Health Care Issues in the United States
Cassandra Jones
Professor Rhonda Hill
HSA 500
January 21, 2012

Health care issues in the United States have escalated to the point of a crisis for all except the richer Americans. Health care expenditure is the major component of household consumption responsible for the increase in household net borrowing and even the foreign deficit (Singer, 2008). The health care system in the United States has evolved in many important ways over the last 50 years, an evolution that is important to document and understand if today’s system is to be fully understood (Williams & Torrens, 2010). There are a number of behaviors and daily lifestyle patterns that have a major affect on our health. For example, driving recklessly, abusing alcohol, tobacco smoking and illegal drugs. All of these behaviors have a negative effect on our lives. There is always something in the news about a major car accident, which involves drunk drivers. One needs to cut down on these items in order to live a stress-free and happy life. Unhealthy behaviors become habits, so changing them can be very hard. You’re more likely to make changes in your habits if you set a specific goal for yourself (“Healthy living”, 2010). Your health is not only affected by your behavior but also by economic and your social structure. While health care reform remains an important consumer issue and the U.S. policies continue to focus on accessibility and affordability of health care, it is critical to understand the patterns of out-of-pocket expenses and financial burdens experienced by households, especially across their life cycle stages (Hong, 2000). As advances in medicine and disease preventions have increased life expectancy in the United States, the benefits have disproportionately gone to people with education, money, good jobs and connections. These