and cons of the process of trend that the country takes, the results seem to rely on the development of a system that is independent of the economy. This will mean that the various stakeholders and market share factors of influence will not form part of the consideration that the country will rely on in developing the model. Graves and Earl (2009) develop that the economy is very important in determining the extent to which the country can invest or change in term of the medical given to its citizenry. This reasons advance for this are that the economy forms the fabric and skeleton of almost every part of the citizen and the active life of the people.
If the prices of medical equipment, the payment of doctors and the overall factors involved in the economy are high, then the process of re-development whether based on the economy or not will be hindered. However, if the government develops an extensive framework of improving the healthcare before the economy shoots high or experiences a vacillation like the one in 2008, the development of a fully independent healthcare system may be realized in the long run. Qianmei and Manuel (2008) observe that this may be very expensive in the inception process but it is very economical in the long run, since the economy will not play a major role in the delivery process.
Learning from other industrialized nations
Most industrialized nations have been hyped as possessing some of the best healthcare systems in the world. Research and markets (2011) report indicates that one of the areas that the US country has not yet full optimized in the provision of better medical care to its citizens is the assurance and tax collection for individuals and private entities. Other industrialized countries like Germany, Britain have better placed tax collection and fully functional tax and premium collections policies for the healthcare. This places the country under a lot of pressures in terms, of meeting the basic financial consideration that is deemed relevant for patient treatment. The government spending in US for instance, in 2008 was at 16% of its GDP. This figure is almost double that of the OED average of 8.4%. Compared to France, the second largest spender in the healthcare systems in the world, the US exceeds it by 40% (Research and markets, 2011). While one would deem this to mean that the country experiences the best medical cares for its citizens, the country is yet to achieve its goals. Therefore, the spending may be attributed to wastes in terms of the mechanisms that are placed in for meeting the medical bill.
Privatization of some of the health schemes should be advanced. Countries like France and the Britain have started programs where the country is shielded from dire consequences from exponential bill s by privatizing the sector. The country needs to put in place mechanisms that promote a unified source of funding from the public and the government entities. The number of doctors and medical practitioners in the country are also considerably low as compared to other industrialized countries (Squires, 2011). The figure in 2008 stood at 2.3 lower than the populations demand. There should be increased investment in the sector by increasing the numbers of practicing physicians and other medical practitioners. This will ease off the pressures. Graves and Earl (2009) observe that medical drugs in the country are very expensive as compared to other countries. This is despite the fact that the country is the center of pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the drugs. Price subsidization and improved cares in terms of provision should be stepped up.
Effects of misuse of ED in hospitals
One of the chronic problems that continue to be experienced in the country is the undeserved use of the Emergency Departments by the medically underserved people in the community (Parmer, 1994). There are various factors that have led to this problem. One of the problems is the congestion and crowding in the hospitals Squires (2011) notes that constant admission of patients through the I/T/O (input/through put/ Output) models in hospitals is the major cause of the problems. This has led to “boarding” a condition which doctors refer to as the major cause of problems in the ED levels. Delays in doctor placements, congestion and crowding have led to maximum utilization of the bed space in the hospitals thus leading to problems in the hospitals. Parmer (1994) notes that the patients that occupy the bed space in the ED areas deny the critical patients that may be coming in. This therefore puts more threat to their lives as the ambulatory departments have to wait for the bed clearance before taking over another patient. This denies access and delivery of medical care in the hospital.
Affordability of healthcare in the country can be observed through different platforms. Guo (2008) holds that the country is currently one of the most expensive in terms of provision of healthcare to its citizens. There are various methods that the country can adopt in as far as the process of providing cheap healthcare is concerned. This can be through a variety of methods like partnerships in the insurance and premiums paid for medical cares for the citizens. Qianmei and Manuel (2008) point out that most companies and organizations of the country have developed a medical scheme for their employees. This helps in offsetting the bills that the patients are required to pay. There should also be an adoption of the cost sharing program in the hospital. Cost haring sees the government pays partially for the citizens. This will therefore go a long way in reducing the extent to which the common man is likely to pay for their health bills. Lobby groups have also been involved in the process of determining the best health systems in the country. This is through legislations and public debates on the best mechanism to undertake. While every federal state is required to pay some substantive amount towards the medical scheme of the country, there should be an increase in harnessing the private stakeholders in reducing the amounting fees that is charged to the public. Squires (2011) observes that the resurrection of the abandoned “Byrd committee” is one way of reducing the medical expenses. The Byrd committee was responsible for the evaluation and reduction of the non-essential federal expenditures. This will lead to a monitoring of the expenses that have been advanced by the various medical committees in the government.
The public should also be given chance to read the bills before they are presented to the floor to be voted for. This will ensure that they vote for what is essentially within their limits. Posing the bills before the floor alienates the common man in the country from making decisions that are pertaining to his need. Giving him this chance will therefore lead to better understanding of the prices. The emergence spending by the country should also be dealt away with and in its place mechanisms should be placed so that the government plans for its financial medical year. Proper planning and focusing into the future sets the country at a very good platform that will see it avoid unnecessary fee increments in the medical cares and delivery. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) when enacted will oversee an increase in terms of the premiums and remittance that the health insurers and organizations cover for their employees and the citizens. While this may be good news to the average citizen, implication may be felt in terms of increased medical remittance for covering the increased dependence on the insurance factor. The health insurance providers will feel the great impact of the revised act as more responsibility is heaped towards them. This is due to the increased coverage in terms of the age and affiliate considerations.
Conclusion
The healthcare in the US is bound to improve through the increased methods of raising awareness and the country’s indulgence in the provision of better medical schemes. The expansion in the medicals research and education will, oversee a development of the various systems in health care systems. The delivery of proper medical care to the public will be greatly influenced by fresh investments in the systems. This will mean that the government priority to the already existent methods and framework in developing better methods. A reduction in the medical fees, better policies and frameworks will lead to better medical care and improved systems in the country.
References
Graves & Earl G., (2009, Healthcare reform is up to all of us. Black Enterprise, 40(4), 10-10. http://search.proquest.com/docview/217936911?accountid=45049
Guo, K. L. (2008). Quality of health care in the US managed care system. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 21(3), 236-248. Doi: 10.1108/09526860810868193
Parmer, M. (1994). An early lesson in healthcare reform. Healthcare Executive, 9(1), 42-42. http://search.proquest.com/docview/200326674?accountid=45049
Qianmei, F. & Manuel, C. M. (2008). Under the knife: A national survey of six sigma programs in US healthcare organizations. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 21(6), 535-547. Doi: 10.1108/09526860810900691
Research and markets: US healthcare market outlook 2013 - country faces some severe setbacks in the industry. (2011, Dec 20). Business Wire, pp. n/a. http://search.proquest.com/docview/911990991?accountid=45049
Squires D.A (2011).The US Health System Study; A comparison of twelve Industrialized Nations. Commonwealth: USA. Retrieved from http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2011/Jul/1532_Squires_US_hlt_sys_comparison_12_nations_intl_brief_v2.pdf
