Healthcare in America, Limitations of private insurance system

Healthcare in America

The healthcare care system in America has been a subject under scrutiny and lots of debate. Many people argue that unlike in many developed countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia among others, situation of healthcare in the United States is less socialistic and unfriendly. This unfortunately is the state of affairs despite the fact that, the sector is a great contributor to the national economic scheme (Wiki 2005). There are many factors that should be keenly looked at and addressed if healthcare in America has t o be improved and enjoyed by its citizens.

Limitations of private insurance system

Only a small percentage of Americans can afford healthcare insurance. It is estimated that about forty million Americans do not have the financial ability to pay for a cover. The private insurance system has limitations on who should benefit from insurance. It is mainly those from the higher social class that benefit. This is deemed as discrimination against people who share the same biological make up with those in the higher social class. Healthcare should be a right and not a privilege to certain groups or classes of people (Webber, 2004).

The capitalist factor in healthcare provision

If improved and expanded socialized medicine will have many advantages compared t o privatized healthcare. It has been argued that this is very much possible but health insurers will loose a lot financially. The capitalistic manner of operations in the country has been an obstacle to various positive developments like the endeavor to improve services.

Existing public healthcare providers

Health services in the United States are generally provided by legal private firms. Medicaid and Medicare are the public health providers available in the United States. Nevertheless the number of Americans who qualify for them are few because their employers are not able to buy personal insurance coverage for them (Health care, 2004).

Conclusion

The result of this is that seventeen percent of Americans are uninsured. What is encouraging though is the fact that there are citizens, many organizations and lobby groups who have been fighting for reforms in this sector. The positive outcome is evident in some states, for instance Minnesota. With some little commitment the Healthcare situation in America can still be corrected.

Works cited

Health care. (2004). Minnesota Department of Human Services (MDHS). Retrieved December 16, 2005. >> HYPERLINK “http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/<<” http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/<< March 19, 2012.

Webber, N. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege! New York State Nurses Association, 2004.