Different countries have different approaches to organizing health care delivery for citizens. The primary goal is to meet the population’s needs and enhance the quality of life. According to Knickman & Elbel (2019), the Americans’ dissatisfaction with the current health care system suggests that there is a need for a change. Considering other countries’ experience and approaches to providing health care can be beneficial and help the government to decrease the expenses while increasing efficiency.
The most pressing issues are financing and access to medical care. There is no universal health care in the US, and most of the population is left vulnerable, considering the increasing costs. The US largely relies on the mixture of public and private insurance which creates coverage gaps. Alternatively, there are National Heals Service (NHS) in the UK and National Health Insurance (NHI) in Canada, which are based on the ability to pay (Knickman & Elbel, 2019). The benefit of such an approach is that everyone has access to health care, despite their financial situation. Another issue that requires government’s attention is improving social conditions. As Knickman & Elbel (2019) state, “education, housing, employment, and other social programs” are crucial in sustaining the population’s health (p.86). Besides, the number of medical care practitioners influences the coordination of health care and waiting time, and the workforce shortage is a problem in the US, France, and China. However, establishing initiatives to increase the number of medical professionals, like in the UK, might be beneficial. Overall, an integrated approach is needed to resolve the issues of the US health care delivery system.
In conclusion, different countries have implemented their own principles in terms of health care. Despite common assumptions that the US health care system is the best in the world, there are actually more effective alternatives. Taking abroad experience into consideration, the US can have a better understanding of gaps in financing and ways to eliminate them. Therefore, an unbiased international perspective on the issue might contribute to the improved health care delivery.
Reference
Knickman, J. R., & Elbel, B. (Eds.). (2019). Jonas and Kovner’s Health Care Delivery in the United States. Springer Publishing Company.