Introduction
Every citizen of the United States should have access to quality and affordable healthcare. Health is a fundamental issue that needs to be catered for to ensure that all citizens are comfortable. In the past decade, much has been written and talked about the health of people in the United States. Specifically, there has been a constant debate on the need for health care reforms in the United States. Several issues surround the provision of health care in the United that have raised concern over the years.
Economic conditions such as inflation have had adverse repercussions on the provision of health care in the United States. For such a long time, Americans have suffered because of the inadequate health care system in the country. This has happened particularly while in the reign of President Bush and President Bill Clinton. President Obama has a hard task ahead in making sure that the health situation of the country is addressed.
The cost, quality, and accessibility
The cost of Medicare in the country has gone so high and the pinch is being felt mainly by the middle class and the low-income people in the society. The situation is so serious that the United States cannot guarantee good health for all the citizens in the country. Results from studies and opinion polls have indicated that the majority of Americans are not satisfied with the state of the health care system in the country.
The lack of satisfaction has been driven by factors such as cost, quality, and accessibility. In terms of cost, it is vital to mention that government spending on health care has gone up over the years and the majority of Americans cannot afford health services provided by health facilities in the country. The price of prescription drugs has gone up in recent years. Quality health care is no longer accessible to the majority of the people. A bad state of the health care system harms the overall economic productivity of the country. In light of these unfortunate situations, the United States needs health care reforms more than ever. (OECD 2005)
The need for reforms
Analysts have argued that Americans spend a lot on health care more than any other nation in the world today but ironically they cannot secure affordable and quality health care when they become sick. Americans have been enduring this situation for the past sixteen years. This means that health care reforms are long overdue in the country and should be treated with the necessary urgency they deserve.
The economy of the country cannot thrive if the majority of the population is not healthy. Most of the citizens in the country think that the leadership should help to address the issue of preventing diseases than sit back and wait to cure them in the future. Opinion polls have also revealed that most Americans want a health care policy that will emphasize preventive health care that would reach out to all citizens in the country. This would be vital in saving the costs that can be incurred in curing a sick country. (Hacker 1)
Poor health care system indications
Some of the indicators of the poor health care system in the United States include the lower life expectancy compared to other world powers. The United States seemingly has a worse infant mortality rate as compared to the other G7 countries. It is the bad state of the health care system that has lowered the life expectancy in the country over the years because people cannot have access to quality and affordable health in the country. Infant mortality rates are high because parents cannot secure a good health condition for their infants because of the price of prescription drugs and other necessities. Some people also opt for abortion because of the economic conditions that have been perpetrated by the rising inflation in the country. The number of people who do not have health insurance is very high in the country according to research (Anderson 98).
A big task
In the current political leadership in the country president, Obama has a big task of reforming the health care system in the country to address the needs of most of the citizens in the country. During his election campaign, Obama promised Americans a Universal healthcare system that would help to address the fundamental health care issues in the country. The people are therefore waiting for some of the promises to be fulfilled by the president.
The political class in America owes the people quality and affordable health care system because they are the policymakers in the congress and senate where major decisions about health care are drafted. (Kaiser Family Foundation 1).
Survey results
According to the survey that was conducted by the Times Magazine in 2009, the majority of Americans are optimistic that President Obama would bring about significant health care reforms in the United States. In the survey, the majority of the respondents approve of the fact that Obama is doing a good job in trying to find a lasting solution for the health care system in the country. Most of the citizens are now acknowledging the efforts that are being undertaken by Obama to address the pending health reforms in the country.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is vital to mention that good health is the foundation of a prosperous nation and America is not an exception. The citizens of the United States have a right to quality and affordable health care. The government has a fundamental role to play towards healthcare reforms in the country.
Works Cited
Anderson, Gregory, Reinhardt, Eugine, and Stuart Hussey. “It’s the prices, stupid: why the United States is so different from other countries”. Health Affairs 22.3 (2003): 89–110. Web.
Hacker, Jacob. Health care for America. Shared Prosperity. 2007. Web.
Kaiser Family Foundation. “Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: July 2009.” Web.
OECD Health Data (2005), How Does the United States Compare. OECD. Web.