Healthcare in the United States (US) has been a hot topic for many years, so it is no surprise the current candidates in the Presidential election cycle has it on their agendas. Both parties continuously attempting to convince the populace they know what is best for the nation and its healthcare spending. In recent history, there has been historical legislation passed in the attempt to curb the out of control spending. In this paper I will be addressing several major areas of the current healthcare spending crisis the United States including the status of the healthcare spending in the US, some of the trends with are deficits in national healthcare spending, and finally where I predict the healthcare spending trends of our nation will be leading us in the future.
The National Center for Health Statistics estimated that in 2014, the US spent approximately 3 trillion dollars on healthcare (National Center for Health Statistics, 2016). This equates to $9,523 per capita and is 17.5% of the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as opposed to 1980 when healthcare made up 9% of the GDP. Similarly, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare spending increased to 5.5% or 20% of the National Health Expenditure (NHE), Medicaid spending increased to 11.0% or 16% of the NHE, private health insurance spending increased to 4.4% or 33% of the NHE and out of pocket health spending grew to 1.3% or 11% of the total NHE during that same time period. One of the
The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the current level of national healthcare expenditures and to determine if we as Americans are spending too much on healthcare. The author of this paper will provide examples and solutions where we as a nation should add or cut from the healthcare expenditures. This paper will also detail how the general public's healthcare needs are being paid for, the biggest economic healthcare challenge, why the challenge should be addressed, and how this challenge to be financed.
Health care spending in the United States has taken a toll on the federal financial budget (Minott, 2008; Stone & Hoffman, 2010). According to the National Center for Health Statistics, hospitalizations are costly, accounting for approximately 32 percent of total health care cost, additionally the total national health cost in 2014 was at $ 3 trillion (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016). Reports generated by the Congressional Budget Office (2010), compared the Medicare spending between the dedicated funding and estimated an increase of $518.5 billion to $929.1 billion between 2010 and 2020 (as cited by Stone & Hoffman, 2010). According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), approximately one in five
as defensive medicine practice, new technology, malpractice lawsuit and the uninsured. New technology is the biggest factor of the rising cost of healthcare to treated patient of their illness. New technologies have seemed to be the driving force of high healthcare cost in America. The technology accounts for 38 to 65 percent of healthcare spending in America (Johnson, 2011). The annual spending of health care increased from 75 billion in 1970 to 2.0 trillion in 2005 and is estimated to reach 4.0 trillion in 2015 (Kaiser Foundation, 2013). U.S. citizens spent 5,267 per capita for health care in 2002- 53 percent more than any other country” (2005). “America spent 5267 per capita and in Switzerland they spent 3074 per capita” about 1821 cheaper than ours (Starfield, B 2010). Controlling the technology isn’t easy thing to do because of technology prices are set by manufacturing and the installer of the new medical equipment’s. However, there other way
According the Department of Health and Human Services, total health care spending in the U.S. reached $2.3 trillion in 2008, or $7,681 per person. As a share of GDP, healthcare expenditures set a new record of 16.2 percent. That’s double the 8.1 percent share of GDP in 1975, and it is triple the 5.2 percent share of GDP in 1960. (Perry, 2010) Last year in 2012, total U.S. health care spending hit $2.807 trillion, or $8,948 per person. (Geisel, 2013) Its rate of increase has been relatively low since 2009, at
The single most important impetus for healthcare reform throughout recent history has been rising costs (Sultz, 2006). In the book called The healing of America: a global quest for better, cheaper, and fairer health care, Reid wrote that the nation’s health care system has become excessively expensive, ineffective, and unjust. Among the world’s developed nations, the US ranks near the bottom for healthcare access and quality. However, the US ranks at the top for health expenditure as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and average of $7,400 per person (Reid, 2010). Therefore, Americans are spending
How did American healthcare become big business? Some blame the lack of government regulation, that which allows medical industries to profit off of sick or injured patients. Others point fingers at those who benefit from government sponsored healthcare, claiming that tax increases and excessive use of government money are the true root of the problem. In Elisabeth Rosenthal’s An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take it Back, the acclaimed journalist (and licensed physician) explores the growing link between healthcare and profit. Rosenthal expertly analyzes the rise of profit-driven insurance agencies, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies; as well as describes the effect that these institutions
The healthcare policies in Mexico and the United States are similar in that both healthcare systems utilize a combination of public and private insurance (freecontentweb.com). Healthcare has rapidly become an important topic in many countries. This comparison will focus on similarities in healthcare reform, healthcare insurance availability, healthcare access, and healthcare cost of both countries. Prior to healthcare reform in the US and Mexico, millions of people did not have access to health care due to the cost and lack of insurance. Healthcare reform was established to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care in both countries. Even though health care reform made insurance coverage available in both the private and public sector, access of care is limiting. As a result, patients find it difficult to get appointments when they need care. In addition, many patients continue to struggle with the cost of healthcare. Although both countries have some similarities related to healthcare, obvious differences exist.
