American healthcare system

Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: American Healthcare System American Health Care.

Long-Term Solutions to Lower Drug and Medical Costs. Integrated Disease Management and Pharmacy Benefit Management Services. 2011. Web.

18 Oct. 2011. The author notes that various executives in the healthcare industry have tried measures such as introducing better discount rates, lowering the administration costs and offering higher rebates to reduce the net medical costs and the net-drug costs. He then proceeds to examine why some plans have worked better than others have. He notes that health plans, which have worked, have incorporated transparency, formulary strategies such as direct-to-consumer advertising, and using evidence based drugs and best practice when making decisions. The author notes that establishing a special proprietary data system for qualified suppliers to distribute highly subsidized drugs could ease the cost of the drugs.

The author notes that healthcare practitioners should have a direct relationship with their patients so that they can achieve their objectives. Some people in the healthcare industry have forgotten the basics of their vocation, which is to help people with their medical problems. They have instead chosen to concentrate on acquiring more profit for themselves. The authors are right on target to highlight the issue. I will use the source to highlight some of the reasons why American healthcare providers are failing in service delivery Baron, David.

Problems with the American Health Care System. 28 July 1998. Web. 18 Oct. 2011 According to the author, the problems in the healthcare industry are caused by a restricted market. The author notes that the insurance industry aims at making profits. The market has several restrictions. Some of the restrictions include the inability of consumers to switch between the alternative insurance providers.

Insurance providers take advantage of the fact that insurance cannot switch their plans and they provide poor services such as slow resolution of claims, and lack of good information and consistent policy. The author proposes the establishment of a free market where insurance providers would be restricted from offering discounts to employers and allowing people to switch between different plans. The author also proposes that employees should be free to choose the plans they want.

The author also recommends universal insurance and the provision of vouchers for insurance. The author is right when he proposes a free market type of system in the health insurance industry since it would encourage competition. Whenever there is high competition, the sellers aim at improving the services and products they provide. This means that a free market type of system will encourage other insurance providers to provide better and competitive plans to their clients. I will use the article to show some of the ways through which insurance providers can play a role in improving the healthcare system.

Fink, Sheri. “ U. S. Health Care System Unprepared for Major Nuclear Emergency.

” The Washington Post, 7 April 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011 The author notes that America is not ready to deal with a nuclear emergency incase it occurs. According to the author, hospitals do not have enough medications to handle the emergency. It stopped stocking the required medication because it would not be effective in case of emergency. Officials note that the country lacks enough materials to evacuate and treat people in case they are exposed to radiation. To complicate the matters further, America has started shipping off some of the stockpiles to Japan because of the nuclear emergency.

It is necessary for the government to offer public education. People need to know what to do incase of emergency and it is the government’s responsibility to do this. The authors note that “ not knowing what to do would be especially harmful to those who are least likely to be able to get out of harm’s way” (Fink n. pag.).

The article discusses an important feature, especially in the wake of terror threats, where terrorists are likely to use all manner of weapons that are at their disposal. The article raises an important issue. It is clear that the government is not prepared to handle a nuclear emergency and that many people would suffer if it occurred. Fox, Maggie.

“ U. S. Scores Dead Last Again in Healthcare Study.” Thomson Reuters, 23 June 2010. Web.

18 Oct. 2011. The author uses research involving six countries conducted by the Commonwealth Fund. The research focuses on the health care systems in Canada, New Zealand, Britain, Netherlands, Australia and Germany. It compares data collected over a period of three years. The report measures elements of healthcare, which include “ quality, efficiency, access to care, equity and the ability to lead long, healthy and productive lives” (Fox n.

pag.). The author notes that although Americans spend a lot of money in healthcare, they do not get quality services. The author notes that Americans ranked last on safety and quality. She further notes that Americans do not access healthcare because of high costs. The report indicates that Americans who do have chronic diseases do not have faith in their healthcare system.

The author notes that although Americans have higher rates of obesity than the other countries, they did not smoke as much. The report further indicated that America was the only country where the citizens were not covered. There are many factors involved in the provision of healthcare. The report compares America with other countries, which have a low population. America is a populous and vast country with a complex political system and this complicates the provision of healthcare. I will use the article to illustrate that there are many factors involved in the provision of healthcare.

