The problem with the current healthcare system.

There are many problems with the current healthcare system in the United States (U.S.). Most of these problems stem from the fact that it is not really a system in the proper sense of the word. The healthcare system is really a patchwork of entities with their own goals and priorities. The “system” is unequal in access, costs of services, and quality. One of the major problems with the healthcare system is that healthcare services are seen as a product under the market justice theory. Healthcare services are really not comparable to most products because they are a necessity for all people at some point in their lives. One thing that makes accessibility a difficult issue is that insurance is required for most to be able to achieve access. Insurance in turn requires a job that offers coverage that is worthwhile and affordable, however, many jobs do not offer worthwhile, affordable, or any coverage at all. This is also a problem when a person becomes unemployed. Another problem that inhibits access is the high cost of services for many people.
While accessibility may not be an issue for some there is also the issue of inequality of the costs of services. Unlike many other countries where the prices of services are more transparent or equal in the U.S. many factors determine the cost of one particular service to an individual such as where the patient lives or what their insurance covers. This leads to the problem of those who are least able to afford it often being charged the highest prices. Those who are able to afford the services with no difficulty are often charged the least or end up over utilizing services. Cost of healthcare in the U.S. has become a major concern. Costs are difficult to control in such a fragmented system. Consumers of healthcare are also at a disadvantage many times due to the nature of health in general. Healthcare decisions are made with the input of providers who in many cases have their own agendas or incentives to influence their decisions. This can result in under or over treatment of patients. There are many types of incentives and systems that can influence the overall cost of healthcare in the U.S. and because, in general, the cost is often spread or shared in some way (by those who are insured and taxpayers) the cost of healthcare continues to rise affecting many people financially as well as the quality and accessibility of healthcare.
Despite the high costs and little access in comparison to other countries with universal healthcare quality is also a problem for the U.S. healthcare system. There are many reasons for this problem as well; however, one of the main reasons is the large focus on the biomedical model. The biomedical model essentially does not treat the “whole” person in my opinion. This model often looks to treat the illness without necessarily considering what the causes might be. There is also a focus on treatment rather than prevention. A person is not simply a body of separate systems that are not integrated and do not interrelate with other factors. An individual can be affected by things that are not taken into account in this model such as environmental, social, and psychological factors. Other issues that affect quality are the amount or quality of providers that are available, the type or amount of insurance a person has, and costs of services. Providers often locate where there are many who are insured resulting in a lack of adequate providers for some areas. Some providers will not take certain insurance types such as Medicare or Medicaid also resulting in fewer providers available to some. Pay incentives and new technology can also affect the quality of treatment a person receives
Cost, access, and quality are all problem areas with the U.S. system of healthcare in some way or another. While other countries with universal systems may not have perfect systems in most respects they have managed to achieve universal access and better quality than the U.S. Though the U.S. tends to lag behind due to different majority views and political opinions the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a step in the right direction if we wish to achieve a better healthcare system. Though there may be many difficulties in implementing the act there are examples of countries who managed to improve their healthcare system even with dissenting opinions from much of the public at the time. The ACA may not work out to be the perfect legislation but I personally believe that the only wrong thing to do is not to do anything at all.