Healthcare Case

The healthcare system in the United States is currently under debate as citizens struggle with the rising costs of care and uninsured individuals. The U.S is spending about 2 trillion dollars in healthcare costs and is the most expensive in the world, yet health conditions are rising among Americans and everyone is not covered with health insurance. Some people do not want to change the healthcare system, while other Americans question whether the healthcare system should be reformed.

Before debating whether the health care system should be reformed, I would like to touch on the basics of the current healthcare system in the United States. The U.S has been running a multi-payer healthcare system, which means that there are both private and public insurers that can provide care with others that do not fall into these categories. Public health insurance consists of Medicare and Medicaid that are two government programs that provide medical and healthcare related services to certain groups of people. Medicaid is a certain federal program designed for low-income families with few resources. Medicare is a federal health insurance program that pays for hospital and medical care for elderly and certain disabled Americans. Other public systems include the Veterans Administration, which is a program for the veterans of the military and S-CHIP, which is the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Private health insurance consists of employer-sponsored insurance and the individual market. Employer-sponsored insurance represents the main way in which Americans receive health insurance. Employers provide health insurance as part of the benefits package for employees. The private non-group or individual market covers part of the population that is self-employed or retired. In addition, it covers some people who are unable to obtain insurance through their employer. The individual market allows health insurance companies to deny people coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Although the United States has the most expensive healthcare system in the world, there are many people that are uninsured and cannot take care of their health needs. There are millions of Americans that are do not work for a big company that provides insurance for them, who are not disabled, and make too much money to be on Medicaid. Without being able to access proper healthcare, medical bills are causing families to go into debt. Hospitals are also being over crowded with emergency visits as people are desperately trying to receive care, as the law states that the hospital cannot turn away an individual. Also, the large number of uninsured people is contributing to rising costs because conditions that could have been detected, treated and prevented in their early stages go undetected and later develop into major health problems. These then require more expensive procedures that may even include intensive care or emergency room treatment. Since uninsured