| Description |
Healthcare in the United States has drastically changed over the last two hundred years. Today, the United States has the most technologically advanced medical care in the world. But, as a result, costs have soared and currently account for 17% of the GDP, which is significantly higher than in other developed countries. One of the most debated issues in the United States over the last twenty years has been about how to provide universal healthcare coverage in a cost effective manner. The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was heralded as the start of universal coverage and has been greeted with mixed results since it was adopted. The Affordable Care Act has been successful in increasing access to care, but the cost of the US healthcare system is still a major economic policy issue. One of the major issues within the ACA is how to implement Medicaid expansion. As the Affordable Care Act begins to have a larger impact on healthcare, the emphasis on preventative care is expanding. As the healthcare system in the United States continues to change, we need to look at other ways to reduce healthcare costs. In order to lower spending, we need full disclosure of costs and transparency among patients, hospitals, and insurance companies. This will allow healthcare to be more consumer-driven, creating an increased emphasis on value driven care and improving access to preventative measures particularly in poorer and rural areas. An example of a system that has made consumer driven care effective is the Swiss healthcare system. I propose to use the University of Utah and Swiss Healthcare systems as case studies because both are highly regarded in terms of innovative approaches to lowering the cost of care. Moving forward, steps need to be taken to help make the US healthcare system effective and policy changes will have to take place if healthcare costs are going to drop in the future. |
