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The Secret Behind High Medical Costs: How Is It Affecting Our Health?
In the United States, the complexity of the health care system lies not only in the mix of private and public sectors, but in the contradiction between its high medical expenses and health outcomes.Although the United States ranks among the best in the world in health care, the expenditure has not been effectively translated into a better overall health.Are the amazing medical costs subtly affecting our health?
The United States is the only developed country without a universal healthcare system, which makes a considerable number of people lack basic medical insurance and face a significant burden of medical expenses.
According to multiple studies, coverage varies greatly among different social groups, with older and low-income people often relying on government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare for more comprehensive Medical services.However, many Americans still rely on insurance plans provided by their employers, which makes people's health care situation extremely unstable.
As the reform of the US health system and political debate continue, the public's anxiety and doubts about high medical expenses are becoming increasingly serious.
The proportion of healthcare expenditure in the United States in GDP is as high as 18%, but this investment does not correspond to the corresponding health benefits.International research shows that many developed countries still enjoy higher lifespan and better health indicators while investing in medical expenses is low.This makes people have to think: Why does this phenomenon occur?
In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States has shown incredible speed and efficiency in vaccine development, but it has shown an unsustainable trend in structural public health spending, creating possible future Financial crisis.In this context, whether the troubles caused by medical expenses can be truly solved is still facing challenges.
"All service providers must be trained to ensure effective reduction of harm to patients." This sentence emphasizes the role and responsibilities of various stakeholders within the medical industry.
Looking back in the mid-20th century, with the advancement of public health and the improvement of awareness, the American medical system gradually developed.The Hill Burton Act of 1946 marked the beginning of government funding for medical facilities.Since then, the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid has further protected the medical needs of the elderly and low-income groups.However, although the policy is gradually advancing, tens of millions of Americans are still facing the dilemma of medical expenses.
According to the latest statistics, about 28.5 million people (about 8.8%) did not have medical insurance in 2017, which has attracted widespread attention in the current health insurance market.Some experts point out that the lack of medical insurance causes unnecessary deaths in up to 18,000 people in the United States each year.This makes people wonder what factors ultimately determine everyone's health rights in such a medical system?
"Uninsurance causes delays in seeking medical treatment for people who need medical services, resulting in more serious health consequences, and this cycle has put a heavy burden on society."
In addition, according to a Harvard Medical School study, the number of deaths in nearly 46,000 years is directly related to people’s lack of health insurance.According to the survey, the risk of death of uninsured people is 40% higher than that of insured people.These shocking data are undoubtedly warning us that the fairness and availability of health care systems are an important foundation for saving lives.
Among the global medical and health indicators, life expectancy and troubles in the United States are still of concern.In 2021, the life expectancy in the United States has dropped to 76.4 years, not only lower than in previous years, but also inferior to other developed countries.The sluggishness of these health indicators all reveals deeper social problems. Is it because we have never truly been able to face up to the impact of high medical expenses?
Is there a more effective solution between the continuous increase in health expenditure and the increasingly lower health outcomes that can become the direction of future policy adjustments?
What specific changes will the US health system face in the future? Faced with rising spending and the crisis of the protected persons, when will a practical solution appear so that more Americans can Get the medical insurance they deserve?
