American Health Care
Health care in the United States of America has been one of the largest topics of discussion for decades. The health care industry in the United States is constantly under scrutiny with regards to providing adequate, comprehensive and quality care to all Americans. Debate looms over who is responsible for delivering such care and how much it should cost. What is clear however, is that the current system of health care offers unequal benefits to too many individuals and leaves many without proper coverage.
The United States is considered to have the most expensive healthcare system in the world, both in terms of cost per capita and per percentage of GDP. The average American spends nearly 18 percent of their income on health care alone, while other industrialized countries typically only spend between 10 to 11 percent. However, despite high costs, the quality of care in America is not always as good as other developed countries.
The current American health care system is built around a system of private insurance coverage. This system requires employers to provide an option for health insurance coverage to employees, who are then required to purchase insurance from the employer or from the insurance exchange markets. This system can result in individuals paying premiums that are significantly higher than their counterparts in other countries. Additionally, many employers do not offer insurance options, or the cost of such options is prohibitively expensive. Since health insurance is expensive and difficult to access, many individuals end up falling through the cracks and going uninsured.
The American health care system is also plagued by inefficiencies. Doctors and hospitals receive varying amounts of reimbursement for services, often creating incentives to use expensive treatments and procedures. Additionally, administrative costs can be quite high due to the need to process claims, verify eligibility and manage expensive paperwork. While this is not unique to the United States, the slow adoption of technologies that automate these processes further contribute to such inefficiencies.
In order to address some of these issues, the US government has implemented a number of reforms over the last decade, including the Affordable Care Act of 2010. This legislation requires all Americans to obtain health insurance coverage or to pay a penalty for not doing so. The goal of this law is to increase the number of individuals with access to health care coverage, as well as to control rising costs.
It is clear that there are many issues with the American health care system. It is expensive, inefficient and does not provide adequate coverage for all. However, with the laws and reforms that have been implemented, progress is being made. As new technologies are developed and access to care increases, Americans can look forward to an improved health care system that is both affordable and of high quality.
