Rising health care costs
Today more than ever we are being faced with the problem of our Health Care system. Currently the United States spends 1.6 trillion dollars on healthcare. That amounts to 15% of our GDP. To look at it in perspective that's almost double what the country spends on information technology. Within the decade, estimates claim health care costs could rise as high as 3 trillion dollars. According to the Labor Department's consumer expenditure survey, US residents in 2002 spent $2,350 on medical expenses, which is 4.8% of annual household income. There are many underlying reasons for these high costs. The problem then becomes what do we do about it, and how does it affect the future growth and development of the economy. (Healthcare Financial Management) Some of the major reasons for rises in the healthcare system are an aging population, high administrative costs, overuse, technology, prescription drugs, uninsured, shifting of costs by the government, malpractice suits, lifestyle choices, and inflation. The "baby boomer" generation as we know it is getting older. In addition to that people's life expectancy rate is on the rise, which means the health care system has to cover people longer. As these people get older, they tend to requir
If the Government tries to include these people into government programs, there will once again be a greater shift. Bush also proposes a tax credit to help the uninsured. The sellers on the other hand, are trying to maximize profit. Considering that most people today use outpatient care, there are less people using the hospitals resources, which create more costs over fewer people. We are the richest country in the world, and yet we can't even provide health care insurance for our people. It should also lead to Americans being healthy, but unfortunely we are already face high costs, and many aren't. (Gleckman, 2002)This could have drastic measures for other sectors though. Kerry is also for the government helping employers absorb most of employee's catastrophic health care costs. There is also the problem with inflation. Health Care just like poverty isn't going away anytime soon, instead its getting worse. That is roughly 65% of the uninsured. One problem here is that doctors have said to have monopolistic power. There is consensus that there needs to be changes in place, but no one can agree on them.
Common topics in this essay:
Health Insurance,
Financial Management,
Tillmar2003 Americans,
Drug Administration,
Labor Departments,
Health Savings,
Medicare Medicaid,
Rodham Clinton,
Prescription Drugs,
Accounting Office,
health care,
health care costs,
care costs,
health care system,
savings accounts,
gleckman 2002,
tax credit,
health savings,
set prices,
medical treatment,
care system,
medical expenses,
health savings accounts,
medical treatment cure,
private insurance companies,
|
Acceptance Essays
