Unexpected Expenses Over the Last

Unexpected Expenses

Over the last several years, health care costs have been dramatically rising. As, this is accounting for: 16% of the total amounts of GDP spending, with this number expected to double by 2020. For many people, this is troubling because these kinds of spikes will mean that they will have less disposable income. At the same time, many of the different insurance companies have engaged in a number of tactics to reduce their underlying costs. A few of the most notable include: not covering specified services and limiting what they will pay for. These factors are important, because they are leading to vast disparities in America. As the majority of people will have lower amounts of coverage or none at all. Evidence of this can be seen with the total number of Americans who have no health care coverage whatsoever (with this sitting at 47 million). This is problematic, because as these costs begin to rise there will be more limitations placed on what will be covered by insurance carriers. Over the course of time, this will lead to an increase in the total number of bankruptcies, with most people claiming that health care costs are the contributing factor for their financial nightmare. ('Summary," 2007)

A common theme of many conservatives in the media is to point out how the United States has the best health care system in the world. As, they will claim that there are more treatment options available because of: breakthroughs using technology in conjunction with improved scientific knowledge. This is a part of a larger effort to provide the best overall solutions to consumers through the free market system. ("Facts on the U.S. Health Care Crisis," 2006)

However, when you look beneath the surface, it is clear that the U.S. is lagging behind the majority of the developed world. As, they are currently ranked lower than: France, Canada, Japan, Australia, Great Britain and other EU nations when it comes to the quality and price for health care services. This means that Americans are dealing with larger amounts of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Evidence of this can be seen with a study that was conducted by the OECD. They found that that only 49% of American adults are receiving the proper screenings and recommended preventive care. This has caused those who are living above the age of 60, to face the possibility of spending the last several years of their life dealing with: a disability or complication from any of the above conditions. ("Facts on the U.S. Health Care Crisis," 2006)

As a result, everyone that is living under the current system must realize that the U.S. has a number of different weaknesses, strengths and risks. The combination of the weaknesses and risks are improving the chances that some kind of financial crisis could occur. The reason why, is because the rising costs are eating away at the financial foundation of families who are in need of these services. As the risks facing the system, are illustrating how the weaknesses could negate any kind of positive benefits. For families, this means that they must take steps to protect themselves in the event of a crisis. ("Facts on the U.S. Health Care Crisis," 2006)