Health care in the United States is arguably very complex and bears little resemblance to a “true system”. How can the United States improve on the five dimensions of performance (quality, access, efficiency, equity, and healthy lives)?

There are many facets to healthcare in the United States. Of course, the main concern for most people is access to healthcare and the quality of care they receive. However, high access levels cannot be improved without an efficient and equitable system. The complexity of the US healthcare system means that little progress can be made unless the entire structure is overhauled. However, Medicare, the United States federal health insurance program for those over 65, is an excellent place to start. The quality of healthcare care is improved by ensuring that nurses’ and doctors’ shortage is addressed. Approximately 251,000 people die every year due to medical errors in the United States (Artiga & Hinton, 2019). The leading cause of medical error is a shortage of nurses and doctors, thus overwhelming the few in the service.

Access to quality healthcare can be improved by reducing medical charges. For instance, the federal health program cover hospital and doctor bills, pay for prescription drugs, and subsidize doctors’ visits; however, it is not comprehensive, thus making patients pay substantial out-of-pocket charges. Therefore, the United States can increase accessibility to healthcare services by reducing out-of-pocket charges. Efficiency in the healthcare systems can be improved by funding and concentrating on one policy before initiating the other. For instance, in the United States, many policies, such as Medicare and Medicaid, fail to comprehensively address healthcare challenges (Moreno-Serra, Anaya-Montes & Smith, 2019). Equity is the act of being impartial and fair to all people in a country or a region. In the United States, the elderly from remote areas fail to access quality care due to traveling long distances to urban cities where there are modern hospitals. The government needs to provide healthcare facilities to rural areas to everybody to access quality care regardless of where they live. The USA government can improve healthy lives by establishing community-based education concentrating on the proper diet and body exercise to prevent and eradicate chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, and high blood pressure.

References

Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2019). Beyond health care: the role of social determinants in promoting health and health equity. Health, 20(10), 1-13.

Moreno-Serra, R., Anaya-Montes, M., & Smith, P. C. (2019). Potential determinants of health system efficiency: Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean. PLoS One, 14(5), e0216620.