National Healthcare

By: EconomyWatch Content   Date: 17 February 2010

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In the US, national healthcare is largely handled by the private sector. The same applies to health insurance. However, there are exceptions, such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

National Healthcare: Concerns

 

It is not an unknown fact that the United States spends more money per citizen as compared to any other country in the world. Not only does the expenditure on health care demand/occupy a considerable portion of the total national income, the per capita expenditure on public health care in the US is the third highest in the world. By the end of 2008, more than 46 million Americans were completely uninsured and another 50 million were under-insured or less than fully insured. Unfortunately, even after spending a substantial amount on national healthcare, the US lags behind many industrialized nations when in comes to key health-related categories, including preventable deaths, infant mortality and life expectancy.

 

According to a study conducted by Harvard researchers in 2009 and published by the American Journal of Public Health, the lack in health insurance results in over 44,800 deaths every year.

National Healthcare: Public Health Care

About 27.8% of the American population is directly covered under government plans. Public health care in the US comprises of following programs:

 

  • Federal Employees Health Benefits Program

  • Indian Health Service

  • Medicaid

  • Medicare

  • Military Health System / TRICARE

  • State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

  • Veterans Health Administration

National Healthcare: Private Health Coverage

Private Health Coverage in the US can be divided into the following:

 

  • Consumer-driven health care

o       Flexible spending account (FSA)

o       Health reimbursement account

o       Health savings account

o       High-deductible health plan (HDHP)

o       Medical savings account

  • Health maintenance organization (HMO)

  • Managed care

  • Medical underwriting

  • Preferred provider organization (PPO)

National Healthcare: Health Care Laws

In the United States, national healthcare is governed by the following acts: 

  • Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (1986)

  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (1996)

  • Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (2003)

  • Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (2005)

 

 


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