Running head: THE FUTURE OF U.S.

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 1

The Future of the U.S. Healthcare System

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The healthcare system is among the most crucial departments that need a lot of

commitment from various stakeholders to deliver better services to people irrespective of their

backgrounds and social status. The United States delivers its healthcare system through various

stakeholders such as private sectors, states, governments, players, insurers, educational and

researchers. However, the country has a faulted system because of the lack of harmonization

between stakeholders that leads to inefficiencies and complexity at the time of healthcare service

delivery. The disintegration of the healthcare system had resulted in financial issues. Therefore,

the United States does not have a national healthcare system and its citizens normally left to

decide the kind of healthcare that is better for them.

The country finances its healthcare system through insurance cover which is offered

through the public or private system. Lack of proper universal healthcare system in the US has

delayed and prevented poor citizens from accessing quality healthcare. Additionally, employers

don’t have freedom of choosing the right medical cover because the policies hinder them to make

better decisions employers (McCracken & Phillips, 2017). The United States has a lot of

healthcare employees that ensure that service is delivered. Possibly, the lack of universal or

national healthcare system in the US has been because of delay or failure of implementation of

healthcare regulations and laws that work with quality service and expenditure.

The US has a very exceptional healthcare system compared to other nations because it

does not have a central body that presides over it and insurance financing is offered through

insurance cover. The country has irregular system and needs universal care provision. Even

though there have been several legislations ratified towards the development of the system, most

of them have not been implemented (Niles, 2018). This is one of the major issues that affect the

US healthcare system currently. The healthcare system does not function as a universal or
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national system but it is controlled through different sectors. The disintegration in the system is

because of the lack of general streamlined financing delivery and payment system. Insurances

only act as mediators between funding and compensation. As a result, it is complex to control the

healthcare system investment costs.

Healthcare system in the US is normally backed by insurance. The employed support

their healthcare through other insurance companies that are privately owned like the MCO which

is paid by companies. The employers are solely the one who makes a decision on the kind of

insurance to be offered to employees that prevent workers from getting their preferred medical

services. Additionally, workers have few options for quality healthcare services because of

limited information and options (Niles, 2018). However, most small employers fail to pay

insurance covers for their employees that hinder them accessing better healthcare services. The

US provides insurance cover such as Medicaid and Medicare to those citizens who are not able

to pay for their medical coverage. This program enables the insurance company to meet a certain

amount whereas the patient meets the bigger a fraction of the cost. The poor and unemployed

people are locked out and the government only finances those who are elderly and special needs.

The healthcare system is controlled by an uneven pattern of access to healthcare.

McCracken & Phillips (2017) found that current healthcare works under intense pressure

to offer quality medical services. The healthcare sector seems to be shifting from the worst state

to a better state. For instance, the sector is known to be moving from illness to wellness in order

to make sure that all citizens get better services and transformation. The government has strived

to give better services through promises of transformation. The health sector develops quality

values and creates conformity with the standards to get better services. American citizens have

high hopes of getting quality services making the healthcare providers improve on service
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provision. Healthcare system and the government have partnered to invest in scientific research

and the use of better technologies that will guarantee better healthcare services. However, lack of

proper coordination and lack of central healthcare leading body has resulted in a failure to get

services like low-income earners, those who are not covered and the poor.

According to McCracken & Phillips (2017), a higher percentage of the US‘s Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) is spent on health care. For instance, in 2015, the US used more than $

1.900 trillion accounting 20% GDP on healthcare system. The country has a serious problem

with inflation because of the health sector. It uses the money on healthcare sector through

payment of physicians and clinicians, scientific research and new technologies, improvement of

healthcare services and delivery of healthcare services. Healthcare service gets money from

citizen’s service payments, insurance providers and the government. The healthcare spending is

supplied from federal funds, local, state and private funds that are why the system is fragmented.

For example, in 2012, private funds provided 50%, the federal government offered 38% and the

states and local funds provided the rest (Niles, 2018).

Most policies and laws have tried to tackle the issue of quality, access, and cost of

healthcare provided in the United States. The present cost of the system is ever increasing

hindering most Americans from accessing quality healthcare. The establishment of modern drugs

and high technologies has resulted in increased cost of healthcare provision. Nonetheless, the

high cost of administration in healthcare has affected the cost of getting services. This has a

negative impact on low-income earners and citizens who are not covered by the insurance

scheme. thus, the public policies and laws that are ratified and guarantee that the elderly, children

and poor can afford better healthcare provided by government insurance (McCracken & Phillips,

2017). The policies and laws developed to ease the cost of healthcare to the disabled, poor
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people, and the elderly will increase the chances of accessing better health care. Most citizens

don’t access better healthcare because they lack enough money to pay for the services. Whereas

the laws and policies encourage the government to lessen the healthcare costs that will make

more people access quality health care.

