US Healthcare System failing and insurance companies and patients response and viewpoint from a physician

Abstract

In the past ten years, the US healthcare system seems to be collapsing at a steady rate. Even though the US government puts as much as 16% of their total GDP towards the health care system of the country, there still seems to be a vast gap between the demand and supply of healthcare facilities. This collapsing sector of the US economy is having a ripple effect as it is taking down with it the insurance companies, the local citizens, the healthcare professionals and the economy. Governments have introduced healthcare reforms from time to time but none of them have had a strong impact of the rising insurance premiums. Firstly, the insurance companies are having trouble surviving due to higher medical costs leading to higher insurance premium. There is a decrease in the number of insured people and the standard of insurance that they can afford causing problems for the insurance companies. Secondly, The US physicians are unhappy with their salaries as compared to physicians in the UK and Australia. However, believe is that the quality of healthcare service is much better in UK and Australia as compared to the US. Thirdly, US citizens are also very disturbed with the fragile healthcare system as stats show that 23% of US citizens avoid visiting the doctors for less chronic diseases because they do not have insurance and another 23% fails to adhere to the doctor's prescription due to unaffordability. Next sections of the report will cover in detail the causes of healthcare collapse, the areas that it is affecting and the ways to overcome it.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Discussion5

Failing Healthcare System, Physicians Viewpoint6

Less Pay to the Physician6

Low Wait Times7

Regular Physicians7

Convinence of Care8

Chronic Conditions-High Rates8

Treatment8

Victims of Errors9

Current System9

Healthcare Reforms impact on Insurance Companies10

Conclusion11

References13

US Healthcare System failing and insurance companies and patients response and viewpoint from a physician

Introduction

In the United States, according to the stats, more then 16% of the Gross Domestic Poduct (GDP) is spent on the healthcare system of the United States for the betterment of the healthcare industry to provide citizens with improved facitlities and services. The enormous expenditure in the healthcare sector, ranks the US as the top spenders in the healthcare, ahead of any other country. In 2005 only, the ratio of expenditure according to per capita was $6697 per person, a combine total of more then 2 trillion dollars, which is double the amount of any competitor in this forum around the world.

With all the facts alive, the application of the health care system in the United States is considerably forming a structure of turmoil as careful review of the objectives proove the facts opposite. Growth has been seen, since the last couple of decades, witnessing a storng increase in the supply of physicians and associated proffesionals. Moreover, new medical technologies have influenced the whole culture of healthcare system but effects of such growth in technology has reflected in the form of an immense increase in ...