Introduction
The entire health care system of America is broken and its decline was accelerated by inflation and economic instability in America. This paper presents how the broken health care system affects the American people. It affects children, adult, youth, women and retirees. American health care system is operated by private sectors and most of the people have employer converge insurance. There is an increase in insurance premium. When there is an increase in the cost of premium the employer will be unable to meet the payment of insurance of the employees. Steps have been taken to reform and revive the health care system of America. All the issues with the American broken health care system are analytically presented in this paper.
How the broken health care system affects the American people?
America has been undergoing a big health care crisis with 50 million of its citizens not having any health insurance. The biggest inflation after the great depression is one of the causes of destruction of America’s health care system. The revival of health care system is necessary for America to stabilize its economic system. The fall of health care system affects the entire basic units of nation like family, persons, health providers, employers and retirees. Small business owners are helpless to pay money for their insurance and for their workers. America spends enormous money for the welfare of its health care system, but the result is worse. There is an increase in the medical debts that leads to bankruptcy. In the view of Clinton “Our health care system is immoral because it doesn’t provide health care to everybody,” from this statement it can be inferred that there is inequality in the health care system. (DeFao, para.2). All are not treated properly even though America spends more money. Some of the facts on America’s broken health care system are given below.
Facts on America’s broken Health care system
There is high increase in the premium costs of insurance in America. The average premium cost of insurance for a family is more than $12,000 and it is stated that if it goes like this without any interference, the premium cost of insurance will double by 2016. In the last year, one out of four families faced difficulty in paying medical bill resulting in delay of medical care. Employers also face a crisis with the increase in premium cost and those employers who have health coverage for their employees find it difficult to compete with the other companies which have non-union employees. With the increase in the premium cost of insurance, more people are found to be uninsured. More than 43 million people have no health insurance in America. Retirees are also undergoing a crisis since they are not provided with health insurance. Private insurance companies spend 15% of their money for administrative purposes and money spent for public plans for medical care is very less. Despite the crisis in health care system, insurance companies and drug manufacturing companies are making enormous profit. So, most of the people of America are of the opinion that the public health care system has to be rebuilt. The broken health care system of America affects people, family, employers and retirees.
Broken health care system and people of America
People of America are quite discouraged by the performance of the nation’s health sector and there exists chaos. Children, adults, youth and retirees are the real victims of damaged health care system of America. “Studies estimate that the number of excess deaths among uninsured adults age 25-64 is in the range of 22,000 a year. This mortality figure is more than the number of deaths from diabetes (17,500) within the same age group.” (Health Insurance Coverage: How Does Being Uninsured Harm Individuals and Families, para.1). From this statement, it is realized that American adults are not safe and American health care system cannot provide help in their need. If an individual does not have insurance, he will receive less preventive care, receive treatment at the last severe stage and it will result in death. The medical bills for those who have no insurance will be a financial burden and it is said that there is an unequal proportion between the insured and the non-insured in receiving care, checkups and preventive care. “According to the US census Bureau, nearly 47 million Americans, or 20 percent of the population under the age of 65, were without health insurance in 2008, their latest data available.” (Health Insurance Coverage: How Many Americans are Uninsured, para.1). There are millions and millions of children and adolescents who have no health insurance since the employer does not give insurance because health cost is increased. Because of the increase in health cost, the employees and employers are facing the same crisis with health insurance. “A recent study shows that based on the effects on the recession alone (not job loss), it is projected that nearly seven (7) million American will lose their health insurance coverage between 2008 and 2010.” (Health Insurance Coverage: How Many Americans are Uninsured, para.3). State provides enormous money to defray the medical costs of uninsured people but the uncompensated money will be drawn from the pocket of private payers and it is a burden for them. Even though the people pay high amount, they are not given proper and quality treatment or care.
Broken health care system and family
Family is the basic unit of the society and when its economic stability comes across with dangerous moment it will shake the nation entirely. There is a limit for the family in spending money for health concern. When the cost of health care becomes more, it affects the equilibrium of the whole processes of the family. Health care issue should be analyzed in two ways. First thing is that people are not able to pay the increased premium of insurance. Therefore, they will not be ready to take health insurance. Second thing is that when the uninsured bread winner of the family becomes sick, it affects the treatment of the sick and the bread of the family members. Next challenge to family is that when they are forced to pay the increased cost of insurance premium, it affects the well being of the family. “The high cost of health care can damage the overall economic well-being of families. One in three lower income parents without coverage report medical bill have a major financial impact on their families.” (Health Insurance Coverage: How Does Being Uninsured Harm Individuals and Families, para.4). Many people are unable to pay their medical bills. When people do not pay their medical bills, the health providers shift this charge to the bills of those who are able to pay. So this shift causes for an increase in the premium of health insurance in the form of hidden tax. Majority of those who are not insured are poor people. Young adults are more found uninsured and a study shows that thirty percent of adults who are between the ages of 18 to 34 do not have health insurance in California. ”In 2007, 41 percent of working age Americans had problems paying medical bills and four in 10 of those used all their savings to pay their health care bills.” (Hot Facts: Health Care Reform 2009: Too Many Working Families Lose In Todays Health Care System, para.1). This means that people spend their savings for health care and the financial strengths of the family begin to decline. It leads to bankruptcy.
