HEALTHCARE REFORM

Healthcare Reform

Introduction

One of the key historical contradictions of the United States has been the subject of the health system. Despite the economic potential of that country and its primary role in global geopolitics in recent years, paradoxically, has a population of about 50 to 60 million people (not including immigrants who are illegally in the country) not enjoy any type of medical coverage. That is, in the United States, health is not a universal right but a privilege for those sectors that have sufficient economic resources to afford it (The New York Times).

As president this year, Barack Obama has focused his legislative work on reforming the American health care. However, his proposal faced strong opposition from conservative on everything to do with finance, Democrats, however, as the Republicans, because of the potential impact of these proposals on the future budget deficits. And since this deficit is the main reason the current account deficit of the balance of America - and, consequently, the current account deficit of the balance of other countries - results of the debate on health care will have an impact on governments and investors around the world (Reuters).

Discussion

The newly adopted law introduces some changes to the situation in the health sector: i) will cover 32 million people without health insurance now, however, the expansion of coverage beginning in 2014; ii) From 2010 , insurers may not deny coverage to children with preexisting conditions. Families can keep their children in their insurance plan until age 26. However, this reform the health system does not guarantee the American people a universal health service, but rather current restructuring the private health system reform and introduce only limited to certain minimum checks on the market operated by the private insurers. Thus, millions of middle income people will be forced to buy health insurance policies, whose costs could reach 9.5 percent of their income, and unfortunately only cover up to 70 percent of their medical expenses. This bill would subtract about 40 billion dollars to the budget currently allocated to Medicare payment for hospital services, endangering the attention of the tens of millions of people remain without health insurance and rely on Medicare (The New York Times).

About 85% of all Americans have some form of health insurance. All men over age 65 are eligible to be insured by the federal government according to the federal Medicare program. Low-income families (those families whose income and resources severely depleted due to high medical costs) are also insured under the federal program of free or discounted medical care, which is funded jointly by federal and state governments. Many insured receive free medical care in emergency departments of public and private hospitals and receive free assistance in case of chronic diseases in these institutions. In the latest draft of the budget expenditures of the federal government on the federal program Medicare $ 500 billion, while the federal program for free or discounted medical care will cost taxpayers more than $ 250 ...