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Universal Healthcare: a Student's Perspective

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Published: Sep 20, 2024

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Universal Healthcare in The United States Cause and Effect Essay

Is universal healthcare right for america, universal healthcare, impacts on healthcare professionals and healthcare organisations, impacts on patients and families, critical analysis, significance to the practice of healthcare administration, recommendations.

Even with the introduction of Medicare program in the United States, the debate for and against universal and comprehensive healthcare still rages on in the country. Against the backdrop of the many discussions in the globe, the right to access medical care regardless of one’s socio-economic status in the society became one of the most important issues. Many governments are charged with the facilitation of access to all citizens.

However, for a long time, many healthcare systems have been run on a capitalistic arrangement where an individual in need pays for the services provided according to market rates. This system has, however, been accused of locking out millions of households from middle and low income earning categories, who are not able to afford proper medical care for some medical procedures.

For governments, a healthy nation directly relates to a healthy economy where there is enough human resources and reduced expenditure on health infrastructure. In many cases, the rich have been able to access modern healthcare facilities while poor families continue to lose their loved ones because of affordability and accessibility issues.

As a result, the reactions for many governments have resorted to the formulation of policies and guidelines to facilitate fast, affordable and easy access for all (Pozgar, 2012). A universal healthcare framework is one such model that has been adopted globally.

However, for effective implementation, there have been challenges for healthcare organisations, professionals, administrators and for patients. This paper looks at the impacts of universal healthcare on the different stakeholders in the sector and provides recommendations for future improvement.

Universal healthcare basically refers to the facilitation of basic healthcare services to residents of a particular region or country. Generally, this arrangement involves the provision of healthcare insurance and payment of healthcare costs by the government and other private institutions within an arrangement where the patients do not have to pay directly from their pockets.

Within a national establishment, universal healthcare may therefore involve the taxation of all citizens, combined with health insurance coverage that eventually caters for the costs of medical care when required. The government is also charged with the facilitation of universal care through policy formulation, regulation and providing mandate to all care providers.

In some forms of arrangement, popularly referred to as ‘single payer health insurance’, the government is only involved in financing of healthcare, while healthcare institutions are charged with service delivery.

Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, the United States’ government has adopted the concept of universal healthcare that came into force in 2014 (Murray & Frenk, 2010). It is notable that by the time of adoption, the US was the only developed nation that did not have this kind of arrangement for its citizens.

However, the program did not come into the societal limelight recently as the legislation process may suggest. Calls for universal health coverage began in the early 1900’s, but legislation and adoption has seemingly dragged on, because the adoption of universal healthcare has its own challenges across the board that has led to intense debates.

Effective implementation of universal healthcare has numerous impacts on health professionals and organisations as outlined in the following section.

The impact of universal healthcare on professionals and organisations in the sector are numerous. However, major impacts will be felt in the areas of financing, facility capacity building, personnel workload and regulatory requirements. First, funding is important for the success of any healthcare institution, be it for profit or not for profit.

Within the universal healthcare framework, there might be cash flow problems for hospitals that have to provide care and seek compensation from the insurance companies or the government depending on the arrangement. In most cases, the process of cost reimbursement may take some time.

Without proper management of finances within healthcare institutions, therefore, there might be many risks attached to insufficient supplies and late payment of health workers.

Secondly, capacity development plans for many healthcare organisations will remain highly effected. Universal healthcare improves access for the previously ‘locked out’ populations. As a result, there is a likelihood of increased numbers for the out and in-patient hospital sections. To be able to take care of this boom, hospitals will have to increase their capacity without compromising on the quality of care.

This may present a bigger challenge if financial management in the hospitals is not effectively enhanced. However, there are also opportunities for hospitals if the numbers are going to translate into improved financial performance hence increased expansion. The healthcare professionals like nurses may also expect improved pay structures.

On the other hand, increased number of patients is likely to result in issues of personnel workload. When the already overburdened healthcare professionals receive large number of patients in the wards and clinics, there is a need for increased personnel. Just like in the expansion of space and facilities, this is another area that is likely to negatively impact healthcare professionals and organisations if not effectively planned.

Lastly, regulatory requirements of the new healthcare act have new professions for access to quality care that may require change within healthcare organisations. The healthcare professionals will also need to acquaint themselves with the new requirements. For instance, every organisation must understand the procedures for claims and reimbursements for the different medical insurance plans.

Even though universal healthcare holds a big promise to patients and their families, the impact on the new system for this category must be noted. Generally, issues of access, quality, taxation and technical knowledge are most critical for this group of stakeholders. On a positive note, the impact of universal healthcare on access can be tremendous provided organisations effectively align to the required changes.

Patients from all forms of social and economic backgrounds will be provided with easy access to modern care facilities that they could not previously afford. This is a good step in the right direction for the US, since all citizens and particularly from the poor families will be assured of their right to live a healthy life.

For many families who have had to spend the little money they have on seeking treatment for chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer, this provides a lifeline for economic and social empowerment.

