Ideally, healthcare should be every citizen’s right. It is the role of any government to ensure that its citizen’s healthcare needs are taken care of; a healthy nation contributes to a vibrant workforce and a healthy economy. Investing in the healthcare system contributes broadly to the prosperity of the nation. It is therefore important for the government to invest in and regulate the healthcare system to ensure a balance in all aspects.
The government has a multidimensional role in healthcare. To begin with, it acts a safety regulator by licensing providers and regulating medical supplies. It also a partial provider of healthcare through provision of insurance, and public healthcare facilities. The government also acts as a marketplace regulator, monitoring business practices of private providers and regulating the industry.
In the US, the economic impact of the healthcare system has been a major issue. This is in light of the huge government spending on healthcare and also the rising cost of healthcare for individual citizens. Heskett (2007) in an article in the Harvard Business School Magazine, states that the healthcare cost has risen and is inefficient due to inefficient insurance system, fraud and physicians avoidance of risk. The big debate has been the healthcare system should be a free-market of whether it should be capitalistic, insured by the government. Both have their merits and demerits.
Bernstein (2014), in his article for The Washington Post describes how the US has the most expensive and most effective healthcare system. Amongst ten developed Western nations, the US ranks last. This ranking is based on access, efficiency, equity and quality care. The US ranks poorly in all of them and has the highest expenditure in each category. This article is an eye-opener to the fact that the system has a problem that needs to be fixed.
The government in conjunction with private entities should work together to solve accessibility and quality healthcare issue. It shows that the resources are there but are poorly managed hence the ineffectiveness and disparity. The first ranked country, Australia, spends half of what the US spends per patient but offers better services. I think for this reason, the government should come out strongly to improve the system and influence delivery of services in healthcare. Provision of healthcare, just like education, is everyone’s right hence should be facilitated, especially for the poor.
References
Bernstein, L. Once again, U.S. has most expensive, least effective health care system in survey. The Washington Post. 16 June 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your health/wp/2014/06/16/once-again-u-s-has-most-expensive-least-effective-health-care system-in-survey/ Accessed 4 Dec 2014.
Heskett, J. What Is the Government’s Role in U.S. Healthcare?. Harvard Business School. 09March 2007. http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5645.html. Accessed 4 December 2014.
