The United States ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world. However, the country still has a number of people who are uninsured, under-insured and without adequate healthcare coverage? According to the Census Bureau, there are about 42.0 million people in the United States who are without basic healthcare coverage. The 2013 Census Bureau yearly report on healthcare coverage advises private healthcare providers cover 64% of the population. The Affordable Care Act for Small Businesses proposes that healthcare be "readily available to everyone in the United States regardless of work status or financial situation (retrieved from, The Affordable Care Act for Small Businesses - Insights (n.d.). One’s socioeconomic status should not affect the receipt of basic medical treatment, which includes preventative care. Despite instituting such calculative policies, inequality in healthcare can still be seen among the American population. Some subgroups of the American population still lack access to adequate healthcare coverage. The argument can be substantiated the inequality in healthcare access by individuals such as the ones working in the military. Despite the risky and demanding work environment, that military men work in their health concerns are poorly catered for (Shi and Douglas 147). This reinstates the need of thinking about the issues of the poorly covered American subpopulations such as the military healthcare. Reviewing various research and studies can be essential in informing this topic further. The paper argues that despite the effort by the American government to provide effective and equitable healthcare to all, some Americans are still poorly insured while others have inadequate healthcare coverage.
Initially, the need of ensuring equality in healthcare provision is supported by the fact that inequalities in healthcare can be interpreted as unethical and discriminative situation. In line with the biblical teachings, we need to care for others as we are all important partners of one team. This is clearly articulated in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, “for as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.” In this context, the need of fostering equality in healthcare cannot be challenged. Government being tasked with the vital role of providing good healthcare to its citizen, it needs to ensure equality in its undertakings towards attaining this objective. Healthcare cost should be more transparent to reveal disparities in cost and regulated by a government committee to ensure that standards are met, and participants remain in compliance. Moreover, the military, which utilizes the Veterans Administration healthcare system, seems to experience the same issues as the overall population of uninsured and under-insured. Access to services and follow-up care is not an isolated situation. When the process of simply securing an appointment becomes a hardship of those with or without healthcare insurance, there has to be an underlying breakdown. In a country where wealth exists, and resources are available basic healthcare needs should be met beyond the basic level. The American govern understands this fact and has attempted to avail effective healthcare to the citizens. However, it is indisputable that the provided tools and strategies are not adequately serving their purpose because of various challenges. For example, the government has established the Tricare Insurance with the quest of providing effective medical cover to servicemen and women. This is a program spearheaded by the Department of Defense, and it includes a regionally organized health care option, a comprehensive pharmacy benefit, and dental options. Eligible servicemen and women are encouraged to enroll in this program that attracts various healthcare benefits and coverage to its members (TRICARE.org). The requirement that all servicemen and women take the TRICARE insurance is of great relevance when thinking of the issue of healthcare provision to servicemen and women. Understanding the controversy or challenges that undermine the activities of such plans is essential. According to TRICARE.org one challenge that has faced activities of TRICARE is the high cost associated with the program. For more concern, most soldiers have no idea of what some health plans such TRICARE plan offers or the right procedure for making their claim (United States Department of Veteran Affairs).Other effective programs include the Army Wounded Warrior plan that advocates and deal with the special interests of the wounded veterans (U.S Army Warrior Transition Command). However, the implication of having unpractical plans is that, despite the government’s effort, the reality in the ground is that most servicemen and women are not fully benefiting from the instituted insurance plans (Kime).
Researchers argue that Veterans Administration healthcare is the United States’ way of taking a driver’s seat as it has regulations and standards; however, it is plagued by the same issues of the overall population. When compared to what other countries do, such as the Canadian health care system, the United States’ interventions do not add up. There is a huge difference pertaining to insurance premiums as Canadian healthcare is publicly funded by the government and one’s age, socioeconomic status and pre-existing conditions are not factors in receiving care (Liberman). This is by far a big difference in what the United States has to offer its residents. Once they have satisfied their tour(s) of duty, service members should be entitled to reap the benefits promised when they signed up for service. Far too often due to a high cost of military healthcare, what was supposed to be a part of their package has become more of a nightmare when returning home from many deployments. Well, how did we get here? Again, this is an insured population. What is the solution? It is worthwhile noting that most some soldiers especially the ones retired opt to access insurance cover outside the military since they fail to meet the 30% rating requirement from the Army (TRICARE.org). If the overall population is dealing with the same ugly truths, maybe it is not about finding a solution, but the primary cause.
