Paper Example on U.S. vs. Canada: Comparing Health Care Cost and Quality

Introduction

The Health Care System in the United States( U.S.) is one of the most advanced in the world. It thus comes as no surprise that the country's multi-payer system is envy to many outside the U.S. in matters of health. Canada's health care system is also regarded highly in the U.S., being a single-payer public-funded system. However, a closer look at the healthcare practices and costs from the consumers' perspective may prove to be different.

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Problem

The study sought to determine the consumer satisfaction levels with the health care system in the U.S. as compared to that of Canada.

Research Questions

What do the consumers think of the cost of healthcare?

How do the insurance policies used in the healthcare sector satisfy the consumers' needs?

How efficient are the healthcare plans in representing the consumers' interests?

Purpose

Of particular interest to the researcher was the cost of essential health care services to the average consumer in the U.S. Thus the researcher looked at the different health care plans available to the ordinary citizens in the country. Also, the researcher examined the insurance policies and standard practices of the health care users in the U.S. with the focus being on the monthly plans that are availed to the citizens when seeking treatment in local hospitals, the limitations available in these plans, their availability and the affordability from the citizens' perspective and their satisfaction with the system. Similarly, the health care plans, insurance policies and their affordability in Canada will be discussed at length to assess the level of satisfaction they accord its citizens.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the various findings from the discussion would be summarized with the main points being analyzed. The researcher would thus highlight the critical differences regarding customer satisfaction with the Canadian and U.S. health care systems as assessed from the discussion.

Bibliography

CRAAP Test

Credibility Test=8

Relevance=10

Authority=9

Accuracy=10

Purpose=10

Thesis

The paper was aimed to test the efficiency of the single-payer and multi-payer health care systems to their consumers through studying the cost metrics as well as seeking proof from empirical data.

Main Points

From the text, we get a review of the situation with the US and Canada's health care system. The insurance policies used by the two countries to drive their benefits to consumers in the country are expounded in the text, giving the researcher an overview of the situation in Canada and the US. In the book, Canada's health policies are explored from a historical perspective, starting from the late 1960s to the present day. Health care costs over the years, as well as the factors that informed their institution, are also explored in the text.

Using Source in the Paper

This paper is crucial in informing the researcher of customer satisfaction efforts taken by the government in formulating their health policies.

Source 1

Yu, J., & Zhang, Y. (2017, June 7). Comparison of Single-Payer and Non Single-Payer Health Care Systems: A Study of Health Administration Efficiency. Retrieved from https://www.scirp.org/Journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=77092

Consumer Satisfaction with U.S. Healthcare as Compared to Canada

Views on the satisfaction with the health care system among United States (U.S) citizens vary greatly. Satisfaction levels depend on the individual's personal experience with the health care sector, coupled with the public opinions on trending topics touching on health care provision. Additionally, social classes and wealth could also play a part in the varying satisfaction levels among the populations.

Unlike most countries in the developed world, the U.S. health care system is a multi-payer institution, where independent players jostle to fund the health care costs of the citizens. Such a system involves competing for private firms, including insurance providers capitalizing on the health care needs of the citizens with limited input from the government. An alternative to this model is the single-payer healthcare system used in countries such as Canada (Yu & Zhang, 2017). In this type of healthcare arrangement, the government takes over the role of funding its citizens' health care costs, eliminating the need for independent bodies such as insurance companies. While the multi-payer system allows for profit-making through the financing of health care for the users, a single-payer system largely eliminates this factor in health care provision. Both systems have their unique advantages and disadvantages, best understood by the consumers.

A common perception that has persisted for decades is that Americans are mostly unsatisfied with their health care system. A recent survey by the Statistics Research Department (2015), however, revealed that more than 80% of the American population was satisfied with their last visit to the hospital. These statistics sharply contrast with what one may expect, given the increasing campaigns by proponents of the single-payer system. In Canada, opinion polls revealed that more than 85% of the citizens were in full support of their health care system, indicating widespread consumer satisfaction ("Healthy Canadians - A Federal Report on Comparable Health Indicators, 2008").

A closer look at the health care system in the U.S. could explain the different satisfaction levels contrary to the common perception that the multi-payer system was unpopular with its consumers. Factors that inform the satisfaction of the public include the health care costs, accessibility and quality. While the consumers might generally feel that the health care system is ineffective or unsatisfactory in one area, they may still support it due to the efficiencies enjoyed in the second field (Camillo &Cheryl, 2016). Such a scenario could explain why the consumers in both Canada and the U.S. were found to overwhelmingly support the existing health care systems while a rising opposition exists among them.

