Universal health care systems provide medical services to all citizens of a nation. Some countries that have this system include the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. The government funds such programs, with different countries having variations in structure and costs of such systems. There are various pros and cons of universal health care.
The fact that the system has no restrictions as to who benefits is perhaps one of the main advantages. There is no consideration of economic or social classes in service delivery, with everyone being given equal treatment. Among the few industrialized nations that do not have this kind of system is the United States of America.
With the use of an electronic system for most administrative tasks, efficiency is greatly enhanced. Other systems may have too much paperwork that not only slows down operations but also contributes to many errors. With automation and standardization of medical records of patients, all entities involved can easily access them. This includes insurers and various government agencies.
With a fully integrated electronic system, there is the surety of accuracy as forms and papers are gotten rid of. Such good storage of information brings about better decision making by doctors. As a result, medical errors are decreased a great deal and malpractices are avoided as well. This is contrary to what the ordinary programs offer.
Affordability explains why most people would fall in love with the system. The premiums for healthcare are alarmingly high, which implies that most people may find insurance unaffordable. And with most employees with medical covers making them too expensive, most people opt not to pay for them. This is where the universal system comes in. It is affordable, mainly because it is usually managed by government agencies, a fact that lowers administration costs.
Well, all these benefits do not come without a few hitches. Since everyone is entitled to receive medical care, the number of patients remains very high. The increment of physicians is not proportional to this increase in patients, making it a big burden on the few physicians. The quality of services offered greatly declines. This may be coupled with long waits by patients to be attended to.
The money to be used for funding the system offers yet another challenge. It is expensive to run and the government normally has to increase taxes levied on its citizens. For people with low incomes, this becomes a heavy burden. The governments that implement it may also look for various ways of getting funds. However, there is likely to be interference of priorities and implementation of other projects.
In considering the pros and cons of universal health care, it is important to note that some countries do not implement it because it brings about lack of competition. Other systems have room for people to choose companies that serve their interests in the best way possible. With lack of competition, there is high probability of provision of substandard services.
The fact that the system has no restrictions as to who benefits is perhaps one of the main advantages. There is no consideration of economic or social classes in service delivery, with everyone being given equal treatment. Among the few industrialized nations that do not have this kind of system is the United States of America.
With the use of an electronic system for most administrative tasks, efficiency is greatly enhanced. Other systems may have too much paperwork that not only slows down operations but also contributes to many errors. With automation and standardization of medical records of patients, all entities involved can easily access them. This includes insurers and various government agencies.
With a fully integrated electronic system, there is the surety of accuracy as forms and papers are gotten rid of. Such good storage of information brings about better decision making by doctors. As a result, medical errors are decreased a great deal and malpractices are avoided as well. This is contrary to what the ordinary programs offer.
Affordability explains why most people would fall in love with the system. The premiums for healthcare are alarmingly high, which implies that most people may find insurance unaffordable. And with most employees with medical covers making them too expensive, most people opt not to pay for them. This is where the universal system comes in. It is affordable, mainly because it is usually managed by government agencies, a fact that lowers administration costs.
Well, all these benefits do not come without a few hitches. Since everyone is entitled to receive medical care, the number of patients remains very high. The increment of physicians is not proportional to this increase in patients, making it a big burden on the few physicians. The quality of services offered greatly declines. This may be coupled with long waits by patients to be attended to.
The money to be used for funding the system offers yet another challenge. It is expensive to run and the government normally has to increase taxes levied on its citizens. For people with low incomes, this becomes a heavy burden. The governments that implement it may also look for various ways of getting funds. However, there is likely to be interference of priorities and implementation of other projects.
In considering the pros and cons of universal health care, it is important to note that some countries do not implement it because it brings about lack of competition. Other systems have room for people to choose companies that serve their interests in the best way possible. With lack of competition, there is high probability of provision of substandard services.
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