Overview of the United State Healthcare
According to Zhang et al (2013), the United States government in recent years has spent more of its budget allocations on healthcare, hence making it the most expensive system in the world. There is no national body or set of policies guiding the health care system; all states divide their responsibilities among various agencies, while providers practicing in the same community and caring for the same patients often work independently from one another. Furthermore, the fragile primary care system is on the verge of collapse. Though the government spends a lot on Health, it still lags behind the other countries in providing every citizen with health coverage.
The basic characteristics of United State healthcare are: the delivery system is based on technology whereby patient records are in the database and operations are done using advanced technology. The U.S. healthcare system is not centrally controlled and it therefore has a variety of payment methods such as insurance and health c are is financed both publicly and privately. The healthcare of United State is the most expensive and the government allocation is the largest compared to other countries in the world. It is delivered under unstable market conditions; in the United States, even though the delivery of services is largely in private hands, free market forces in a way govern health care. Conflict in the healthcare; the theory of market justice results in the unequal allocation of health care services, ignoring the critical human concerns that are not bound to the individual but have broader, negative impacts on society.
In addition to the characteristics: select ive healthcare insurance; unlike countries with national health plans providing general access, the United States’ access to health care services is limited. The United State government upholds the private healthcare sector. Many players; and the problem is that the self-interests of each player are often in the contrary to each other. Influenced by legal risks; pro viders of healthcare are bound to comply with the law in place governing the health sector. Integration and accountability; providers of healthcare are meant to uphold ethics, providing quality health care in an efficient manner. The outlined features draw a margin of difference between US HealthCare with that of other countries globally.
According to Wenke, et al (2013), the external forces include; political factors, environmental factors, socio-cultural values, economic growth, technological development, global factors and demographic factors. External forces are factors that cover a wide area, including environmental calamities such as floods and therefore their control is beyond the healthcare system.
Cost of Healthcare
In the view of Loigon, et al (2013), there healthcare in the United States has funded more compared to others in the world. This is the unique characteristic compared to other countries. The government has always allocated more funds to the sector of health even though it still lags behind in terms of controlling mortality rate and the general health of its population. Americans are required to purchase health insurance using their personal or private funds. Due to the increase in the unemployment rate, in recent years, many people’s purchasing power was reduced, which implies that a big part of the population lacked health insurance coverage. In reference to the highlights of Loigon, et al (2013), many people in the United States prefer the emergency treatment service, in which the government pays for it.
Environmental Factors
Hess et al (2014), state that environmental factors cover a wide range of issues like air pollution, general sanitation and global warming. These factors are related to the use of biofuels and opening up of numerous industries, which emit dangerous fumes and poisonous gases into the atmosphere. This has led to global warming, which can generally be defined as a change in the weather patterns. In reference to the delivery of healthcare, many chronic diseases have come up and they have posed a challenge towards fighting these new diseases. This implies that the government allocates many of the funds towards researching and developing new modernized medicines.
In the view of Zhang et al (2013), global warming, which is a constituent factor in the environment has indirect impact on health. Such that, droughts may occur and can lead to hunger and malnourishment or through floods whereby, disease outbreaks are a major result. Therefore, this will make the implementation of healthcare policy to be slow because such situations are treated as emergencies. Climate change is a broad subject that requires urgent scientific intervention to avoid spread of controllable diseases.
Impact on ACA 2010
Environmental Factors
According to Lane et al (2013), the healthcare ACT 2010 was passed by the congress in the year 2010 and enacted by the president. The law, if properly implemented will ensure that every citizen is provided with an affordable treatment and create awareness on the importance of accessing quality healthcare. Pollution of the environment through the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere is a major threat to the health of human beings. This factor has many impacts towards the implementation of the ACT 2010, this is because many chronic diseases would arise which require urgent attention, thus amendment of the law. Since the year, 2010 to date many health issues have risen especially due to global warming and this law might not be in a position to address the current issues. For instance, in 2010, HIV/AIDS was the most vulnerable disease but of recent cancer has become the major threat and causative of many deaths. Thus, the law might take time in its implementation process due to the continuous changes on health.
Cost of Healthcare
The increase in population means an increase in funds allocated in the healthcare sector. Given the current allocation, United States is rated as the most expensive in terms of the healthcare sector. To an extent, the government may be forced to increase its foreign debt hence increasing its deficit. When the government increases its borrowing it means that, its revenues are becoming limited. Therefore, it implies that the government will have to reduce its allocation on healthcare, which in turn will affect the implementation of the law.
Summary
In summary, there are many external forces on health, of which they determine the delivery system used by the government. The environmental factor discussed in broad view shows how such factors can hinder the implementation of the law. It is at this simple logic that the United States has allocated most of its funds towards improving the health of citizens. Two factors discussed in broad view above, requires close consideration in order to ensure that the healthcare passed recently is fully implemented without failure. Due to the rapid changes in the environment in terms of pollution, the government requires to put good measures in place. Such measures are to ensure that eruptions of new chronic diseases are curbed and therefore reducing the burden on economy in fighting new diseases. From the research, American health care delivery system delivers low quality and high-cost care and therefore in order to achieve a higher-performing health system reorganization of the whole sector has to be done.
References
Duliere, V., Zhang, Y., Salathe, E. P. (2013). Changes In Twentieth –Century Extreme Temperature And Precipitation Over The Western United States Based On Observations And Regional Climate Model Simulations. Journal of Climate. 26(21) Pp. 8556-8575
Hess, J. J., Schramm, P. J., Luber, G. (2014). Extending Public Health: The Rockefeller Sanitary Commission and Hookworm in the American South. American Journal of Public Health. 104(3) Pp. 22-30
Lane, D. R., Richard, C., Buddemeier, R. W., Martinich, J. A., Shouse, K. C., Wobus, C. W. (2013). Quantifying and Valuing Potential Climate Change Impacts On Coral Reefs in the United States. Journal of Environmental Impact Analysis. 8(12) Pp. 1-13
Loignon, C., Hudon, C., Boudreault, A., Dupere, S.,Macaulay, A., Pluye, P., Gaboury, I., Haggerty, J., Fortin, M., Goulet, E., Lambert, M., Pelissier-Simard, L., Boyer, S., de Laat, M., Lemire, F., Champagne, L., Lemieux, Martin. (2013). BMC Health Services Research. Community Health Services. 13(1) Pp. 1-8.
Wenke .H., Jongwha .C., LaClair, M., Paz, H. (2013). Effects of Integrated Delivery System on Quality and Cost. American Journal of Managed Care. 19(5) Pp. 175-184
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