Comparing Systems

Both government-based health care systems and the mixed public/private system of the United States offer benefits but also have serious flaws. The former provide universal coverage, guaranteeing access to health care regardless of income or employment. Most government-based plans also provide better care for pregnant women and newborn babies than the US system. Supporting these health care systems, however, requires higher levels of government spending than the public/private system.

Furthermore, the goal of providing good care for everyone cannot always be reached in government- based systems because of limited money and resources. The pressure to keep spending under control leads to tight government restrictions. As a result, patients in some countries, such as Canada and Sweden, sometimes have to wait a long time for certain services.

The health care system in the United States is more flexible than government-controlled systems because providing universal health care and containing costs are not its main goals. In the United States, patients can obtain virtually any kind of medical service. When a person becomes ill, however, treatment will usually depend on the nature of his or her health insurance. Someone who does not have insurance or the resources to pay the health care provider may not be able to get the necessary treatment.

The Debate Over Health Care Reform

Many politicians, academics, and citizens have been advocating the position that the American health care system is in need of comprehensive reform. Proponents of this position rely on three major factors: the high costs of health care, the relatively low quality of care, and the large number of persons who are uninsured.

The costs of health care are escalating rapidly. Health care costs in the United States have more than doubled in the past decade and accounted for 17.9 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product in 2010. Health insurance premiums continue to rise faster than wages. Americans spend more on health care than any other country in the world. US health care spending reached $2.6 trillion in 2010. Employer-sponsored health care plans have increased more than 100 percent in the past decade. Some health economists have predicted that the United States’ health spending will reach $4 trillion by 2015.