EN100 English Composition- Universal Health care

rovision for optimal quality health care. The standpoint taken in this regard is that though the rationale for not considering the universal healthcare in the US is strong, implementing the same would bring the country at par with other countries implementing the same.

Béland et al. have to opine that Universal healthcare system has a number of drawbacks and these are the reasons why America does not consider implementing the same. A longer waiting time is one of these factors. If healthcare services are accessible to all on an equal basis, the rate of using it more. Since access to services would be free, there would be more rush for accessing services. This might lead to longer waiting time, and access to specialists might be restricted. The ratio of specialists and patients would be difficult to manage. Moreover, implementation of universal healthcare would imply less competition. In countries such as England and Canada, healthcare workers are government employees. This implies that the government pays the practitioners and nurses. The competition for patient spurring care workers to be better skilled and competent is not there. A reduction of eagerness to enter the medical professional is also noted.

Single payer healthcare is effective in keeping costs down for two main reasons; there is an elimination of the requirement for a large private health insurance bureaucracy, and the government is able to negotiate and regulate the price of medical services and drugs (Grosse et al.). The authors point out three reasons why America does not need universal health coverage. Firstly, American culture is unique in its own way, and it would not be suitable to compare it with other countries. The political culture is unparallel, and the universal coverage would imply clashes with the belief in limited government and individualism. Further, the interest group are not in support of the system. The role of interest groups in influencing the political process can not be denied. Lastly, the third reason is that the political institution gives rise to challenges for the wide entitlement programs to be implemented.

Against the light of the reasons why America does not need a universal health care, it would be desirable to understand the benefits of having this system implemented at the earliest. According to Meyer the main benefit of having universal healthcare is that there is equal access to healthcare. Individuals can be given care services that are otherwise not possible to be delivered. The universal healthcare system permits basic care services for all individuals without any discrimination. Every member of the communities where universal healthcare is practised can access basic care services irrespective of the social status. By doing so, the system pulls the members of the society at an equal base.

Rifat et al. argue that improved healthcare services are the most noteworthy benefit of having the universal healthcare system. Since the entire population is involved in the care process, the fundamental services are given to all. Public health outcomes would be possible to better if there is easy access to healthcare services. Barros et al. pointed out some other noteworthy benefits of having a universal healthcare system. Extending care is what the aim of present healthcare should be. As per reports, 45000 individuals in the country die due to inability to access healthcare for high costs. Universal healthcare system, therefore, would act as the remedy to this issue of easy affordability. Further, one of the biggest factors in support of universal healthcare system is that working models exist. Other countries such as Canada and Germany have a successful healthcare system that is government run. Since the serve as effective models, indicating how it can be useful for the whole nation, US can take lessons from these countries.

The solution to the issue can be found in the idea of taking key insights from the concept of the universal healthcare system and implementing it on a smaller scale. This would be beneficial for understanding what the outcomes of the system might be and the range of challenges that might come up. Based on the findings the country can consider implementing it on a larger scale if found feasible (Gupta and Muraleedharan).

The US is the only industrialised nation that does not have universal health coverage. Moreover, it is the highest healthcare spending country in the world. The reason behind is that lack of universal coverage, and high costs have an intimate link with each other,  both historically and economically. Moving into a changed system might prove to be effective for enabling better healthcare outcomes for the population. In future, changes might be in favour of the country if advancements are brought about in a precise manner.

References

Atun, Rifat, et al. "Health-system reform and universal health coverage in Latin America." The Lancet 385.9974 (2015): 1230-1247.

Barros, Fernando Passos Cupertino de, and Armando de Negri Filho. "Universal health coverage." Cadernos de saude publica 31.6 (2015): 1333-1333.

Béland, Daniel, Philip Rocco, and Alex Waddan. "Obamacare and the politics of universal health insurance coverage in the United States." Social Policy & Administration 50.4 (2016): 428-451.

Grosse, Scott D., et al. "The economic burden of incident venous thromboembolism in the United States: A review of estimated attributable healthcare costs." Thrombosis research137 (2016): 3-10.

Gupta, Monica Das, and V. Muraleedharan. "Universal Health Coverage." Economic & Political Weekly 49.35 (2014): 29.

Meyer, Michael. "The Ethics of Universal Health Care in the United States." Reflections on Healthcare Management 1.1 (2017): 10.