Private Healthcare System In The USA – Affordable or Not?

The US healthcare system is considered one of the best in the world market of public health protection in terms of equipment with the latest diagnostic equipment, highly qualified medical personnel, and a high reserve of medical clinics, centers and other medical institutions.

The latest medicines are being developed and used in the USA. The best medical educational institutions, the largest and most equipped hospitals, and strong research bases are also located here. This medicine is considered the most expensive (about 16-17% of the country’s GDP), the most qualitative and effective.

Government spending on medicine is higher than on defense. But not only public money, which is not the largest part of all funds invested in medicine, but also the money of health insurance companies, which are created from private capital and clients, work for the US medical industry.

Almost only in the US medical industry are the most developed and dominated sectors of private medicine and private voluntary health insurance, which determine the overall picture of medical care.

The US healthcare system is dominated mainly by a paid system of medical services, the share of the private sector is approximately 54%. And like any private business, it is interested in profit. The main suppliers of clients are private insurance companies. Almost everyone working in the United States has health insurance, the main amount of which is paid by the company.

About a sixth part is paid by the employee himself. In state-owned enterprises, sometimes in some private companies, the organization itself pays almost completely for health insurance. In this case, medical care becomes free for the employee. There are options when an employee does not want to have health insurance, then the employer, by mutual agreement, compensates the employee for the cost of insurance by increasing his salary. In such cases, the employer disclaims all responsibility for the health of the employee.

For the majority of the population, health insurance is voluntary. Everyone decides whether to insure themselves or not, and everyone decides which type of insurance to choose from the proposed list. However, more than 80% of the US population is covered by a voluntary form of private health insurance.

About 1,500 private insurance organizations work in the health insurance system, receiving huge windfall profits. In addition to private health insurance organizations, there are two large government programs in the United States that are paid for by the state.

These compulsory medical insurance programs “Medicare” and “Medicaid” are aimed at paying for medical care for citizens over 65 years of age, the unemployed, the poor, and some disabled people. However, these programs do not cover all areas of medical services for the elderly over 65 years of age and more than 50% of the poor and poor remained outside the program.

Paying health insurance in recent years has become more difficult, especially for small private firms, of which there are about 35 million in America. Insurance is getting more expensive every year. Approximately 52 million Americans do not have a medical policy. The inability to pay for health insurance deprives these people of the right to receive the necessary medical care. Although private clinics are always fighting for the patient, but if there is no insurance, then there will be no necessary treatment.

And if they provide medical care, they will issue an invoice that the patient will not be able to pay. There is no completely free medicine in the USA. Someone always has to pay for the medical services provided to the patient: either an enterprise, or a person, or in some cases the state. Therefore, American medicine always has funds for its development, self-sufficient clinics have highly qualified staff.

Tens of millions of people have the opportunity to work and earn in the medical field. Although the private medical sector lives its own independent life, but, like any business, it is somewhat dependent on the state. The state has a great influence on its functioning. This includes: legislative support, financing and control functions. The functions of quality control of medical care and the rights of the patient, the doctor-patient relationship are clearly regulated by the legislative and legal framework. Every participant of the medical care system is obliged to follow the letter of the law. Of course, as in any other country, the US healthcare system is imperfect, there are unresolved problems. The USA, having huge resources aimed at the development and implementation of effective medical technologies, the implementation of high-quality medical care, is no exception among other countries that are looking for better forms of accessibility of every citizen to qualified medical care.