America has a broken healthcare system. The American healthcare system is broken. That much is evident to anyone who has tried navigating its confusing, bureaucratic mess of a system. So what needs to be changed to fix it?
We spend over $3 trillion annually on health care, but many issues must be addressed before things can improve. This discusses what the US needs to change in its healthcare system. Plenty of the other problems could be addressed here, but I decided to focus on health care.
The American healthcare system is a national embarrassment. It has grown and expanded at an astonishing rate, yet it consistently ranks at or near the bottom of industrialized nations in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. This fact is undeniable. Our healthcare system is bloated, wasteful, bureaucratic, ineffective, and unsustainable. But what should we change about it?
The current state of the American healthcare system
As a nation, we spend more money on health care than any other country. Despite this, our health outcomes are worse than those of every other country.
There are many problems with the American healthcare system. To name a few:
• Insurance companies are often evil. They do not want you to live a long and happy life; they want to maximize their profit margins. They are more interested in collecting premiums than in helping you.
• Insurance companies often overcharge for their services. Many insurance companies are not profitable but continue to exist because the government allows them.
• Healthcare providers often don’t help you. They only care about making money. Hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers are usually greedy.
• Our healthcare system is inefficient. The United States has a massive shortage of healthcare workers, with fewer nurses and doctors per capita than in developed countries.
• We pay far more for medical care than other countries. For example, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a family of four in the United States spends over $16,000 on healthcare, which is over $10,000 more than the average family spends in other developed nations.
• We often treat chronic conditions as acute problems. Treating a toothache is much cheaper than preventing a heart attack.
These issues with the American healthcare system are only going to get worse. Our current system has been a failure, and the problem is that no one wants to fix it.
The problems with the American healthcare system
The American healthcare system can be described in many ways. In this article, I will discuss a few of the most common issues.
Health insurance
The American healthcare system is based on a fee-for-service system. Doctors are paid for every service they provide, which incentivizes them to overdiagnose and overtreat. Thus, it’s no surprise that we have one of the worst statistics in the world for disease-related deaths. This problem is especially pronounced in the United States, where it costs more than double the average in other developed nations.
The potential solutions to the American healthcare system
I believe there are some major issues in the American healthcare system, and I’ve listed some of the most important ones below.
Health care in America
1. Insurers should provide insurance coverage to everyone
Insurance companies should be required to cover everyone. Currently, they are only needed to protect sick people, which causes a lot of unnecessary spending.
2. Everyone should have access to affordable healthcare
Everyone should be able to afford health care. People who can’t afford insurance are forced to purchase it independently.
3. Doctors should be paid for the quality of their work
Doctors should be rewarded for the quality of the health care they provide. The current system of paying doctors by how much they can bill insurers encourages the practice of “defensive medicine,” in which doctors do whatever it takes to avoid losing money.
Cons of the various solutions to the American healthcare system
There are so many things wrong with our healthcare system that I won’t try to summarize them. I’ll give you some quick answers to your questions.
1. Universal health insurance
2. Single-payer healthcare
3. Tax-funded healthcare
4. Medicare for all
5. Free health care
6. Drug companies should be banned from making money off of drugs
7. Public healthcare
8. The government should pay for abortions
9. No caps on coverage
10. Insurance companies should be abolished
Frequently Asked Questions Health Care System
Q: What would you change about the American healthcare system?
A: I would eliminate the private insurance industry and make all health care completely free.
Q: Why should the government take over health care?
A: The government needs to be more involved in our health care because they are already so good at other things.
Q: Who should be responsible for ensuring everyone has health care coverage?
A: Every adult should have health insurance, and every family should be required to pool their resources and share equally in their costs.
Q: Should health care be treated like a right or a privilege?
A: It should be a right because we all deserve health.
Q: What is the most important part of health care?
A: Wellness. We need to promote and teach wellness instead of just sickness.
Top 3 Myths About Health Care System
1. America’s health care system is the best in the world.
2. The American health care system provides access to good quality health care.
3. The American health care system costs less than other countries.
Conclusion
The American healthcare system will eventually change because it’s been a mess for quite a while. Some good ideas for improving it exist, but many are difficult to implement. I will discuss what we expect to see change in the American healthcare system over the next five years. I will tell you why the system will change, what it’s likely to look like, and how it might improve.
