With the U.S. having the most expensive healthcare system in the world, there is no wonder why affordability along with access to healthcare is an ongoing trending topic (Conklin, 2002). For decades, the cost of healthcare has been spiraling upward resulting in increases greater than the growth of the rest of the economy (Conklin, 2002). In fact, the U.S. spent over $2.8 trillion on its healthcare system in 2012 (Rice, Unruh, Rosenau, Barnes, Saltman, & van Ginneken, 2014). The factors influencing this growth included:
• Increase in U.S. population, along with increase percentage of the elderly;
• Increases in healthcare technology;
• Growth of healthcare professions;
• Increase reliance and cost of pharmaceutical drugs;
• …show more content…
Along with causing hospital diversions and endangering patients due to poor access to timely care (Lesser & Ginsburg, 2003).
Despite the U.S. spending over 17% of its gross domestic product on healthcare, many Americans were without health insurance. Therefore, in 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law (Rice, et. al., 2014). The Affordable Care Act was not welcomed with opened arms as one would have expected. Instead, the U.S. government shut down due to disagreements on a spending bill and anti-Obamacare amendments (Cohn, 2013).
The U.S. is the only country without universal healthcare. Attempts have been made since the 1940s to achieve some form of universal healthcare policy. However, with the exception of Medicare and Medicaid, little progress has been achieved before the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)(Rice, et. al., 2014). The ACA purpose is to help those uninsured obtain insurance. In 2012, 47 million Americans age 65 and younger were uninsured (Rice, et. al., 2014). In 2014, the number of uninsured decreased to about 25 percent – or eight million to 11 million Americans (Sanger-Katz,
• Increase in U.S. population, along with increase percentage of the elderly;
• Increases in healthcare technology;
• Growth of healthcare professions;
• Increase reliance and cost of pharmaceutical drugs;
• …show more content…
Along with causing hospital diversions and endangering patients due to poor access to timely care (Lesser & Ginsburg, 2003).
Despite the U.S. spending over 17% of its gross domestic product on healthcare, many Americans were without health insurance. Therefore, in 2010 the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law (Rice, et. al., 2014). The Affordable Care Act was not welcomed with opened arms as one would have expected. Instead, the U.S. government shut down due to disagreements on a spending bill and anti-Obamacare amendments (Cohn, 2013).
The U.S. is the only country without universal healthcare. Attempts have been made since the 1940s to achieve some form of universal healthcare policy. However, with the exception of Medicare and Medicaid, little progress has been achieved before the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)(Rice, et. al., 2014). The ACA purpose is to help those uninsured obtain insurance. In 2012, 47 million Americans age 65 and younger were uninsured (Rice, et. al., 2014). In 2014, the number of uninsured decreased to about 25 percent – or eight million to 11 million Americans (Sanger-Katz,