However, increased access raises an issue of quality of care within the participating healthcare organisations. In the event that poor management in such organisation results in overstretched capacity, the quality of care might be compromised at the expense of patients and their families. Any slight negative impact on quality of care may be against the main aim of universal healthcare in the country that many families have yearned for.

Another issue raised by the opponents of this program is that of taxation. The impact of facilitating this program on national economy may be damaging if not properly managed. Generally, when the government chooses to increase taxation to help in the funding of this program, families already living in tough economic times may be adversely affected.

Lastly, the issue of technical knowledge required for decision making is very important for the patients and the families. Many poor families may not have the literacy levels required to select the suitable medical plans for their households. Given that private and profit making institutions are involved in the program, the impact on choice of medical cover may be negative if proper guidance is not provided for families.

However, the mentioned impacts may not necessarily mean that universal healthcare may not be viable for the United States. There are numerous case examples that may be used to indicate the benefits of this program and how the many challenges associated to it may be overcome.

As stated earlier, many governments have strived to provide universal healthcare access to their citizens globally. The Netherlands, Germany and Singapore are examples of developed nations that have successful universal healthcare programs for their citizens (Hooe, Considine & Sethi, 2013).

The Asian nation can however be a better case for highlighting the importance of universal care programs. With a fast growing population, the economic powerhouse in the Asian continent still recorded higher rates of infant mortality and other deaths associated with venerable diseases like malaria. The rural populace in the country, mostly low-income earners, were the most affected.

However, the adoption of a single pay health insurance system for its population, the country has made enormous gains in the healthcare sector that may be a model for many countries.

As a result of the comprehensive medical care implemented by the government in collaboration with healthcare organisations and professionals, the life expectancy rates in the country have significantly improved similarly to the declining infant mortality rates. From this case, it is easy to connect the healthy population with the country’s booming economy.

Universal healthcare can only be achieved with proper management as already pointed out in the discussions. The implementation of universal healthcare programs provides challenges as well as opportunities for healthcare administrators. Universal healthcare has great implications for healthcare administration practice.

First, there is need for effective change management that should begin from administrative levels (Shi & Singh, 2012). For all departments and personnel to effectively implement universal care and take advantages of growth opportunities presented by it, administrators must be ready to initiate change.

Secondly, risk management is an essential part of health organisations’ success in the new universal care system. For administrators, the challenge for effective risk management is of great significance to performance, because the financial inflexibility that may be brought within the transitional period has far reaching implications for growth.

Third, quality assurance has been identified as another area of challenge for the universal healthcare program implementation. Administrators are also required to effectively co-ordinate departments and cross functional activities to ensure that success for all mentioned areas is attained. The benefits of universal healthcare present huge opportunities for administrators in the sector.

Most importantly, administrators are presented with the opportunity to attain the goal of providing healthcare to all individuals regardless of their cultural, social or economic backgrounds. In addition, administrators also have an opportunity to collaborate with their counterparts in other organisations to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the new system.

Having examined the benefits of universal healthcare, it is easy to conclude that the US needs the system. Given the success story noted from the selected case, the challenges identified may be eliminated in many ways. First, there is need for training of all administrators and personnel on the legal, economic and social implications of the newly implemented system.

Training will also help professionals provide guidance and advice to the illiterate individuals who may not be able to choose suitable healthcare plans for their families.

Secondly, the government and other sector stakeholders should engage in frequent policy restructuring to ensure smooth implementation, because universal healthcare relies on particular regional and institutional factors like geographical and demographic dynamics (Savedoff, de Ferranti, Smith & Fan, 2012).

The mode and nature of care for different individuals should also be clearly defined to avoid cases of congestion in hospitals. Next, it is important that healthcare organisations plan for financial risk protection through access to other sources of financing while reimbursements are forthcoming.

In this way, operations are likely to run without hitches pegged on capacity and resource availability. Lastly, community sensitisation programs should continue to be carried out to ensure that all citizens are aware of their rights of access and the available avenues for doing so.

Hooe, B. S., Considine, P. T., & Sethi, M. K. (2013). National healthcare systems: A worldview . New York: Springer.

Murray, C. J., & Frenk, J. (2010). Ranking 37th—measuring the performance of the US health care system. New England Journal of Medicine, 362 (2), 98-99.

Pozgar, G. (2012). Legal aspects of health care administration . Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Savedoff, W. D., de Ferranti, D., Smith, A. L., & Fan, V. (2012). Political and economic aspects of the transition to universal health coverage. The Lancet, 380 (9845), 924-932.

Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2012). Essentials of the US health care system . Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

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IvyPanda. (2019, June 21). Universal Healthcare in The United States. https://ivypanda.com/essays/universal-healthcare/

"Universal Healthcare in The United States." IvyPanda , 21 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/universal-healthcare/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'Universal Healthcare in The United States'. 21 June.

IvyPanda . 2019. "Universal Healthcare in The United States." June 21, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/universal-healthcare/.

