Medicine & Healthcare Reform, Research Paper Example

Problem Statement

America has a health care system that can be termed as patchy because we realize that around 16% percent of Americans lack health care coverage and the problem has been worsening in the last five years. Americans have elevated healthcare costs, and the case is rising even more compared to the rate of inflation. This is as a result wearing down the employee’s coverage and their paychecks. A medical research conducted in the US showed that the quality of health is poor and at an alarming state. Some outdated practices are still be used in currently thus the hope for a good health has looked elusive to many Americans. The government doesn’t care if the doctors or hospitals they pay offer quality health care and also the government has been criticize of funding well the health care coverage of the  wealthy businessmen in comparison to the less paid workers.

Environmental issues, biological, behavioral trends, sociocultural believe are some of the important issues that affect the health. There are many behaviors that affect the health of American citizens, this include things like improper diet, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking and many other behaviors that may result into some chronic diseases (Thomas,p100). Disease like diabetes, obesity and cancer are all a result of bad health behaviors. This diseases make up to 75% of the money spent on health care. There are others disease and disorders that are affecting many citizens of the U.S at the moment and need to be addressed. This include mental illnesses, depression etc and thus is  important to set new and workable forms health care system that will may sure there is  psychological and behavioral evaluation to deal with such problems.

It is obvious something has to be done about this health care system crisis. We are all aware the heated debate the issue of health care brought in the 2008 presidential election. President has his efforts f trying to change the health care system in the country and former senator Daschle will be spearheading this reforms. His proposal of health care system has ever since agreed with president Obama’s ideas on the same. A solution on this problem lies in creating a federal health care board. In doing this we find that a control on the health care costs will be bestowed on this board and taken away from the control of politics.

A health care board will thus have to be independent for it to work well and has to stay away from politics it should largely responsible to the citizens’ health cover. Being independent but accountable to the American citizens, will allow it make very important decision in improving the country’s health care. The tough decisions that the Congress had earlier failed to make and implement will thus be I the hands of this board (John, p150). The board will also have to set the rules that will govern the national health exchange system that president Obama plans to set up a part of solution to the health care system problems. This board should therefore do a research that will help them rank the health care providers in the order of the health care quality they give. This as a result will improve the quality of health care given to the Americans when they visit the health care centers; importantly the costs will also go down.

Technology level of health care providers will also be monitored and thus the board will have to relate the money send to the health care facilities and the resultant services that are offered by those facilities. The idea of the board is from senator Daschle and that’s why he plans to use the board to determine where the health industry needs developing and thus monitor the infrastructure. This will be easily done by making sure the board submits a report each year on the state of health care system at that moment.

Things to Be Addressed Reforming Health Care System in 2009

In order to have an effective health care system in this year 2009 it important that some issues are dealt with and in a special manner. For example the governments funding towards trying to see how people can be transformed psychologically, research done on how use behavior change in improving health care or training the society. In America there has been so much success in treating people with mental disorders as compared to some other diseases. It so obvious that research in this aspect will help deal with issues of mental problems and drug abuses it may also help tame the spread of HIV/AIDS, heart disease, diabetes, obesity etc.

In such an era where there are a lot of development in technology, it important that records that are used in health care transactions are keep in confidential and protection of records utilized as a way of enhancing information technology in healthcare (Jennie,p80). The time when we will be able to move to a system where there with no paper work in handling health care records but rather handled electronically, then the days of errors in medical records will be over.

According to the medical doctors, don’t believe the creation of health care insurance will be a solution in an effort to develop the medical coverage. But having good public health insurance will make health care affordable by the normal citizen; this will foster competition among health care providers thus improving the quality of health care being provided. This is what they wrote in a joint statement.

Solutions

Now from our discussion we realize that the important thing to be done as much as health care is concerned is making the costs of health care coverage and also make sure that the Americans know the best healthy practices to be adapted to avoid suffering from some certain diseases. In solving the health care problem in 2009 we have some things that can be done to achieve this. For example, instead of giving a full insurance cover, the government may opt to sponsor coverage that are sponsored by Americans themselves but are of low premium.

Foe a successful implementation of such plans should put up insurance co-operatives that demand an obligatory portability for employees moving from one employer to another with no restrictions for the conditions already there. In this case no-one will fear losing his or her health care coverage. Point to note that the co-operatives will be self-funded but controlled by the government. Also it has to make sure that all the transactions are made without paperwork but rather electronically. To solve the issue of the chronic disease that are on the increase due to some leading behaviors, the government can implement a countrywide drive that will sensitize the nation on the consequences of the activities they engage in like smoking. They will bring to public awareness on how good diet and physical fitness may reduce cases of obesity.

In collaboration with the local authorities the government should set community clinics that will make sure that essential health care reach the people and this people are taught how to maintain good health (Fredrick, p67). Through using the health care facilities like internet information the public will no longer be ignorant on health issues. To make sure that the people are not just treated but rather treated well, the government should make sure that they only pay the health care providers for taking good and maximum care of the patients. Hospitals shouldn’t be paid for only doing routine laboratory tests but rather successfully making the patients comfortable and satisfied. And on this effect the government will be obliged to make laws that will guard the patients and enforce the health providers abide to the rules.

In trying to handle the issue of increased end-of-life expenses, patient can move to hospice amenities or just receive health care from their homes. But the best thing to do in make the health in the 2009 successful, as the government tries to implements its reforms on health care as promised by president Obama during his campaigns, it should mainly concentrate on prevent health and most important invest much of the resources in research rather than wait to cure the already troubling diseases.

Work Cited

Fredrick P. Miller. Universal Health Care. Alphascript publishing, 2009:23-87

Jennie Jacobs Kronefeld. Health care Reform in America. Oxford university press, 2009:45-99

John McBrewster. Health Care Reform in the United States. Alphascript publishing, 2009:123-234

Thomas J. Mackell. When Good Pensions Go Away. John Wiley & Sons, 2008:78-123