COMMON WEALTH FUND

Why Not the Best?

Why Not the Best?

Introduction

The study is related to the article that is “Why Not the Best?” which focuses on the current health policy in the United States. There are various concerns are discussed in the article in relation to current health policy in the United States, but this study particularly focuses on international comparison of spending on health, 1980 to 2005 healthy lives, preventive and screening recommendations for the care of adults and chronic disease under control in context of hypertension and diabetes which are important for the current health policy in the U.S.

Discussion

The article “Why Not the Best?” give emphasis on many factors that are important for the current health policy in the U.S., but the important factors include spending on health, preventive and screening recommendations for the care of adults and chronic disease under control in context of hypertension and diabetes as they are representing the structure of health policy of United States. Furthermore, health care is a top social and economic problem in the United States. The economic trend in the United States often follows the same trend of health care. The increase in cost of health care has placed economic constraints on many citizens. The inability to pay for health care is not only limited to the impoverished. In 2007, an estimated 46 million people living in the United States were uninsured (Common Wealth Fund, 2008). Many Americans would agree that there is a strong need for health care reform; however, the disagreements arise over financing, structure, and access to health care (Donald, 2011).

In the article “Why Not the Best?”, the exhibit 3 is important for current health policy in the United States as international contrast of health spending from 1980 to 2005 healthy lives shows the comparison of different countries that are US, Germany, Canada, France, Australia and UK in context of spending average on the health in relation to per capita and the expenditures health as percentage of gross domestic product. The exhibit 3 shows higher trends for the US from 1980 to 2005 because as compared to other countries the spending rate in both per capita and GDP is high; however, other countries spend low on health in both cases that are per capita and GDP.

In addition to this, the exhibit 5 is also crucial for the current health policy in the United States as the preventive and screening adults' car shows that on average adults percentage who received the preventive and screening care in the particular time according to the sex and age in 2002 was 49 and 2005 it was 50. However, during the year 2005, the screening and preventive care for adults comprised of various factors which caused variation in 2005. Therefore, this factor is important for the current health policy of the U.S.

The health policies in U.S. include all of the strategic choices of public and private authorities to improve the health status of populations under their responsibility; it include determining the areas and ...