• Healthcare should be accessible to everyone in order to promote long-term health.
• In the U.S., healthcare is generally privatized, which can be confusing and expensive for consumers.
• Healthcare providers struggle to find qualified staff due to the complex payment system.
Healthcare is an essential component of any society, and having access to it is vital for long-term health. Unfortunately, many countries around the world are struggling to find the right balance between government control and private market healthcare. In the United States, the majority of healthcare is privatized and this can be confusing and expensive for consumers.
When someone visits a doctor, they typically present their health insurance card and pay a copay, but do they know what a copay or coinsurance is and how it functions? Most people don’t, so they just hand over their card and pay the fee, not knowing how much they will be paying in the long run. After services are rendered, the doctor’s office will send a claim to the health insurance company to be paid out. But months later, the patient might receive a bill for the balance, which they may not have the money to pay. This system can be incredibly confusing and stressful for patients, not to mention the hassle of budgeting for a bill that hasn’t even arrived yet.
The system is also causing problems for healthcare providers, as it can be difficult to find qualified staff due to the complexity of the payment system. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals need to be familiar with the billing process and the different types of insurance coverage to successfully file a claim and get paid. This can add an extra layer of difficulty to the already stressful job of providing healthcare.
The current system is failing both patients and healthcare providers and something needs to be done to make the system easier to navigate. Whether it is a shift to a single-payer system or the implementation of a new billing system, it is clear that the current system is not working. It is essential that the United States finds a way to provide accessible and affordable healthcare to everyone, so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of good health.