The qualities of health care accorded to the consumers inform the satisfaction levels of such a system most off the time. A health care system that results in inadequate quality health care providers to its consumers is likely to be viewed negatively by the general public. In contrast, a system that accords quality services is more likely to receive approval from the users (Yu & Zhang, 2017). Americans were found to be mostly positive about the health care quality they received in a 2017 study by Gallup. The survey found that more than 75% of both workers and the overall public rated the quality of service they received in health care facilities as being either excellent or good. The statistics on the Canadian side revealed that the quality of care in hospitals was satisfactory for 96% of the citizens (Health Economics, 2020). This is indicative of the success of the health care system in promoting quality care for its consumers.

The cost of health care provision is another major factor that informs the consumer satisfaction with the health care system in a country. The U.S. healthcare system, being a multi-payer institution with several players aiming to make a profit from providing access to healthcare to the consumers, health care costs are approximated to be far much higher than those of other countries. Canada's system on the other hand features fewer players with capital interests in the health care sector, thus enabling the citizens to enjoy lower costs (Blendon et al., 2006). In the U.S., statistics compounded by the health care magazine deduce that just a little over 50% of the consumers in the U.S. are satisfied with the costs of healthcare. In contrast, only 8% of Canadians felt that health care costs were too high (Health Economics, 2020). From these statistics, it would seem evident that consumers in Canada were more satisfied with health care costs as compared to Americans.

Insurance systems are some of the main factors that inform customer satisfaction when it comes to health care. The level of achievement would be evident from the consumer preference for the insurance plans. Due to the availability of multiple healthcare insurers, companies are coming up with innovative techniques to attract potential consumers. This competition between the insurance agencies in the U.S. multi-payer system encourages the development of all-round effective plans that cover the patient's needs at affordable costs (Blendon et al., 2006). A recent survey indicated that there was a growing level of satisfaction with the insurance policies by the consumers in the U.S. industry. The insurance policies used by Canada to drive their benefits to consumers in the country a lot more different from that of the U.S. (Healthcare and Life Sciences Predictions 2020, 2015). Health care costs over the years have proven to be far cheaper than that of the U.S. (Burrill & Steve, 2020). Considering these factors, it would be plausible to conclude that the consumers are more satisfied with the insurance system offered by Canada as compared to the health care insurance system of the U.S.

From the discussion above, it is evident that consumers in both Canada and the U.S. are satisfied with the overall state of health care practices in their respective countries. Going by the statistics; however, consumers of Canada's single-payer system appear more satisfied with the accessibility and cost of health accorded to them by the government. Consumers of the U.S. health care system, on the other hand, enjoyed greater satisfaction with the quality of services under their multi-payer system. The support for the existing health care systems by the majority of the consumers in both countries indicates an overall satisfaction with the status quo. A few improvements here and there, however, would be necessary to improve the level of pleasure of the U.S. consumers with their health care system, including accessibility and cost of accessing health services.

References

Blendon, R. J., Brodie, M., Benson, J. M., Altman, D. E., & Buhr, T. (2006). Americans' views of health care costs, access, and quality. The Milbank quarterly, 84(4), 623-657. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2006.00463.x

Burrill, S., & Steve. (2020, March 17). 2020 U.S. and Global Health Care Outlook. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/life-sciences-and-health-care/articles/global-health-care-sector-outlook.html.

Camillo, Cheryl. (2016). The U.S. Healthcare System: Complex and Unequal. Global Social Welfare. 3. 151. 10.1007/s40609-016-0075-z.Health Economics. (2020) Is Canada the Right Model for a Better U.S. Health Care System? Retrieved from https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/lessons-can-u-s-learn-canadian-health-care-system/.Healthcare and Life Sciences Predictions 2020: Deloitte SEA: Life Sciences and Health Care industry reports & services. (2015, April 23). Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/th/en/pages/life-sciences-and-healthcare/articles/healthcare-and-life-sciences-predictions-2020.html.Yu, J., & Zhang, Y. (2017, June 7). Comparison of Single-Payer and Non-Single-Payer Health Care Systems: A Study of Health Administration Efficiency. Retrieved from https://www.scirp.org/Journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=77092