History of Healthcare in the US
In America, the healthcare system was driven by the power of capitalism. This caused health care services to be expensive and accesible to wealthy people only. There was inequality in the delivery of health care, which prompted several attempts by leaders to provide affordable healthcare to all citizens. For instance, in 1912, National Health Service and public healthcare for jobless, elderly, and disabled individuals was introduced by the progressive party. Later “universal” health insurance program was proposed by President Harry S. Truman in 1945. Finally, the Affordable Care Act was passed as a law by former president Barack Obama. This rule reduced the cost of health insurance coverage. Hence, more people can seek proper medication.
Changes in the Society Impacting Healthcare Delivery
In the past, there were inequalities in the distribution of healthcare services according to socio economic class. The cost of medication was so high that poor people rarely accessed treatment in hospitals. This resulted to poor health outcomes, which were characterized by high mortality rates, infant deaths, morbidity, lower life expectancy and disability. To improve health delivery to all citizens, the pay for service system was abolished and a national health insurance system was introduced. Inequalities between the rich and the poor in health care delivery has been bridged through the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid programs. These plans cover the cost of health services for elligible individuals. Old people qualify for Medicare plan while poor individuals are covered by Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act was later introduced to improve accessibility to health insurances.
The Affordable Care Act has the most significant impact on healthcare delivery system. It enabled more citizens to obtain health insurance, which are financed by public program or private plans. Health covers enable individuals to gain better quality of care and outcomes from hospitals. Insured people have steady source of care, which improves their chances of managing chronic conditions and screening diseases. Thus, this law has accomplished accesibility to health care to all persons regardless of their socio-economic status.