Our Current State

The structure of the healthcare system in the United States has been fairly stable for about fifty years while the population demographics, economy, and needs within healthcare have changed dramatically at a very fast rate.  Because of this, the policy and structure of our healthcare system has not been able to stay at pace with the population changes.  So, although need for health insurance is very high, the system is not currently equipped (in its current state) to manage such. 

Our current rate of uninsured individuals is comprised of people with various motivations for not having insurance.  A great majority of these are not offered insurance through their employer and cannot afford the cost of private coverage that is not subsidized by an employer.  Others (normally those that are very healthy) may not find paying for health insurance a high priority.  And since our hospitals will triage any emergent issue, regardless of insurance coverage, many people chose to only use those services and pay the fees associated with the care.  Finally, a growing portion of our uninsured population includes immigrants that do not qualify for private or public coverage.

Recently, the U.S. has made healthcare reform a priority and the government should be doing a better job of ensuring coverage for all citizens the way that many other developed nations are able to do.  Our government spends exorbitant amounts of money on healthcare, yet we are not helping those individuals that truly need care.  Quite possibly, the allocation of these funds are not appropriated well and could be better re-apportioned to assist more people.  One possible solution to this issue is to create a national healthcare system.  However, implementing one such as the UK’s system will take time and will require a large initial monetary investment.  The current infrastructure will not be able to immediately accommodate the amount of people or need that exists in this country

Perhaps this financial requirement is another one of the reasons that the government has avoided switching to such a system.  Yet, in a world where preventative care is more valuable than simple treatments for acute illness, it is essential to take steps to ensure that all people within the nation are covered by health insurance.