Free Solving The Medicare Crisis Essay Sample

The state and nature of Medicare has attracted vigorous scrutiny and debates on its performance on the contemporary economy. Various countries have their own formulated programs of funding this system. Its effects would to a significant extent be evaluated with respect to the elderly who are the immediate beneficiaries of Medicare. However, this program has faced a lot of challenges and even raised more questions on its economic viability. To actually visualize the developments that have resulted to this situation, it is essential to evaluate on a comparative basis, the Medicare programs of more than two states. This is because the economy being a common factor of concern happens to be threatened by all the Medicare systems of all the states. As a matter of fact, the response to emerging issues in Medicare has resulted into the formulation of new policies. This can be either a good thing or a bad one depending on the stakeholder’s side that is evaluated. To be precise, the formulation of a new policy tends to solve an emergent problem or concern that puts its objectives in jeopardy.
Indeed radical measures are necessary to solve this crisis. However, the type of approach that would be adopted in this case would not be from any secondary sources but from within the system. For instance, the whole system not only derives its funds from the government, but also earns a considerable amount from the premiums it charges on the patients. This gives the system a dual recourse system of sourcing its funds. Therefore, the most radical approach would be to establish policies that govern the funding of this system to ensure that disparities are eliminated and equitable enough to leave the taxpayer, government and the patient on level economic grounds. This would not only solve the current crisis, but also provide a throughway for other emerging issues that would hit the sector. Furthermore, its existence in an ecosystem with private sectors which may more or less provide better services tables a competing relationship for Medicare.
Medicare program in the United States is funded partly by the federal government. Precisely, the payroll taxes collected through an Act in the states known as FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) as well as self-employment contributions are the essential stakeholders in the funding of this program. The Medicare program is closely attached to the Medicaid program and normally a comparative analysis of the services they provide is significant given that they are controlled by the same statute of the federal government. To actually bring out the true perspective of whether this program is insurance or a welfare program, its definition and what it entails is very essential. The government, through its provisions in the health sector defines it as a health insurance program which settles hospital and medical care expenses for the elderly and disabled Americans.
The program is structurally divided into parts (A, B, C and D), each of which covers a particular scope in the provision of care to these individuals. Part A of the program covers hospital stays as well as physical and occupational health prospects, which are very essential activities especially with the ageing society. Part B is financially responsible for home care programs, outpatient physician visits as well as other services that are deemed necessary from medical prescriptions. The ageing people require exhaustive nature of medical care and should be treated with maximum attention. This is because of their reduced activities, body weakness and other diseases or conditions that come handy with increase in age. For instance, the falling of patients requires outpatient therapy and physical exercises, which are guided by the physicians and are influential in preparing the patient for shocks and other life threatening conditions they might be exposed to. This is curbed by this specific part of the program.
Part C, which is the most flexible program in this system, allows patients to schedule and design health care strategies that best suit their conditions and medical needs. Also known as Medical Advantage Plans, it takes into account the different conditions different patients are exposed to at their homes and maybe places of work. Part D, on the other hand, deals with drug and prescription systems. This is incorporated into the program as a contract based deal with specific private firms which administer and deal with drug prescriptions. Therefore, the whole program with respect to being insurance or a welfare program will depend on which side one looks into. The nature of the activities performed and services offered makes it look like a welfare program. It shows that the states are actually concerned about the health conditions of its ageing citizens as well as those with disabilities. A patient, who receives services from, say part C, would view the program as a welfare policy program instead of insurance as it stretches its services to the personal lives of the patients.
On the other hand, an evaluation looking on the government’s side would reveal it as an insurance policy program objectively to provide healthcare surety to patients as well as protect its citizens from exploitative private firms offering health insurance services. The contributions in terms of tax from the citizens would be considered as the insurance premiums. Therefore, I would view this program as a welfare program. The accuracy of these perceptions is however debatable given that there is another side of the coin if the government and its objective with respect to this program is to be tabled for discussion.
The question of whether there should be a Medicare program at all is rather an objectiveless perspective. An analysis of the health trends, which can be obtained by the patient statistics of two or more health facilities, reveals that more patients, especially the ageing are admitted with conditions which ultimately increase the mortality rate. Studies prior to the establishment of the program revealed that these conditions could be controlled through extensive health care protocols. Therefore, it is very necessary for a state to develop Medicare systems to not only reduce the rate of patient registration in their hospitals, but also to reduce the mortality rate. However, in the context of the economy, this program would harm the viability of a state’s economy. It conserves human resources but is very costly. As a matter of fact, the utilized effort in terms of human effort cannot be compared with the portion of the economy that goes to Medicare systems.
The government should be involved in providing insurance to the elderly people to protect them from exploitation by private health firms. A setup without the involvement of the government in this context would put the elderly in fixed positions. They would have no option but to follow promptly the policies set up as well as the rates of the private firms. In this manner, the government is able to exercise some control over the private healthcare systems. On a businessman’s point of view, the existence of related companies or business entities in a single ecosystem will not only bring competition but also dictate the market waveforms. Therefore, Medicare has detrimental effects in the market of healthcare especially to private firms. This is essentially because the same services are offered by two independent entities; therefore, a client would be in the position to choose which firm best suits his/her medical needs. Therefore, the demand in the market is shared by the Medicare program and private health insurance firms.
The social and moral responsibilities of caring for the older members of the community are affected by this program. It stretches its services to displace the place of moral members of the community who find it ethical upright to care for the ageing. The wide nature of the program is responsible for the effects it has in other external areas that to some extent are not linked with health. This is but to mention a few of the areas, but to actually estimate its effect would necessitate a wide evaluation of all the stakeholders who benefit and fund the program. In conclusion, the Medicare program can be evaluated on the basis of the factors discussed above and a common perspective be established from it. Its affiliation to the economy, social and ethical responsibilities as well as the private sector are major sections of life that guide and dictate the nature and extent of healthcare we can allow.