The United States of America is among the few developed countries where a comprehensive system of medical insurance does not exist. Despite having frontline medicine, the American healthcare insurance system appears to be a pressing concern for the US (Covid lessons: Invest in basic healthcare, surveillance and public health, 2020).
The reason for this is great sums of money for treatment, which the taxpayers and the state need to spend on medical services. The majority of healthcare organizations are private and capable of fixing the tariffs independently. Even simple medical services, such as calling an ambulance, may cost hundreds of dollars. This way, the aim of this paper is to describe the current healthcare system in the US comprehensively and outline its major problem and particular advantages.
First of all, it is crucial to mention that the entire healthcare system consists of three parts, which are the cost, quality, and access. As for prices, it has already been claimed that American healthcare is costly, which presents its principal problem (Covid lessons: Invest in basic healthcare, surveillance and public health, 2020).
Bills for surgery or other serious and difficult operations may reach thousands of dollars. Therefore, a person diagnosed with a severe illness is highly likely to become bankrupt. In general, treatment appears possible due to private insurance agencies, which the citizenry or their employers need to purchase. In order to receive insurance, it is essential to have a stable and confident income. However, not every employer is willing to offer their staff an insurance plan. Prices appear to be too high for small businesses and start-ups. Consequently, the cost of medical services presents a hot-button issue for the U.S. government.
As is evident from the aforementioned information, only wealthy people can afford treatment, so the level of accessibility is relatively low. Nevertheless, it is notable that the U.S. government takes appropriate steps to improve the current situation. For instance, the Medicaid program was established intentionally to provide the people with low incomes with necessary medical treatment. This type of insurance implies consultations of doctors, vaccination, hospitalization, and others.
Moreover, there is a special tariff Medicare for older adults and patients with end-stage renal disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Other loyalty programs, for instance, for children or the unemployed, exist too.
The last criterion regards the quality of medicine, and this aspect presents the source of pride for American medicine. In the United States, there is a balanced system of controlling the quality of medical services. The public health and preventative treatment service observes the preventative measures, the ecological condition, the quality of food, water, air, and other aspects. Moreover, American medicine pays special attention to the patient’s rights, and the relationships with doctors strictly match the serious legislative base. In the case of medical malpractice, the client has the right to be rendered a service of special lawyers, who contribute to achieving significant material compensations.
This way, the U.S. healthcare system is not ideal, and there are serious problems which should be addressed urgently. The principal issue is the cost of the medical services, which prevents a considerable number of people from receiving appropriate treatment in time, or, on the other hand, is likely to bankrupt a patient. Nevertheless, the solution to this pressing concern is being elaborated gradually. However, the fact that American medicine is one of the frontlines in the world is undeniable.
Reference
Covid lessons: Invest in basic healthcare, surveillance and public health. (2020). Bloomberg. Web.