I am currently a junior studying abroad in Argentina, with a double major in CHE and Spanish, so I still have much to learn about the US Healthcare system but...
The need for a reform in the US healthcare system has become more and more evident within the last several years. Much of the American population is without health insurance or do not have enough health insurance to cover their expenses. Many people then attempt to pay for these costs out of pocket only to fail and in turn, end up missing preventative measures, treatments or follow-up appointments, and ruining their lives and credit in the mean time. In the long run, this ends up costing much more than if preventative action was taken in the first place!
Precisely because of this, I feel that the US should turn to Universal coverage. Currently, the US is one of the only industrialized nations without universal coverage. Instead of focusing on treatment, the US needs to be more prevention-oriented, so illness and disease don’t occur in the first place (ideally). Patients would consult with doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals by means of primary and secondary prevention, which would help keep costs down as well as being able to provide health care for all Americans. With lower costs, more services would be available to larger populations of people, which would improve access. It really is a cycle, in which effort for reform really will pay off in the end. Hopefully those in the position to make a big change see this opportunity and take advantage of it before more people lost the coverage they have.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I love the concept of universal care, but I'm not sure that the economy could handle such a drastic overhaul at this time. I think it would be more effective to take smaller steps in the direction of universal care so that people and businesses can begin to adjust their budgets and practices.
ReplyDeleteI agree with lauren. I am not sure if universal coverage is going to work in the US economy right now, but i do agree that we need to focus on preventive care.
ReplyDeleteI was just curious to see how they do things differently in Argentina?? Is there some sort of universal coverage available for people there??
ReplyDeleteThere are developed countries around the world that are using an effective health care system in which individuals aren't going bankrupt paying for their medical bills. It is frustrating to live in a country with such slow progression on health care reform.
ReplyDelete