The United State’s healthcare system is currently in serious danger. It has become an extremely significant issue for millions all over our country. There are those that suffer daily due to injuries that were treated carelessly or maybe not at all. There are so many loopholes and inconsistencies in our healthcare organization. It allows for the individuals with lucrative money to their name to profit, while the people that really need help from healthcare do not receive aid. The current healthcare system is in shambles due to corrupt rules and proceedings. The worst part is that no one is doing anything to correct these detrimental behaviors. It seems as if our government has turned a blind eye to the suffering that consistently takes place due to such a weak healthcare system.
The first very significant issue that is prevalent in our broken healthcare system is the ideologies of the establishment itself. Our healthcare system is a for profit establishment. It is here that we find one of the most substantial problems. The healthcare arrangement of the United States is if you have the money, then you can get the best in treatment. Right away we can see the difficulties here. How is our populous expected to garner these lucrative amounts in a recessed country where the unemployment rate is high? There needs to be a basic overall plan that everyone is on. If they choose to upgrade they can, or they can go with the basic healthcare plan. There is Medicaid, but lawmakers consistently attempt to cut back its presence. Another issue is that a large percentage of Americans have no health insurance. “More than 50 million Americans are uninsured.” (Benziger, 2012, p. 1). This is a really significant problem, because the people that are insured have to pay to cover the uninsured. So the hard-working middle class families that can barely afford premiums in the first place are forced to cover those who are not insured. “Families with health insurance pay premiums that are $922 higher each year to cover the health care costs of the uninsured.” (WorkingAmerica). These types of tragic occurrences are examples of the many shortcomings of the United State’s healthcare system.
A second substantial predicament is that the United State’s healthcare system is tailored to meet the needs of high grossing big healthcare establishments. These healthcare institutions do not make any effort to make the obtaining of healthcare easier. As aforementioned, the United State’s health care system is a for profit system, meaning that these large companies want to continue grossing these lucrative monetary amounts year in and year out. “Last year, the nation’s five largest for-profit health insurers netted $11.7 billion in profits, and their CEOs took $54.4 million in pay.” (Benziger, 2012, p. 1). These big health care establishments then take this money and invest it into lobbying Congress, so that the present healthcare system is not altered, allowing them to profit off the United State’s population’s misery.
The overall structure of the United State’s healthcare system is contradictive. The whole arrangement is setup to keep the United State’s people healthy, when it actually supports contracting illnesses. First of all, when a doctor prescribes a certain medication to a patient, he can expect to receive some sort of gift from the company that produces that pharmaceutical.
“Big pharmaceutical companies are known to hand out ‘consulting agreements’ worth more than your annual salary to doctors who prescribe their drugs like candy. And unlike contributions to political candidates, there is no way to track what doctors are considered ‘top-performers’ and receiving the most lavish gifts.” (Rivlin, 2009, p. 1).
This is one of the most unfortunate practices that occur constantly. United States citizens who are suffering as it is in terms of low monetary means, are being prescribed expensive medications that they cannot afford just so a doctor with a large salary can make some extra cash? Is this really what the healthcare system was supposed to advocate? In addition, every time a patient sees a doctor or a hospital admits an individual they are compensated. Insurance companies profit when more of the United State’s citizens are sick or injured. Our healthcare system relies on the fact that our populous will get sick rather than making a solid attempt to heal us, which should be the point of the healthcare system in the first place. The worst part is that our society is setup in a way that will keep us sick. We have widespread unhealthy food at every corner, as well diabetes, heart attacks, high cholesterol and obesity just to name a few. We consider a walk up the stairs to be exercise.
As one can clearly see, the United State’s healthcare system is full of inconsistencies, corruption, and malpractice. The poorer suffer more, while the rich continue to garner more lucrative income. This happens year after year and it is a disaster. The United States government has an obligation to look after its citizens and to provide them with the best healthcare that they can afford. Moreover, if they cannot afford it, it should be given to them without charge, so the rest of the country’s citizens do not have to cover them out of their own pockets. Large healthcare establishments need to be more generous with what they are distributing to their consumers they make enough money already. If our government fails to act soon, our country will be brimming with a sickly and poor population.
References
Benziger, J. (2012). Our for-profit health care system is broken. Physicians For A National Health Program. Web.
Rivlin, A. (2009). Top 5 reasons healthcare in America is broken. ZD Net. Web.
WorkingAmerica. (2006) Why Is the Health Care System Broken? Web.
