Health care is a complex and diverse field that includes hospitals, medical practices, pathology clinics, residential health facilities, patient advocacy and allied health professions. The services provided by these sectors include hospital and clinical care, health education, health promotion, primary and secondary health care, and specialized and specialty care.
People in the United States receive health care through employment-based coverage, public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare and individual insurance policies, including those purchased directly from private insurers. About 83 percent of nonelderly Americans have some form of health coverage. This is an improvement over the years, although the rate of uninsured Americans has risen significantly in recent years.
The Benefits of Health Coverage
Purchasing adequate health coverage provides significant benefits that can offset or even eliminate high medical bills, especially those for invasive procedures and prescription drugs. For instance, plans often offer reduced-price generics and free disease management programs that can reduce the cost of treatment for chronic diseases. In addition, having health coverage can put you in a better position to catch or prevent illnesses early on, before they become serious and expensive.
The Costs of Health Care
In the United States, health care is financed through a combination of direct personal expenditures, forgone wages and tax policy. Because of this, there is a large gap between the purchasing power of Americans and the costs of health care. As a result, many Americans are uninsured and face the possibility of bankruptcy in the future because they cannot afford to pay their medical bills.
The cost of healthcare in the United States is more than twice that of Germany and France, which are the two leading countries for per capita health spending in the world. The United States spends more than 18% of its GDP on health care, which is the highest among OECD countries.
Universal Coverage: Improves Life Expectancy
Access to health care is a key element in improving health outcomes and quality of life, and an important determinant of population health. Empirical studies have shown that individuals with access to regular sources of care are more likely to receive care from a primary care physician, see a specialist regularly and experience shorter hospital stays.
Most people who have health insurance report that they have a “regular source of care” where they obtain most of their medical services. This can be a doctor’s office, a hospital emergency room or outpatient clinic or a health plan facility. Ideally, a person’s regular source of care is located in the same community and offers a full range of services.
In most countries, a health care system that relies on public funding through taxation or social contributions is known as a “social insurance” model. This system is typically more cost-effective than a for-profit or private insurance model, and it is simpler to administer.
There are other ways to ensure access to health care, such as improving the quality of health care through better prevention and public health measures. While these strategies are not a substitute for health insurance, they can help to reduce the costs of healthcare and can make access more affordable for all.