Future Expected Changes

The future and trend of quality healthcare in America has been a contentious issue among

U.S citizens and politicians. There are many serious problems surrounding the strategic and

future direction the healthcare sector is heading. Some of the challenges include payments,

information technology, sustaining skilled workforce access to better healthcare and

accreditation. If the government does not deal with this issue today, it will present a major effect

and negative impacts on the direction and strategic plan of health care. In 2010, President Obama

implemented the Affordable Care Act which changed and reformed the manner in which

healthcare was run initially (McCracken & Phillips, 2017). After the law was affected, many

Americans started to access quality healthcare and purchased insurance. The previously

uninsured citizens were able to get healthcare services through insurance.

The Americans have shown that they are living longer than before which will complicate

the healthcare industry more. The industry will have problems in developing patient-centered and

centric models. Statistics show that the number of Americans who are above 80 years is 11

million. The number is likely to double after eight years. This means that the country will have

more people with complicated health issues. Healthcare in America is not ready to deal with the

situation. The systems that were developed to deal with people with acute illnesses are already

strained and older people imply that many people will have an acute illness. This will have

serious economic implications. When healthcare cost increases, the cost of living is also
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increasing. The consolidation is projected to take place at a high speed. The future will see that

the impendent and rural hospital will have a problem and may not survive. It is because of this

reason that hospitals will look at ways to side with bigger systems (McCracken & Phillips,

2017). Technology will advance in coordinating treatments in a cheaper manner. Technology and

modernization have failed to advance efficiency and cost, nevertheless, investments will

maintain as the systems create mechanisms to encourage technology. There is sufficient date but

only used occasionally. There is improbability concerning which systems ability and culture that

will link with future generation and millennials. Nevertheless, it widely believed that millennials

will transform healthcare system.

Big hospitals will look for health institutions that will help them develop and expand the

market. The states have shellacked the budgets which will have serious implications on the

healthcare system. Most states will be inundated by the high cost of healthcare responsibilities

and pension. There are high chances that the cost of accessing quality healthcare will continue to

rise. The government attempt to manage and constrict the Medicare and Medicaid spending

makes it difficult for limiting spending. In the future, there will be a lack of correct universal

healthcare system in the US which will delay and prevent poor citizens from accessing quality

healthcare (McCracken & Phillips, 2017). Most employers will not have freedom of choosing the

right medical cover because the policies will deter them to make better decisions. If the

legislation that has been ratified towards the development of the system will not be implemented,

then the healthcare system will continue to have problems. Over the next few years, the shift to

value will occur because of the varying laws and regulations. There are challenges to achieving

this shift in the current system and its uncertain how the new system on a value-based approach

will be.
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Recommendation

The government should put emphasis on health prevention and diseases prevention and

reinvigorate the public health systems. This will reduce the already strained healthcare system.

There is a need to adopt personalized healthcare where patients will be allowed and involved in

healthcare management to handle their own health care. All players in healthcare must strive to

digitize healthcare where most things will be automated to reduce a high number of patients

visiting the health facility. Technology will help in coordinating treatments in a cheaper way.

Utilizing electronic health records (EHR), health information exchange (HIE), personal health

records (PHR) and other information related to health will have incredible impacts on the

people’s health and healthcare. Scientists and medical practitioners should customize drugs for

patients who have chronic diseases (Niles, 2018). Healthcare system and the government will

have to partner and invest in scientific research and the use of better technologies that will

guarantee better healthcare services.

Conclusion

The healthcare system is an important sector for the economy of any country. The US

spends around 16% of GDP on healthcare alone. The healthcare system in the US is unique

because lacks leading body and stakeholders like insurance companies, government and private

sector to manage it. The finances, service delivery and payment are arbitrated by insurance

companies. The medical payments are done through insurance covers denying citizens the

opportunity to choose better health services. The government provides insurance to those who

are not covered through Medicare. The laws and policies of quality, access, and cost might

improve the healthcare services where all people can get better health care. However, there are

challenges associated with the future of healthcare. There are numerous serious troubles
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surrounding the strategic and future direction the healthcare sector is heading. The country has a

blundered healthcare system because of the lack of coordination between stakeholders that result

to inefficiencies and complexity at the time of healthcare service delivery. Some of the

challenges include payments, information technology, sustaining skilled workforce access to

better healthcare and accreditation. Additionally, there will be more aged people who will require

special medication.
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References

McCracken, K., & Phillips, D. R. (2017). Global health: An introduction to current and future

trends. Routledge.

Niles, N. J. (2018). Navigating the U.S. healthcaresystem.