One of the issues that is widely discussed and debated concerning the United States economy is the healthcare system. Unlike in the majority of developed and developing countries, the healthcare system in the United States is not public, meaning that the state does not provide free or cheap healthcare services. This paper addresses many of the factors contributing to the rising cost of healthcare.
Today, health care issues within the United States are still a major concern in regards to where people of our communities do not always agree with what is being done and what is not being done. The three major issues with health care spending is how much is it going to cost and where is the money going to come from? The amount of per-patient costs have doubled more in the United States than other nations around us. The last issue is the amount of Americans that has no health care at all. This paper will discuss the healthcare expenditures that is necessary for our entire population.
What is the real and perceived performance of the U.S. health care system? Are the views different among patients, providers, payers, and policy makers? Why or why not?
The United States spends a lot of money on health care and people are starting to notice. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was not only supposed to make health care more accessible, but also more affordable. Despite that health care spending has continued to increase and people across the country are voicing a growing concern about what it costs to keep themselves and their families healthy. Politicians on both sides of the party lines speak often and with passion about this health care crisis in America. Everyone agrees that health care takes up too much of the economic pie, but despite the enormity of this problem no one can agree on just why that is and how exactly go about fixing this crisis.
“The amount people pay for health insurance increased 30 percent from 2001 to 2005, while income for the same period of time only increased 3 percent.” (Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). The rising cost of healthcare is a huge problem in America today. In this paper I will analyze the different issues and causes for the increase in cost.
In the United States the rates of medical costs are skyrocketing. Even, though this is a wide span issue across many nations. Health care costs are the highest within the U.S. This issue is based upon life expectancy and infant mortality which help to produce the average rates across the board in our country. We as Americans with good health insurance coverage may get the best medical treatment in the world, but we are still below the average of other major industrial countries. the performance of the United States health care system as compared to 191 other countries was ranked 37th. This is according to the World Health Organization’s 2000 report on the
America is without a question the leading country of medical and scientific advances. There always seem to be a new medical breakthrough every time you watch the news or read the paper, especially in the cure of certain diseases. However, the medical research requires an enormous amount of money. The U.S. spends the most money on health care yet many people, mainly the working class Americans are still without any type of health insurance and thus are more susceptible to health risks and problems. The concept of health insurance for Americans was formulated over a century ago. Most Americans obtain health insurance from
The healthcare system plays a key role in the economic stability of our country, as every year trillions are spent in attempt to combat disease and health issues that plaque humanity. As it makes up a significant amount of the expenditures in the economy, so the costs associated with health care of those in pain from illness and injury, including lost productivity, increased need of assistance in living and also the cost of death in some cases, is important to the economic stability and over all standard of living in our country. The key to economic prosperity is balancing the need for care with the costs of illness to keep as many people healthy and well without breaking the bank of collective society. The costs of healthcare have been increasingly problematic in recent years with so many issues surrounding the current system. With the “total health care spending in the United States expected to reach $4.8 trillion in 2021, up from $2.6 trillion in 2010 and $75 billion in 1970, meaning that health care spending will account for nearly 20 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), or one-fifth of the U.S. economy, by 2021” (Aetna). With this in mind it is apparent that as we look at the trillion-dollar industry of the medical community it seems that it needs to be a major focus of our nation as a whole and with the many issues come many creative solutions. First let us analyze the reasons behind the current cost and the major problems facing this industry and than discus what