Introduction
One of the most discussed topics concerning health ethics and reforms in the US is the high cost of health care. Cost is critical as it impacts access to and, equally important, health care quality. The US has very high health care costs that pose a substantial financial burden for the citizens, families, and the economy. The problem is further intensified for vulnerable populations, particularly the poor, minorities, and the elderly. The consequences are devastating as increased mortality rates stem from poor health outcomes and a deepening of the existing social and economic inequalities. Therefore, health care providers and committees should recommend and revise policies that promote cost-saving measures, particularly evidence-based care and transparency in pricing and offer advice on medical-related ethical issues.
Opinion on the High Costs of the US Health Care System
The high cost of healthcare in the US is unsustainable and unacceptable because it lowers the access and quality of treatments in the country. There has been a notable increase in health care spending over the years. Hartman et al. (2020) found that an average US citizen spent more than 11 000 dollars on health care in 2018. With such amounts, it is difficult for ordinary citizens to afford treatment, resulting in delaying or avoiding medical care. In addition, as health is a basic need, the high costs lead to a decline in health outcomes in poor communities and, subsequently, increase mortality rates. Another reason high health care costs affect the vulnerable is that the financial burden impedes their ability to afford other necessities, particularly education and housing. Currently, African Americans are suffering from lower education levels than Whites (Leath et al., 2019). Hence, the high costs are unethical, and there is a need for reforms.
The Role of an Ethics Committee in Resolving the High Cost of Health Care
The first role of health care providers and an ethics committee in dealing with the high cost is to recommend and revise policies that promote cost-saving measures, such as implementing only evidence-based treatments and calling for transparency in pricing. One factor that leads to an increase in health finances is the use of unnecessary and ineffective treatments that are not based on reliable and practical research. The solution calls for healthcare providers to stay updated on proven treatment methods and medicines to lower costs. The US has 500% more CT scans than Finland per 1000 people, revealing one of the avenues that lead to increased medical costs (Oren et al., 2019). The same disparity is evident in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans with a 300% difference between US and Finland (Oren et al., 2019). Hence, the country should recommend policies that curb unnecessary medical spending.
Also, another policy worth looking at is the need for transparency in pricing for medicine and treatments. There is obscurity when it comes to healthcare prices in the US. Pricing is a critical factor because of the CMS-1694-F ruling that called for public availability of prices (Haque et al., 2021). However, many hospitals do not comply with the ruling or others having the data but reducing its usability and interpretability (Haque et al., 2021). Transparency will empower consumers by giving them a choice to seek the most affordable care. Therefore, an ethical committee should reform the policy in such a way that there is full-price transparency.
The second role is to offer advice on ethical issues related to medical costs. There are several stakeholders involved in US health care. Some patients and families bear the burden of paying for medical treatments. More importantly, this group suffers the most when there is reduced access to and affordability in health care costs. There are also healthcare providers who provide the treatment. Other major stakeholder is the insurance companies that pay a certain portion of the costs and the researchers and academics that conduct studies on medicine and treatment and impact on the people. The ethical committee should advise these groups, ensuring that they maintain the balance between the needs of these groups. The advice should also consider the vulnerable groups suffering most from the issue. Some experts argue that the functioning of hospitals as for-profit businesses hurts the patients (Gardner et al., 2020). As a result, a committee should weigh all these issues and offer the most beneficial advice founded on ethics.
The Impact of the US Government on the High Cost of Health Care
The government also plays a central role in the high cost of health care by funding Medicare and Medicaid, financing medical research, and changing policies. The government is in charge of public insurance companies by providing medical coverage for US citizens. It can impact the costs by reviewing the reimbursement rates for medical professionals, which will subsequently sway the health care market. Secondly, the government can increase the funding for medical research to improve the quality of care. An important thing to consider is to separate politics from research and public health, despite the people’s political affiliations (Rosenthal et al., 2020). Lastly, the government can look at the current policies and change them to reduce inequality, such as the tax policy and the Affordable Care Act.
Conclusion
High health care costs are a critical issue in the US. Hence, ethical committees and providers should come up with and change policies that lower the finances, such as providing only evidence-based treatment and transparency in pricing and giving advice on ethical issues. The government should also review the funding of Medicare and Medicaid, the tax and Affordable Act Policies, and increase medical research funding. The result is that access to, and affordability of health care will increase, especially among the most vulnerable populations.
References
Gardner, W., States, D., & Bagley, N. (2020). The coronavirus and the risks to the elderly in long-term care. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 32(4-5), 310-315. Web.
Haque, W., Ahmadzada, M., Allahrakha, H., Haque, E., & Hsiehchen, D. (2021). Transparency, accessibility, and variability of US hospital price data. JAMA Network Open, 4(5), e2110109-e2110109.
Hartman, M., Martin, A. B., Benson, J., Catlin, A., & National Health Expenditure Accounts Team. (2020). National Health Care Spending In 2018: Growth Driven By Accelerations In Medicare And Private Insurance Spending: US health care spending increased 4.6 percent to reach $3.6 trillion in 2018, a faster growth rate than that of 4.2 percent in 2017 but the same rate as in 2016. Health Affairs, 39(1), 8-17. Web.
Leath, S., Mathews, C., Harrison, A., & Chavous, T. (2019). Racial identity, racial discrimination, and classroom engagement outcomes among Black girls and boys in predominantly Black and predominantly White school districts. American Educational Research Journal, 56(4), 1318-1352. Web.
Oren, O., Kebebew, E., & Ioannidis, J. P. (2019). Curbing unnecessary and wasted diagnostic imaging. Jama, 321(3), 245-246.
Rosenthal, P. J., Bausch, D. G., Goraleski, K. A., Hill, D. R., Jacobson, J. A., John, C. C., & Breman, J. G. (2020). Keep politics out of funding decisions for medical research and public health. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 103(3), 931.