Broken health care system and employers
In America, more people have insurance from employers. The employees of some companies have the burden of paying a share for health insurance. The employees are forced to pay more share of their wage for health insurance.
“Even if employees are offered coverage on the job, they can’t always afford their proportion of the premium. Health insurance premiums have increased 131 present of employers since 1999 and employee spending for health insurance coverage (employee’s share of family coverage) has increased 128 percent between 1999 and 2008.” Small firms are not able to cover the health insurance since there is an increase in the premium of the insurance.” (Health Insurance Coverage: Why is the Number of Uninsured People Increasing, para.1). The employers are in a crisis due to the inflation and increase in the wage of the employees. Therefore, they are not able to meet the health coverage of the employees. Apart from this, there is ten percent increase in the health insurance cost annually and half of the bankruptcy is the result of inability to pay the medical bills.
Broken health care system and retirees
The retirees need more health care than other people in the society. Old people have the vulnerability of affecting diseases easily and they will seek health care. In a broken health care system old people will be discarded. If they are uninsured, they will not be able to pay for their medication. ”The broken US health care system has been driving American retirees who are less worried about finding jobs, and more concerned about staying healthy to Mexico where they can enroll in “a health care plan with no limits, no deductibles, free medicines, tests, X-rays, eyeglasses, even dental work — all for a flat fee of $250 or less a year.”” (Nill, para.2).
According to Sonia, a retiree who moved from America to Mexico tells that the US are not ready to provide free treatments, tests, eye care, tooth care and other care that are necessary for the old people. This is why she moved to Mexico where everything is given freely and this is the best health care system. At the same time it badly affects the health providers also. America is the state where the health care professionals are provided with more wages comparing to other nations. This health care system uses the most sophisticated and advanced technology, yet they are not able to get good result. The health providers are also at risk because of the inability of uninsured people to pay medical bills. Since some people are not able to pay, they are forced to shift the cost to other private payers. It is reported that a lot of emergency rooms are closed widely in America. Finance influences the old women in taking decision on health. 64 percent people are receiving insurance coverage form the employer but employer insurance coverage does not give a guarantee at this crisis situation. More women do not have fulltime employment and it will have impact on insurance also. Therefore, women have more issues in such a situation where health care system is broken.
Growth of the drug companies and insurance companies
The drug companies are making profit even in the fall of health care system. There is a huge increase in the profit of drug companies and it is estimated that there is twenty percent increase in the profit of drug companies. There is a huge increase in the profit of insurance companies and it is estimated that there was 1084 percent increase in the last five years.
Plans to overcome the failure of health care system in America
“Over the longer run, putting America on a sustainable fiscal course will require addressing health care…the biggest source of our deficits is the rising cost of health care. It’s a challenge that impacts businesses, workers and families alike.” (Obama, para.1).
President Obama has taken some measures to overcome the failure of health care system of America. They include various measures like not allowing premium discriminations, making sure that the sick people get insurance, exempting extra payment for preventive care, making sure the treatment of seniors, telling employers to provide insurance cover for their employees and establishing an independent committee of physicians and other medical professionals to assess and identity the abuse and corruption in the health care system. Numerous steps have been taken for the revival of the health care system in America. Recently, a bill known as America’s affordable health choices act, was introduced to reform the health care system in America. “It seeks to provide affordable health care for all Americans and curb medical expense growth by offering coverage and choice, affordability, shared responsibility, prevention and wellness measures, and workforce investments.” (George and Bass, para.1). The broken health care system is the concern of America and the measures taken for the revival started to work well.
Conclusion
There are number of challenges to the American health care system. The broken health care system in America affects all people. This paper presents how it affects the people and who are the more vulnerable to the broken system of health care. It affected family, retirees, adults, children, youth and women. Health care providers and employers are also facing crisis. President Obama has taken steps for the revival of the health care system which have started to bring effects and good results.
Works Cited
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George, Jon C., and Bass, Theodore A. Health Care Reform Bill H. R. 3200-America’s Affordable Health Choices Act: What is Missing?. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv 2 (2009): 1028-1030. JACC Cardiovascular Interventions. Web.
Health Insurance Coverage: How Does Being Uninsured Harm Individuals and Families?. National Coalition on Health Care. 2009. Web.
Health Insurance Coverage: How Many Americans are Uninsured?. National Coalition on Health Care. 2009. Web.
Health Insurance Coverage: Why is the Number of Uninsured People Increasing?. National Coalition on Health Care. 2009. Web.
Hot Facts: Health Care Reform 2009: America’s Broken Health Care System: Too Many Working Families Lose In Todays Health Care System. AFL-CIO. Web.
Nill, Andrea. American Retirees Move to Mexico for Health Care. The Wonk Room: Think Progress. 2009. Web.
Obama, Barak. Hot Facts: Health Care Reform 2009: America’s Broken Health Care System: Reforming Our Health care System is the Essential Prescription for Our Long-Term Economic Health. AFL-CIO. Web.