Comparing U.S & UK Health Systems: Coverage & Financial Implications - Essay Sample

Introduction

The health system refers to an organization of people and resources that are committed to providing quality care to people. Different countries have different health systems. Therefore, the care of patients varies from one country to another. The essay compares the health system of the U.S to the health system of Great Britain by addressing their differences in health coverage, financial implications, among many others.

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From the above list of the countries, I have chosen Great Britain. Throughout my assignment, I will be comparing the health care services of Great Britain with that of the U.S. In other words; the essay compares the health care services of Great Britain to the health services for the U.S.

Coverage for Medications in the Two Healthcare Systems

In unites states, patients receive affordable and high quality care under the affordable care act (ACA) of 2010. The ACA shares the responsibilities between the employers and the government to ensure all Americans receive quality health care services (Olson, 2017). The ACA allows for many options that are both private and public and have wide gaps in the rates of coverage. In other words, insurance health coverage is highly fragmented.

On the other hand, in Great Britain, the health care services are run by the government with the help of taxes and levies paid by the citizens. The national health care services are free and universal to all citizens (Olson, 2017). The unemployed, children, and the retired people are all covered by the NHS system. In Great Britain, there is no submission of bill services in NHS health center, unlike in the U.S.

Requirements to Get a Referral to See a Specialist in the Two Healthcare Systems

In the U.S, one requires a written order from the primary doctor to access the services of a specialized doctor. For any referral services, the patients must present a written order from their primary doctor to the specialist health caregiver. If the patients fail to submit the referral order, they will not receive services from the specialist.

On the other hand, to see a specialist in Great Britain, the patients must get a referral from their GP. However, unlike in the U.S, Great Britain allows for self-referrals for sexual, accidents, and emergency health services (Olson, 2017). In Great Britain, if patients opt to choose a private specialist, they are permitted, but the patient will pay the full cost of treatment.

Coverage for Preexisting Conditions in the Two Healthcare Systems

In the U.S, health insurers are not allowed to charge patients more for their preexisting health conditions. They cannot deny patient coverage for preexisting health conditions such as asthma or cancer. More so, they do not limit benefits for any health condition either. Once a patient has a cover, the insurers cannot refuse to cover patients' treatment just because of preexisting health conditions. The above rules were put in place since January 2014 (Olson, 2017). In the U.S, the coverage does not limit the number of patients' preexisting health conditions.

In Great Britain, health insurers are allowed to charge patients more because of their preexisting health conditions. They have the chance to dent patients' coverage. Their coverage is limited to the number of patients' preexisting health conditions. They only issue a cover for an option of not more than two preexisting health conditions (Olson, 2017). Again, for the patients' to receive the cover, they must present either a moratorium or full medical underwriting. Patients who fail to honor the conditions are not issued with the cover, unlike in the U.S. In a moratorium underwriting, the patient discloses their full medical history, excluding any preexisting conditions that are later than five years. In the full medical underwriting, the patients declare their past and preexisting medical conditions and exclude any related terms unless insurers agree to accept.

The Growing Cost of Health Care

In the U.S, the cost of health care services is rising because of the increasing population. More so, there is an increase in chronic infections in the U.S, which in turn is increasing the cost of medical prescriptions. The health committee has noted that the health care expenditure in the U.S currently amounts to about $1.3 trillion. The amount represents about 13.2% of t6he total gross domestic income. The prescription of drugs has increased by 17.3% since 1999 to date (Olson, 2017). The increase is a result of the sizeable old population in the country. More so, in the U.S, the cost of home nursing has increased. Therefore, the state's efforts are to enroll the less fortunate children into state health insurance programs to manage their health services.

In Great Britain, the cost of patient care is extremely high. As a result, the NHS restricts itself to the number of health issues it is capable of handling (Olson, 2017). Therefore, some patients lack an opportunity for quality healthcare. In Great Britain, health care agencies have started to cut down their services budgets. They have begun to reduce the number of healthcare givers. As a result, there are inadequate services across all hospitals.

Economic Downturn

Increased economic downturn poses added financial burdens to all patients. The downturn affects even patients with insurance coverage. The health caregivers and the entire government is also a victim of the economic downturn. The increased health insurance premiums are a clear indication of a financial challenge in the state (Olson, 2017). As a result, patients have started to withdraw themselves from insurance covers due to the increased cover charges.

In Great Britain, significant budgetary concerns are restricting patients to access care. Health insurers are increasing their cover charges every day. The increase in cover charges is causing many patients to extract themselves from such services (Olson, 2017). As a result, there are poor outcomes for patients in all health centers. More so, the increase in the economic downturn discourages health caregivers from improving their productivity. The financial challenge discourages innovations that can improve the health quality of the patients.

Conclusion

The care of patients varies from one country to another. It is upon every state to take device methods of providing high quality care to its citizens. For example, countries should provide health insurance covers that are fair to all patients. Every citizen is entitled to better health care regardless of age or occupation. Therefore, the government should take a great concern to address the issue of financial implications on how it impacts the health conditions of patients.

References

Olson, R. P. (Ed.). (2006). Mental Health Systems Compared: Great Britain, Norway, Canada, and the United States. Charles C Thomas Publisher. Retrieved from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Mental-health-systems-compared%3A-Great-Britain%2C-and-Soares/037447101e2e4c12a24e06f7f0796a2b8163ab54