Strategies to Fix Health Care
The health care system in the United States is broken. Costs are high, and the quality of care is often poor. With nearly 18% of its GDP spent on health care, the U.S. spends more than any other developed country. There are several reasons why the U.S. has failed to provide adequate health care for its citizens, from administrative costs to a lack of universal coverage and inequality among insurance providers. Here are five strategies, according to entrepreneur Alexander Djerassi for fixing our broken health care system that will provide good quality at an affordable price:
Create a better system to control costs
The first step to fixing our healthcare system is to control costs. We should adopt a capitated system where the government pays providers per person rather than service. This will incentivize better patient care and lower administrative costs. With controlled costs, many citizens will access health care services, thus improving their health.
Provide quality care for everyone
The United States is one of the only developed countries without universal health care. As a result, some don’t have the opportunity to receive quality health care. According to entrepreneur Alexander Djerassi some ideas for improving access to quality care include eliminating co-pays and deductibles, providing subsidies for people with lower incomes, and giving Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices.
Empower patients and doctors
The more empowered patients are, the better. One way this can be done is by giving them access to their medical records and getting rid of paper records.
When you have your health records in an electronic format, you’ll have easy access to all of your past treatments and tests. That will allow you to compare different treatments and decide what’s best for your health. If all medical records were digital, doctors could also use those records to diagnose and care for their patients. That would reduce administrative costs by not keeping track of paper-based medical records.
Universal coverage, not universal care
The first and most crucial step in fixing our broken health care system is to make it universal. While the Affordable Care Act did help some people get coverage, there are still several people who don’t have a way to get the quality of care they need. We must provide universal coverage, not just universal care.
Change the way health insurance works.
One way to fix the broken health care system is by changing the way health insurance works. Health insurance companies should be required to offer coverage to everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and provide a base level of coverage for all citizens. The government could subsidize those who cannot afford premiums. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides a step in the right direction with its provision for people without access to employer-sponsored or public healthcare programs, but it doesn’t go far enough.
Conclusion
It’s true that healthcare is a human right and should be guaranteed to everyone, regardless of the ability to pay. Individual circumstances should not determine how we are treated. The U.S. can do better to ensure that our system gives everyone the dignity they deserve.