Us_Health

Running Head: U.S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM & NATIONAL HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS Comparison of U.S. healthcare system with a National Health Programs and the difference explained by a Functionalist and Conflict theorist [Name of the writer] [Name of the Institution] Comparison of U.S. healthcare system with a National Health Programs and the difference explained by a Functionalist and Conflict theorist Introduction: United States is the largest and most diverse society on the globe. They spend almost 2 trillion dollars every year on health care, which is one in every seven dollars in the economy. U.S is one of the very few nations where all its citizens do not have medical coverage. Although it spends heavily on percapita on health care, and it has the most advanced medical technology system in the world, still it is not the healthiest nation on earth. The system performs so poorly that it leaves 50 million without health coverage and millions more inadequately covered (Garson, 2010). For majority of the Americans, health insurance is mostly tied to their job or they avail through government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. In U.S most often the major health care problem faced is that the health care professionals know how to provide best medical care and attention to the patients but often they are not able to do so because the medical system gets in their way. From where the US economy is standing, their challenge is twofold: They must find a suitable way to cover all their people and secondly they must determine a way to get the best return from US$2 Trillion spend on health system. The U.S Physicians then proposed a fundamental change in U.S healthcare system. The creation of a comprehensive National Health Insurance Program would be a diversified and improved version of healthcare system. It would cover every citizen for all necessary medical attention. Compare & Contrast The U.S economy spends greater share of its economy on health care than any other developed country, and yet all this spending has failed to buy citizens that one thing that health insurance is supposed to provide, and that is health security. Even those American citizens who have got healthcare coverage think that U.S healthcare system is broken. There are various problems prevailing in this system and these are doubling with time. Tens of millions of people are uninsured, costs are sky high, and the bureaucracy is expanding. Today's job-based insurance system restricts individual's choice of insurance and majority of citizens and residents are tied up with their jobs for fear of losing the medical coverage. United States treats healthcare as a product and distributes and sells to those who can pay the price for it rather than distributing as a social service to those who are in need. The American medical system is highly fragmented with complicated rules and regulations. There are private and public bureaucracies that makes a decision which patient can get what treatment and from which physician (Cutler, 2008). Due to shortcomings of U.S healthcare system, government introduced national healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid tested health and medical services program for certain individuals and families with low incomes and few resources. In addition to it, the physicians proposed for the creation of National Health Insurance program. It would be an improved version of traditional Medicare, and it would cover every citizen. It would save at least $200 billion annually which will be more than enough to cover all of the uninsured people (Himmelstein & Angell, 2003). Physicians and hospitals would not need to carry the burden of expenses of paper work and comply with different rules for multiple insurers. Under a national healthcare program, the financial threat of illness to patients would be eliminated as would current restriction on choice of physicians and hospitals (Hacker, 2007) Approximately, 10,000 doctors, nurses and other officials now participate in the National Health Service Corps, the highest number since the program was established in 1972. They go to rural areas and treat people who need medical care. The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest healthcare system in the world. The principal NHS website states the following as core principle. The NHS was established out of a long term planning that good medical care should be available to all; regardless of what social class they belong. NHS states its three core principles: 1. That it should meet the needs of everyone 2. That it be free at the point of delivery 3. That it be based on clinical need, not ability to pay the price. Views of a functionalist & Conflict Theorist For comparison that how these two theorists would respond to U.S healthcare system and National healthcare programs, it would be beneficial to briefly examine what these theories are about. Functional theorist sets out the society as a structure with integrated parts. According to Functional theory, society functions like a human body. The human body consists of various parts that are dependent on each other and plays an important role for the whole body to function normally. When any one of the part fails to work, it can make the body off balance and may cause death. Similarly, in society, for equilibrium or to achieve balance all aspects of society need to function normally. While on the other hand, Conflict theory attempts to counter functionalism, it argues that societies function so that every individual plays its specific role, like the organs in the human body. It is also known as Marxist social theory which says that individuals belonging to different social classes within society have different amounts of resources (the rich vs. the poor) and that the powerful groups use their power in order to exploit groups with less power. A Functionalist’s point of view to the medical system is that no matter what social class you belong or how much wealthy you are, you will receive the same attention and health care. The hard fact is that poorer people tend to die at younger age than the middle classed people. A recent survey regarding the medical situation in US shows that if the working classed people were as healthy as the middle classed then around 1500 babies who are under the age of one would survive if they had the ability to pay for healthcare. It also showed that if the working classed people aged between 20 – 64 years were as healthy and medically fit as the middle classed people then there would be approximately 17,000 less deaths every year. (Kulesher, 2006). With regards to functional theory, the U.S healthcare system has positive and negative functions. The fundamental problem is that, unfortunately the healthcare system produces some negative functions that are uncovered. As in this system medical care is available only to those who can pay the price and others have to suffer and remain without seeing the healthcare professional, no matter how much they need him. The main problem is unequal distribution of health care by race, ethnicity, social class, or gender. Health care is more available to white or middle-class individuals than to minorities and the poor. On the other hand, functional theory supports in the case of systems that use national healthcare programs. As Medical professionals are in reach of poor people and who are located in rural areas. According to the Conflict Theorist, U.S healthcare system reflects the inequalities in the society. The Bureaucratization privatizations lead to excess cost and it has been rising each year. This theory explains the true picture of U.S healthcare system. Therefore, National Health programs should be opted by the nation in order to provide healthcare to all the citizens of U.S. Conclusion With the system of National healthcare program patients would gain guaranteed coverage access, choice, and improved care. Businesses could concentrate on business, not benefits. Physicians could spend time on patient care rather than administrative tasks. After implementing the national healthcare programs, it provides a great evidence that removing the ability-to-pay factor from health care encourages timely attention to care for those who need and improves health. Employers that provide their employees with additional generous health benefits would realize savings, as their contribution to the national health program would be much less than what they are paying for insurance cost. According to functionalist perspective, the society should jointly function with a combined effort, which may lead to efficient performance. Hence, national healthcare program should be implemented nationwide for a healthier nation.