Free Essay About Healthcare Issue

Healthcare is a facility that must be provided and be available for all citizens, in all areas. Since the economy is getting tighter, the costs associated with healthcare are soaring high which put immense pressure on low-income individuals. There are a range of factors that account for the escalating costs in the healthcare sector. These rising prices adversely affect the finances of an average American household.
The following passage explores the reasons why American healthcare is so expensive and what measures can be taken to bring down the costs. According to sources, healthcare spending by median income families nearly doubled over a period of ten years (data as of 2009). Healthcare expenses can be categorized as follows; health insurance premiums, copays, deductibles, and share of income tax that covers government operated health programs. Moreover, families spend huge sums of money on expensive treatments and healthcare technology such as that involved in X-rays, CT scans, laboratory tests, etc. Most of the time, the increase in life expectancy is negligible and sometimes the treatments are not even as effective compared to their costs. The extra money spent on health services could be used differently such as making mortgage payments, enrolling in full time education, paying off credit card debt, etc. This shows that the amount spent on healthcare is vast but it fails to provide any fruitful results. Another issue is of lack of transparency in terms of costs and quality, which leads to rising healthcare expenses.
Following steps can be taken to address the issue of rising healthcare costs. Firstly, to reduce the rate at which costs are increasing, one must aim towards a collaborative effort. Development of health plans can reduce the associated costs considerably; these plans empower both patients and healthcare providers. Furthermore, preventive care should be made more accessible and use of health IT programs must be increased to enhance efficiency and lower down costs.