Moreover, the family unit and its customary definition have since changed. No longer does the family include mother, father, two children, and a dog. The family makeup now looks like the mother in-law and father in-law and sometimes the children comeback home. This has also created the sandwich generation that supports children and aging parents within the same household and budget. In the aforementioned situation, what happens when the head of the household succumbs to a severe illness? Not only will this family succumb to a loss of income; any future income may be threatened by insurmountable medical bills. Nothing is what it used to be with the rising cost of healthcare and the issues will further unfold in the years to come. Some parents are outliving their children, and who is going to take care of them. This population moved in with their children to care for them, instead of enrolling them to assisted living home, which was more than likely most economical, as this is also an extension of inadequate healthcare. The weakness of with American healthcare plans is that they are not flexible enough to cater for the aforementioned situations. The implication is that a substantial American subpopulation remains uncovered. In other occasions, individuals who would else be the beneficiary of the insurance covers become the victims of these plans. For example, despite investing huge amounts of money to insurance firms, individuals often to successfully obtain compensation when the need arises following contractions in the policy terms (Davis). In this context, insurance programs have turned out to be fraud plans for siphoning the mass instead of serving their role of enhancing healthcare in the society.
Complication in understanding the contractual terms and policies that characterize various healthcare programs offered to the citizen is an issue of great concern. With the poor knowledge, insurance companies are continuing to take advantage of their client by utilizing their ignorance to exploit them. It is acknowledgeable that the American government has established various medical care plans that have the potential of fostering effective and equitable health care if utilized appropriately (Government, United States). However, poor educative and empowering programs to empower American with the essential knowledge regarding the plans present as a serious barrier in realizing effective healthcare (U.S Army Medical Journal). To establish whether we are on the correct route, we must first understand some basic principles about what kind of coverage I have. First we must get educated on the terms or acronyms meanings. A registered nurse and an expert in the Healthcare Insurance field, Davis Elizabeth, states that Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan requires relatively low monthly subscriptions; however, it requires PCP referrals and fails to cover for situations out of the network unless in cases of emergencies only. These plans have higher subscriptions than others because they are less restrictive. EPO regards to exclusive provider organization. Point Of Service Plan (POS) are similar to HMO though less restrictive in that you are allowed, under certain circumstances, to obtain care from outside sources. Many POS plans also require one to have PCP referral whether in or out-of-network (United States Department of Veterans Affairs).
With the knowledge of the various types of healthcare insurance available to you. You must select whichever one is conducive not only to your medical needs but in terms of cost. You are the determining person based on your needs at that time, and how much insurance can you afford to pay; more or less. So in reality your access to services is primarily based on the type of coverage you have at any given time. Your access to can is an issue due to the shortage of specialty providers, such as orthopedic and podiatrist. Due to the shortage of providers, it may take longer to obtain an appointment. Once seen by a medical healthcare provider, your issues many not be addressed at that one visit. For example, if you have a thyroid nodule, it may take two months to get in to be seen; however, HMO has a policy that would assure a more rapid initial visit.
So now, you have to wait to get another appointment that often if you have multiple issues they will not all be covered in this first visit. Quality if care may have finished due to requirements by medical faculty to meet a quota of a certain number of patients per day. This gives doctors very little time to expound on more than one issue. Therefore, making you be scheduled another visit. Quality of care may have finished due to requirements by medical faculty to meet a quota of a certain number of patients per day. This gives doctors very little time to diagnose the more than one issue which makes you be scheduled for another visit.