Although the country may rank is some of the criteria studied, it may fare better in other areas. Garson, Arthur. “ The US Healthcare System 2010.

” Problems, Principles, and Potential Solutions, 101. 16 (2000) 215-222. Print The author begins by noting that the American health care system has been broken for a long time. He notes that the attempts to rescue the fallen system have not been successful. Instead, premiums have continued escalating over the years to a point where many people cannot afford to pay them, thus leaving many people uninsured.

The author perceives that in the nest ten years, the situation will get worse if left unchecked. If the trend continues, employers will be compelled to cut employee benefits so that they can reduce their expenses (Garson 217). The author proposes measures such as universal insurance, which will ensure that all Americans have access to different cover plans. He also proposes public-private ownership to provide the required services and he sees this as a brilliant idea of rescuing the system. It is important for every person to be insured. Some of the benefits of universal insurance include avoidance of premature deaths and more access to health care. Some people die because they cannot afford to see the doctor and follow up on their treatment.

This can be avoided if the government can take the initiative to ensure that all the people are insured. Klein, Ezra. “ Ten Reasons Why American Health Care is so Bad.” The American Prospect, Inc. Nov 2 2007. Web. 18 Oct.

2011 The author highlights the healthcare system in America and compares the statistics with statistics from Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and new Zealand. He notes that America is the highest spending country yet it does not pay doctors what they are worth. He also notes that many Americans do not get healthcare and many of them do not have a regular physician. Other observations include the fact that doctors do not listen to their patients and healthcare is not convenient. Americans suffer the most from chronic diseases yet these diseases are not treated properly. The results also indicate that many people have been victims of medical, medication and lab errors.

The results also show that many American are not satisfied with the current healthcare system. Some of the reasons given do not paint a clear and realistic picture of the health care system. For instance, one of the reasons given is that doctors do not listen to the patients. This is not entirely true since the doctor has to know what is ailing the patient before he can treat him.

Many people come from different parts of the world to be treated in America. Some of those people suffer from chronic diseases. America is at the forefront of ensuring that it continues to find the right treatment. Taylor, Humphrey and Morrison, Ian. “ The Incredible and Wasteful Complexity of the US Healthcare System.” The Health Care Blog. 2011.

Web. 18 Oct. 2011 The authors note that many people find the healthcare debate confusing. They do not understand some of the issues since they are conflicting. The American healthcare system is seen as the most complicated and bureaucratic arrangement in the world. Many Americans who have health insurance are covered by self-insured plans from different companies. Each of the insurance companies has different designs. The authors note that the problems in the healthcare system lie in the system itself and not on the doctors or the hospitals.

They note that many people are likely to find the health reforms more complicated since they do not understand the current system. It is important for the government to continue educating the people concerning the health reform bill. Many people oppose or support the bill yet they are not sure of the contents. People need to know how the proposed reform will affect them. On the other hand, the government should establish a simpler health care system. Works Cited: American Health Care.

Long-Term Solutions to Lower Drug and Medical Costs. Integrated Disease Management and Pharmacy Benefit Management Services, 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011 Baron, David. Problems with the American Health Care System, 28 July 1998. Web. 18 Oct.

2011 Fink, Sheri. “ U. S. Health Care System Unprepared for Major Nuclear Emergency.” The Washington Post, 7 April 2011, Web. 18 Oct.

2011 Fox, Maggie. “ U. S. Scores Dead Last Again in Healthcare Study.” Thomson Reuters, 23 June 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2011 Garson, Arthur.

“ The US Healthcare System 2010.” Problems, Principles, and Potential Solutions, 101. 16 (2000): 215-222.

Print Klein, Ezra. Ten Reasons Why American Health Care is so Bad. The American Prospect, Inc, Nov 2 2007. Web.

18 Oct. 2011 Taylor, Humphrey and Morrison, Ian. “ The Incredible and Wasteful Complexity of the US Healthcare System.” The Health Care Blog, 2011. Web.

18 Oct. 2011