Fluent Essays

The topic of universal healthcare or, more specifically, a single payer healthcare system, has begun to gain momentum. This concept was a topic of heated debate during the election this fall, and continues to be discussed by policymakers. Consider the topic of universal healthcare and your perspective on this topic. Write a 600- to 800-word paper that discusses universal healthcare in the United States. Research and Discuss the following topics: · What is universal healthcare? · What are some of the problems in our healthcare system that have led to increased interest in and support of universal healthcare? · How might a universal healthcare system impact cost of care, quality of care, and access to care in the US? · List two likely positive outcomes of a universal healthcare system. · List two likely negative outcomes/cons of a universal healthcare system. · Share your perspective on a universal healthcare system.   PART2 Write a 175- to 265-word response to the following: · Describe a major health care issue that has an impact on the health care system today.  In your post, try to choose a policy that no one else has discussed. ·  What is its importance to U.S. health care policy? Have people been impacted positively or negatively...or both? Explain. Responses; R1 In the last 12 years that I have been in healthcare the biggest issuse in healthcare impact has to be the Affordable Care Act. It literally changed the way healthcare business concerning the insurance side. In my opinion it leveled the playing field when it comes to the price of insurance and the standard of coverage that is offered. The ACA increased the Medicaid coverage to millions of Americans and it helped lower the prices of health insurance overall. More Americans received health care coverage than ever before which in turn helped lower the premiums of health insurance that health insurance companies were charging. It did make people more accountable for having healthcare and it put more of emphasis on people getting healthcare insurance. It did this by taxing individuals that decided not to get healthcare coverage through their employer or through the government provided program. The individual mandate is what it was called. Although a couple of years later the individual mandate was removed out of the bill it was still a significant part of the bill and had a big impact on how the Affordable Care Act was rolled out. R2 One of the most important healthcare issue that has an impact on the healthcare system today is the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Before the ACA was passed, I had a hard time finding a halfway decent health insurance coverage due to preexisting health conditions. With ACA, I have more options and I have a say in the decision making in terms of choosing my providers and controlling the cost of my healthcare to some degree. The ACA to my belief is positively impacting individuals by giving consumers the decision making power to choose providers. Making it more competitive and shifting the focus to consumer needs instead of provider needs. Providers are now more consumer focused and conscious due to the fact that consumers are the decision makers and providers have to earn their selection or business. Before ACA, providers had all the decision making power and controlled who was approved for health insurance and who was not. This left millions without care each year. According to National Health Expenditure Data(2020), "U.S. health care spending grew 4.6 percent in 2019, reaching $3.8 trillion or $11,582 per person. As a share of the nation's Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 17.7 percent"(para. 2).