Lastly, a follow up appointment may take as long because of the time spent on the initial issues has gotten longer than the time spent on a follow up visit. All of these issues point out just a small snapshot into the inter-circles of healthcare in the military. These issues are not improving they are getting worse, and people are dying all around us because no one is concerned. These military service men and women did that are now be dishonored because we can't get it right. How many lives will have to be lost because someone was not seen in the hospital or did not have a bed at the mental illness clinic? How many innocent lives with be taken in the workplace because no one knew "Sam" had mental health issues and they laugh off his behavior because they were to tired to put in the paperwork for him to be seen by a behavior health provider. Our duty to these servicemen and women when called upon to service this great country has been left behind. The above points are critical to consider since I have now joined into this web of uncharted waters. When called upon to serve my country, I did with it honor, pride, grace and integrity. The Non Commission Officer core is a time honored organization along side of the United States Army. What leaves a bad experience is all that was required of me while serving those twenty eight years of service to and for my country, yet I'm still fighting to get what's owed to me as part of the military's commitment for my benefits package. What was a large bundle wrapped so beautifully in this entitlement package has now turned to more paperwork, more applications to process, claims to file an appeal and to get processed and even getting two Congressional filed? Still, I do not understand living in a country where we have some many freedoms and a country who ranges in wealth. We can't take care of those who have fought and died for the freedoms we have today. This includes the survivors, the children, the widows, the widowers of the member of the military. In conclusion, I will know for sure that I was a member of the Armed Forces community in this United States of American. I served with pride and honor until the day I took off the uniform and decided to help my fellow brothers and sisters. I and they are still fighting that battle for military healthcare and the benefits they, we are owed because the military said "Uncle Sam Wants you." They got you, me and your family and may have gotten a few of your best buddies to join in the fight with you. What you did not account for was the care for your life for the rest of your life and those entitlements that they promised you if you do this for me. I did!
As argued, it is clear that the American healthcare system has failed to attain its objective in relation to the provision of effective and equitable healthcare. The American government has formulated strategic and calculative plans for fostering good public healthcare; however, it is disappointing to learn that most of these interventions are just theoretical stipulations. The government can no more continue emphasize and misusing the Americans resources by investing in programs that are not viable. Most of these programs may be seen as good public relation strategies that only serve the purpose of fooling the mass into endorsing the government’s effort towards providing good healthcare. The real situation at the ground affirms the unpractical nature of these plans. In particular, most of the insurance plans that are intended to safeguard the interest of the Americans are doing more harm to the citizens by exploiting through wicked means. The situation is even more pronounced when it come to the military healthcare. Most retired American servicemen and women are desperate and disappointed following frustration from corrupt healthcare plans that often use trickery strategies to avoid their responsibilities (Jasper 36). Such a practice and the idea of having an inequality in healthcare are unethical and shameful scenario that should not be witnessed at this century. Our servicemen and women have the right of being accorded a comprehensive and fair healthcare plan that takes care of their interests while being sensitive to the nature of their work. In this context, the is the need of rethinking of the issue promoting effective healthcare especially in the special subpopulations of the American population such as military persons.
Works Cited
Administration , United States Small Business. The Affordable Healthcare Act for Small Businesses. Insurance Insights. Washington: The United States Government, Web.2014.
Bureau, United States Census. United States Census Bureau. Data. Washington: United States Government, WEB. Dec 3 2014.
Davis, Dr. Elizabeth. "Healthcare Insurance Understanding HMO,PPO, and POS." (2014): 1.
Government, United States. Unites States Census Bureau. Census Data. Washington: Census Bureau, Web. Dec 10 2014. Report.
Liberman, Trudy. "Compairing U.S. Canadian Healthcare." (2014): 1.
The Bible,1 Corinthians 12:12-26.
Jasper, Margaret C. Veterans' Rights and Benefits. New York: Oceana, 2009. Print.
United States Department of Veteran Affairs. "My Health Vet" Web. Dec. 12. 2014. https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/anonymous.portal?_nfpb=true&_nfto=false&_pageLabel=mhvHome
TRICARE.org. "Tricare Insurance, Tricare Prime, Tricare Remote and Tricare Standards" Web. Dec. 12. 2014. http://www.tricare.mil
Kime, Patricia. "VA health care failed suicidal vets, families testify" Jul. 10, 2014 - 10:11PM
United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Web. Dec. 12 2014. https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/anonymous.portal?_nfpb=true&_nfto=false&_pageLabel=mhvHomehttp://www2.illinois.gov/veterans/documents/veterans%20benefits2.pdf_br Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
U.S. Army Medical Journal. Web. Dec. 12. 2014 http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/amedd_journal.as
U.S Army Warrior Transition Command. "AW2 Eligibility and Enrollment." Web. Dec. 12. 2014. http://www.wtc.army.mil/modules/soldier/s2-aw2EligibilityEnrollment.html
Shi, Leiyu, and Douglas A. Singh. Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2012. Print.