1. IvyPanda . "Universal Healthcare in The United States." June 21, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/universal-healthcare/.

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IvyPanda . "Universal Healthcare in The United States." June 21, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/universal-healthcare/.

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Universal Health Care, Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 1028

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Universal health care is the special coverage system that ensures that all residents of the country have an access to the medical facilities and assistance. Universal health care is funded through a variety of different programs worldwide. All of the developed states, accept for the USA, have universal health care system. It seems to be global trend today, as some of the developing countries try to imply various programs that would cover 100% of the population. However, the question still remains: is the universal health care a solution to all of the problems in the sphere? Should such programs be implied everywhere else in the world? I suppose no. With all its benefits and positive sides, universal health care has a number of serious drawbacks and counterarguments that should not be ignored.

The first argument is relatively simple: universal health care is extremely expensive.

It is hard to estimate the costs of introducing the universal health care in the US, but the sum will obviously be huge. There may simply be not enough money to provide the entire population with free medical assistance. The approximate sum needed for the reform of the health care system is said to be over $1 trillion (FoxNews.com). Such funds are obviously not accessible to the US government in the nearest years. US public debt has already reached its historical maximum at over $10 trillion, and a 10% increase is not likely to happen.

Secondly, it is rather obvious that free health care is not a constitutional right. Effective health care is rather a privilege that has to be paid for, than a government-ensured right of any citizen. There already is a number of responsibilities carried out by the federal government. Tax system already funds a great number of initiatives that urge for more spending (social protection and benefits, national security, etc).  It is high time to remember Kennedy’s words and ask what one had done for the country, than what the country has done for him.

Then, it is rather clear that waiting time would increase dramatically, which could lead to serious problems. Once the health care system becomes free for everyone, the lines in hospitals will double or even triple. People with most insignificant illnesses or with none at all might want to consult the doctor “just in case”. Eventually, the waiting time for those actually needing help might increase. This doesn’t happen due to the effective insurance system that is being used at the moment. Each visit to a doctor is relatively expensive, which makes people think twice before actually going to the hospital with the most insignificant reasons.

Moreover, it is rather likely that over-regulation might emerge. In case the government spent money on the health care coverage, it would like much more control over where the money is going. The doctor’s profession is already extremely formalized, but in case medical workers become employed by the government, the amount of bureaucratic work will increase substantially. Even now, it takes hours to process all the necessary forms and blanks. Shall the doctors become government officials, the problem will obviously get worse as the flexible insurance – paid health care system will turn into a massive bureaucratic government-owned institution.

The fifth argument states that universal health care is likely to be much less efficient than the system that is already used in the US. In case there is no direct consumer for the good or service, its quality usually falls significantly. If the medical care is funded by the government, medical staff receives the same compensation regardless of the quality of their work. Material stimulation is one of the most powerful ones and universal health care actually lacks it. As long as the service is not directly paid for, the consumer might feel neglected. In case of the medical system that means that medical staff is likely to become much less serious about their job.

A number of economists argue that serious disproportions in the income redistribution might emerge. Some of the health services are extremely costly to perform. Everyone receiving similar health coverage is simply not fair. Some people work hard and pay taxes that eventually cover the health services. Others, however, remain idle or unemployed, generating no income for the state. These people will eventually get sick and receive adequate health services, making the rest pay for it.

Health insurance sector is an extremely important part of the entire US financial system. Insurance companies posses a significant share in the structure of investments. Health insurance makes up to 50% of all the operational volumes of some insurance giants, which generate billions of dollars in profits. Introduction of the universal health care will virtually eliminate this sector of the economy. Refusing from the general insurance coverage would mean refusing from billions of dollars in both profits and in potential investment. This would obviously hurt the financial sector of the country, which is already damaged by the global financial crisis.

And finally tax burden is very likely to increase dramatically. Introduction of the universal health care would mean spending at least trillion of US dollars. US debt is already the largest one in the world and the largest in history. In order to finance these spending, some taxes would need to be increased, which is likely to lower overall economic effectiveness.

All the grounds and warrants provided above are rather obvious to an educated person. Simple economic models and laws prove that universal health care is not necessarily a remedy. Monopoly power is almost always negative, and government control over the economy is seldom effective. In the years to come medical spending are expected to reach 20% of the GDP  and granting control over such an industry to the state, eliminating competition is rather dangerous.

Works Cited

“National Health Expenditures, Forecast summary and selected tables”, Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2008. Accessed June 9, 2009 from: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/Downloads/proj2007.pdf

“Universal Health Care May Cost $1.5 Trillion” – FoxNews.com website. Published March 18, 2009. Accessed June 9, 2009 from: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/18/universal-health-care-cost-trillion/

Lee, C. “Universal Health Coverage Attracts New Support” Washington Post. Accessed June 9, 2009 at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/21/AR2007012100878.html

Pibel, D. “Health Care: It’s What Ails Us” Yes magazine. Accessed June 9, 2009 at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1498

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