Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Proponents of national health insurance propose several hypotheses to support universal coverage. The primary argument is that national health insurance would help to improve the health of the population by increasing access to care (Fuchs, 1991). With national health insurance, more people obtain access to insurance coverage that they could use to access better healthcare. The second hypothesis is that national health insurance would eliminate the negative features of private insurance such as the denial of coverage for those with preexisting conditions (Dalen et al., 2015). According to Dalen et al (2015), the number of Americans without health insurance decreased from 18 percent in July 2013 to 13.4 percent in June 2014 following the adoption of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Proponents of national health insurance also argue that national health insurance would reduce the number of persons living without health insurance, thus reducing differentials across socioeconomic groups (Fuchs, 1991). Another common proposition is that national health insurance helps to lower the cost of prescription drugs by eliminating copays (Dalen et al., 2015). This is particularly beneficial to older citizens, who are more prone to preexisting illnesses that require expensive medication.
Despite these positive arguments, a majority of senior American citizens oppose the Affordable Care Act. The most common argument is that the ACA imposes a cap on Medicare spending, which most senior citizens believe will limit access to proper healthcare. With these cuts on Medicare spending, Medicare payments to doctors will fall below Medicaid rates with each passing year, making senior citizens, who largely depend on Medicare, the least desirable patients. Sources project the cuts documented in the ACA will make it difficult for senior citizens to obtain proper care, which may force them to seek care at safety net hospitals and community health centers (Goodman, 2014).
References
Dalen, J. E., Waterbrook, K., & Alpert, J. S. (2015). Why do So Many Americans Oppose the Affordable Care Act? American Journal of Medicine, 128(8), 807-10.
Fuchs, V. (1991). National Health Insurance Revisited. Health Affairs, 10(4), 7-17.
Goodman, J. C. (2014). What Seniors have to Fear from Obamacare. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngoodman/2014/10/28/what-seniors-have-to-fear-from-obamacare/?sh=501f9b264562
Healthcare Reform List and briefly describe 3 of the recommendations for health care reform made by experts The Annals of Internal Medicine suggests one way to enable more uninsured Americans to afford health insurance is to explore the use of new "revenue sources, including but not limited to savings from capping the tax exclusion of employer-based health insurance, taxing tobacco, and redirecting existing health resources [which] should be mobilized to ensure coverage
Health Care Reform Recommendations Healthcare Reforms and ObamaCare The healthcare system in the United States is not a healthy system, but one fraught with problems which could cause a catastrophic failure. In order to prevent the collapse of the American healthcare system, for years experts have made recommendations in the hope that government officials would implement them. It was not until President Obama pushed through his healthcare bill, called the "Patient Protection
Healthcare Reform Initiatives in California The citizens of California are fortunate to have one of the best healthcare systems in the United States. This paper reviews the laws and initiatives that relate to the healthcare coverage and facilities that are available to Californians. This state has led the way in progressive laws that give consumers the tools to stay as healthy as possible. The Reform Initiatives in California First of all, California was
Healthcare Debate The United States Healthcare Debate Healthcare is necessary for humanity's survival in the best conditions possible. Various countries across the world have different system, with most consisting of an institutionalized or socialist system. However, the United States stands almost unique in its privatized, corporate-oriented and often patient-neglecting healthcare system. Various leaders in our country's history have strived to change this, yet none have been as successful as President Obama, though
Health Care Reform Healthcare reform Current national health care coverage component: Impact on young people (ages 18 to 26) Historically, young adults have a greater likelihood of being uninsured than their older counterparts. They are just starting out in their careers, and often must take jobs with minimal benefits to secure a position. Because they are young and healthy, they may feel that purchasing health insurance is not worth the cost, or simply
Health Care Reform Policies, whatever their nature, constitute very significant aspects to the entities over which they are supposed to act upon. These principles, in their roles of guiding decision making and governing the outcomes of such processes are so vital, especially when properly adopted by the concerned parties. This aspect applies to both the private and the public sector, a case in point being the health care reform policy. Health