The Rising Cost of Healthcare

The Rising Cost of Healthcare

Introduction

Although the healthcare needs of people vary by type and severity, their healthcare costs are greater than that of the general population. The people with medical problems often have poorer health status and more chronic medical conditions, and they face greater access-to-care barriers. Their medical problems result in a greater number of medical visits to address and manage their healthcare needs. Often, their medical problems take precedence over preventative care, such as immunizations and health screening tests. In addition, people tend to visit medical specialists more frequently than the general population, resulting in a greater number of expensive healthcare bills.

As a result of their increased usage and need, costs associated with healthcare for people are expensive. In 2006, an estimated total of $397.9 billion was spent on healthcare services for the disabled, representing 26.7% of all healthcare costs for the United States (Anderson, Armour, Finkelstein, et al., 2010). Although these numbers are substantial, they underestimate the true cost because they do not take into consideration the economic costs of assistance from family members and friends a major source of support for the daily physical care needs of the disabled.

The economic costs of disability are great for both people with disability as well as society. Often, people who are unable to work rely on government programs, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for economic security and Medicare and/or Medicaid for their health insurance needs. However, the people with medical problems who cannot work and who are also ineligible for government programs often face the enormous problem of paying their healthcare costs themselves.

Discussion

Health care in the United States remains different as compared to other developed nations. The United States takes a different direction by making a medical welfare system for the poor and the elderly and leaving the rest of the Health care system to supporting themselves. It spends approximately 35 billion per annum to provide medical care with uninsured residents. Another important fact is that around 41 million residents of United States, who lack health insurance, cost 130 billion per annum in lost productivity. This is causing a huge problem in the United States and changes can be made but it is up to the Government to make these changes. Health care economics and the service delivery system present many challenges for the consumer and practitioner alike, despite the availability of exceptional medical care. It has an inefficient and expensive health care system, compared with other developed countries, with poor outcomes and many citizens who are denied access. Inefficiency is increased by the lack of an integrated system that could promote an optimal mix of personal medical care and population health measures. This paper advocates a health care system in which core medical benefits should be provided to every American irrespective of the work status and financial situation, while improving efficiency and reducing redundancy.

The SSDI and SSI Programs

In 2008, people with medical problems workers accounted for the largest ...