American value and health care policy

United States government has been concerned with the running of the health care to a point of establishing Medicare more than 40 years ago to facilitate the running of the health care institution. Since then, the government has had a role to play toward ensuring that American citizens get access to better health care facilities. There has been remarkable improvement in provision of health care for the last 50 years as the United States government has ensured that the quality of health care is enhanced, it’s more accessible and affordable to all people.

Effective treatment of various diseases has been discovered due to the fact that the government has constantly been sponsoring researches to be carried out in molecular biology thereby enhancing the understanding of a number of diseases. (Anderson, Hussey, Frogner and Waters, 2005) State intervention toward the running and management of health care in United States lagged behind the intervention of Europe which was the first to be concerned with the running of their health care systems.

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In the ancient days, clinical training and medical education in United States had not been standardized until the state intervened toward standardizing the health care institution at the end of the 19th century. A board that would license examination began to be formed in 1870’s and came to be in operation in 1898 in all states. Many people enrolled in the medical schools and by 1900, 10% of physicians who were practicing in America had graduated from the already established medical institutions following the establishment of the licensing examination board.

Flexner Report and American Medical Association ensured more medical practitioners graduated from the already established medical institutions and in fact, 20 years later, all medical practitioners who were practicing in United States had graduated from these institutions. (Woolhandler, Campbell and Himmelstein, 2003) The government of United States also has facilitated the provision of health care facilities in United States of America by ensuring there is a considerable national health insurance system.

The history of national health insurance date back in 1915 when an association of about 3,500 professionals that included: lawyers, academicians and social scientists proposed the scheme. The American Association of labor Legislation drafted a bill that was proposing that the state to bring forward health legislation that would be compulsory. (Anderson, Hussey, Frogner and Waters, 2005) The government of has been very supportive on the issue of national health insurance scheme that would benefit the American citizens.

A security Act was signed in1935 by then the president of United States of America President Roosevelt which brought about the issue of renewing the discussion of coming up with a governmental national insurance scheme. Later on, Senator Wagner attempted to introduce a bill that was meant to outline a federal health program that would serve all the American citizens in 1939. However, his efforts failed to bear fruits as the bill never gathered enough support that is required for enactment of a bill.

The efforts of the legislator to come up with a bill that would facilitate the provision of health care did not end there. In early 1950’s during Truman administration, a health care bill was revived and this time as Ewing proposal. The bill despite being submitted to the congress for action and enactment, nothing was heard of it and those efforts did not bear any fruit. (Anderson, Hussey, Frogner and Waters, 2005) The role of the government on provision and running of health care systems in United States came to right in 1965 after President Lyndon Johnson signed a health bill thereby creating Medicare.

Since then, provision of health care in United States has never been the same and all American citizens have had the access to better medical care within their reach. (Feldman, 2001) There has been significance growth of national health care and Medicare costs that are said to have been contributed by: ? Newly introduced diagnostic equipments and facilities. ? Increased population especially of the elderly people which is projected to increase to about 45 millions in ten year’s time. ? Administrative costs that are rapidly increasing. ? Advancement of medical technology which is advancing day by day, and

? Advancement of surgical procedures such as hip replacement and coronary artery bypass. A number of medical equipments were discovered that have significantly added value to the overall provision of medical care in United States. These equipments have enabled health care facilities to offer efficient health care to the American citizens and these machines include: blue cross, respirator, dialysis machine and iron lung. These have enable provision of health care to show some improvement as they enabled diagnosis of diseases even to be faster. The government has been very supportive more so in the provision of funds to

Purchase drugs. The budgetary cost of prescribed drugs has been increasing significantly of the years and in fact, provision of medical care is known be spending the highest share of the total national budgetary allocation. Statistics shows that drugs prescribed in 1980 were 6% and this increased in 2003 to 12%. It is projected that due to the increased population of the elderly, the budget allocation on Medicaid, entitlement of social security and Medicare is to increase and expenditure is estimated by 2025 to reach $4 trillion. (Anderson, Hussey, Frogner and Waters, 2005)

Although the government shows some willingness to provide affordable health care to all American, it is the high time the society should take a challenge of accepting national health care scheme that is provided and be ready to pay contribute toward it. They should also take the initiative of avoiding the administration and control therein by the awkward governmental and insurance bureaucracy in the industry. It is the high time American citizens are supposed to advocate for provision of effective and efficient health care delivery that is accessible and affordable.

(Woolhandler, Campbell and Himmelstein, 2003) The question medical practitioners need to ask themselves is whether they have a responsibility on caring for all American citizens who are ill. It is difficult for one to survive if he or she is unhealthy hence seeking health care by American citizens and any other human being is mandatory. Indeed if all American people are healthy, there will be increased productivity since everyone will be working toward building the national. This in turn increases tax that will be collected by the exchequer as result of increased productivity.

As a result, it makes life even better since more funds will be allocated to various projects that are beneficial to the common citizens such as government health care, improving of transport network and provision of education among other amenities. For this care, I would urge the federal government to continue allocating a high share of fund to Medicare when it comes to allocation of funds in the annual national budget. References Anderson, G. F. , Hussey, P. S, Frogner, B. F. , Waters, H. R.

(2005): Health spending in the United States and the test of the industrialized world; Health Aff (Millwood) 2005; 24:908 –11 Feldman, R. D. (2001): American Health Care: Government, Market Processes, and the Public Interest. Oakland, CA: The Independent Institute Rothman, D. J. (1997). Beginnings Counts: The Technological Imperative in American Health Care: New York, Oxford University Press Woolhandler, S. Campbell, T. and Himmelstein, D. U. (2003): Costs of health care administration in the United States and Canada. N Engl J; Med 2003; 349:768 –75

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