The Health Care System in the United States

Over the years the average cost of national health expenditure has slowly risen from a modest $253.40 billion in 1980 to an estimated $4,600 billion in 2020; The average health care expenditure has also nearly doubled since 1980, going from 9.1% to a projected19,8% in 2020, The United States has had generally rising health expenditures per capita averaging to twice as much as other developed and industrialized countries, Oddly enough, with this statistic, we as a nation achieve less for it as the healthcare outcomes are poor despite the huge expenditures.

As a Mayo Clinic Chief Executive said, “We are not getting what we pay fort” The average American can attest to that. To put the issue at hand into perspective, it helps to look at the issues which plague our concerns.

Firstly, in 2010 Commonwealth Fund Report ranked the United States last in health care performance among six other developed nations in the following categories: Quality, efficiency, access to care, equity, and the individual’s ability to lead long, healthy, and productive lives At current, 75% of all money spent in healthcare is spent on the treatment of preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease, to add to the fact that our healthcare is garbage in relation to other nations.

Some argue, including myself, that money spent in healthcare needs to be focused on preventive healthcare and wellness activities, This would imply a large-scale restructuring of the way the citizens of the United States care for themselves, but it is possible along a lengthy timeline. The pros to doing so would keep the people healthier A simple example to demonstrate why preventive health care might be a better approach would be the state of bridges currently in the state of Georgia.

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At this very moment, the state has an average of 60% of its bridges at a maintenance level that is subpar, leading to many accidents and casualties over the years. It is much more expensive to repair the bridge once it has collapsed and taken lives with it, than it is to periodically inspect and repair the bridges, The infrastructure of the state is comparable to the current state of our citizens and health care structure. The US Health Care system has become a shadow to the systems of many other countries. About 75 million (out of about 300 million) lack health insurance or are uninsured, which leads to limited access to health care services. The underlying cause of this is the high cost of health insurance premiums for an average family of four and the quality of health care compared to the payments are silly and unfitting. The citizens in recent years have had a few instances where health insurance has become more available to them, like the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act to try and solve the problem, but many are still left uninsured.

The lowest 20% quartile of citizens can still barely afford the coverage, creating another massive gap in health care coverage Obviously the Affordable Health Care Act of 2010 has had a great effect and could continue to help many citizens, but the people of the United States need to adopt a healthier lifestyle if the Federal Government is going to impose preventive health care. A strategy needs to be enacted that encourages individuals to maintain a healthier lifestyle. By avoiding salty, sugary, and fatty foods, many illnesses will weed themselves out. Diabetes will not run so rampant in our country, nor will obesity. The issue is that unhealthy foods are so easily available to us at every street corner and it is, in most cases, cheaper than healthier alternatives, such as fruit. To effectively sway people from buying from a McDonalds, the issue needs to be addressed from both the consumer and producer side.

Firstly, large fast-food chains need to be gotten rid of in the United States. That may sound extreme, but so is the nations concern for healthier lives, For example, taking away McDonalds will rid the temptation of grabbing a cheap burger because it is hot, ready quickly, and convenient. As much as we would like to think that people can pick up an apple over a burger, the truth of the matter is that people indulge and do not stop until most times it is taking a toll on the longevity of their life. Secondly, once fast food chains are entirely gone, a tax on foods that are unhealthy needs to be in effect. We get rid of a fast food chain and have fought only half the battle, The next half is the Ramen Cups, the chips, and the soda.

If a tax is placed on these products, consumers will find another reason to turn to healthier alternatives. Yes, fruit for example, might still be more expensive, but when compared to a bottle of soda that is 3 times the cost of the apple, the decision slowly becomes more obvious. If some consumers are still willing to consume the soda, then so be it; in effect, those individuals will have to eventually find themselves paying for healthcare that is not preventive. The solutions can be quite effective over time, however people like their sugar and fat In simple terms, the transition will not be efficient until the vast majority of people come to the understanding that enough is enough Our children are getting fatter every year and obesity is becoming more of an issue in the United States, more than any nation, faster than ever before.

This takes options away from the consumers so their economic freedom is limited, but this is something for the greater good of our community and the reputation of our country If we allow fast»food to take over our country like it continually has over the years, where will it stop? The United States already faces terrible health care will skyrocketing prices. To prevent the furthering of this, people can begin leading healthier lives which in turn makes them happier, more productive, more efficient. The only way to get to this ideal state is to take away options that do nothing more than provide convenience, provide healthier options, and heavily tax foods that we know are bad for us. If we are taking away some economic freedom, then so be it; People will live longer and that is something that is priceless.