Healthcare Help for the American People
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Healthcare Help for the American People
The U.S. Healthcare crisis is rising and the problems are getting worse instead of better
In 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson amended the Social Security Act to provide the American people with two health care insurance programs: The two programs were Medicare and Medicaid. Since Johnsons amendment the United States healthcare system has been very questionable, not so reliable, and most of all very immoral. With the existence of these two programs it goes against the very principles that very country was founded upon. As of today 50.7 million Americans are uninsured. “This hits a record high of uninsured Americans from 16.7 percent last year and from 15.4 percent in 2008, when there were 46.3 million uninsured. It was one of the largest single year increases since the Census starting tracking the figure in 1987. With almost every demographic and geographic group that posted a rise in the uninsured rate–and that is with the exception of children, who still remained stable at about 10 percent. The highest increase was in the Midwest and the South, although all areas of the country saw increases.” Not so surprising that the economy played a key role in these issues. Americans of all ages are asking themselves, “How could a plan designed for the good of the people become so detrimental to society? How did this happen?” The Americans are crying out to the impartial system for so sort of change. For what reasons should the American citizens have to doubt their government? How can on tell between fact and or fabrication with all the information they have at hand? The American people have so many questions that demand so many more answers; preferable the ones that are honest and straightforward. In order for we the people to step forward with this journey, we all must first explore the flaws of Medicare/Medicaid and bring up problems and questions at hand. We will also evaluate the two primary sources of information we have: the United States government and American citizens; primarily focusing on our past government officials, our current Presidential candidates, private/public organizations and most importantly the victims of the flawed healthcare system. As we look back on the past, who is there to trust? Which source is more reliable than the other? The most important thing to understand is the purpose and principles of the health insurance programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. As many are aware Medicare was first established and administered by the federal government in 1965; financed through federal income taxes, payroll taxes, and out-of-pocket payment by enrollees. The plan was created to cover the elderly (ages sixty-five and older) and non-elderly with disabilities. 1.) Composed of four parts: A – Hospital Insurance; 2.) B – Supplemental Insurance; 3.) C – Managed Care; and 4.) D – Prescription Drugs. As many are aware there are significant coverage gaps; and they are the aging population and the increased technology that presents challenges for the future.” Medicaid presents more problematic issues. “It only covers certain low-income individuals (pregnant, children, elderly, disabled); not every poor person is covered” (Overview of the U.S. Healthcare System, AMSA). In addition to Medicare and Medicaid are the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), Veterans Health Administration (VA) and Indian Health Service. S-CHIP supplements Medicaid by covering low-income children ineligible for Medicaid. “Similar problems to Medicaid: low reimbursement rates; some providers refuse to accept S-CHIP” “(Overview of the U.S. Healthcare System, AMSA). Under the VA, the health benefits plan is available to all veterans and is considered to be “socialized medicine”. Since these health insurance programs were established, the United States private spending has significantly triumphed over public spending.
The National Health Statistics Group in 2003 discovered private versus public spending was 46 to 44 percent. In the developed countries, the average percentage of public spending is 22. Where did all of the money go you ask? Heres were it went Hospital Care, 30%; Physician & Clinical Services, 22%; Nursing Home Care, 7%; Prescription Drugs, 11%; Program/Administration Net Cost, 7%; Other spending, 23% (includes dentist services, other professional services, home health, medical products, over-the-counter drugs, public health, research and construction). “While the numbers can be debated, the vast majority of health policy experts acknowledge that administrative costs in the U.S. are much higher than in other countries, in part due to private insurance profits and the multiplicity of payers, each of which have separate billing practices that add to administrative overhead” (Overview of the U.S. Healthcare System). From an international point of view, the United States spends $1.9 trillion dollars a year, approximately 15% of the GDP, while the average for developed countries is 8.6%. In addition to that, the United States has the lowest life expectancy and the highest mortality rate of any industrialized country out there: 77.2 years and 7 deaths per 1,000 live births (the averages in industrialized countries are 77.8 years and 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births). The most fascinating part is that the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world, and yet among all other countries, we are ranked 37th in providing the best form of healthcare (World Health Organization 2000). Given the above information, what does one conclude about the US healthcare system? The popular consensus is our excessive spending isnt bringing us better health. Despite overwhelming statistics, what other evidence is there?”
My Proposal for a New Health Care System
As you can we all know the United States health care system is in desperate need of some serious changes? All too often the, Americans are faced with locating the right provider within their network and ensuring continuity of care especially when you see several providers are involved. Health care costs should not be a concern for those people who require service or for those people that are responsible for payment. My proposal is for all the health care workers providing