According to the statistics for the expenditure trend witnessed in the national health sector of the US, the figures are shooting upwards as the time goes. For instance, the hospital care cost in 1970 was valued at $100.2, compared to the $ 485.0 in 2003. The value for every service category has ever since 1970, risen to about 400% and above, in the year 2003. The same trend has been observed in the NHE per capita with the values rising from $1263 in 1970 to $5330 in 2003. However, the changes for the NHE as percent of GDP has been growing slowly, with the values for the same period being 7.0% in 1970 and 15.3% in 2003, representing a rise of slightly above 100%.
The changes in the cost of healthcare as observed in the table are adjusted upwards as the time goes. The government of the United States may have considered making the adjustments to provide quality health services to its growing population. The government of any country is obliged in ensuring that their citizens can afford healthcare services and more so, accessibility and affordability. The country's economy has been on the rise, which places the US at number two in the world, prompting the government to increase the budgetary allocation for the services, in the effort of providing the citizens with quality and affordable medical services.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
On the other hand, the cost of research and medicine production has gone high in the current world. This has been contributed by the need of using the modern and sophisticated technology to produce the most appropriate and efficient medicine to meet the demand of the population. Research can take up to five years to come up with a substantial result. This may have an impact in the budgeting for the medical services since the whole process needs to be fully funded by the government. The rise in the National Health Expenses may be related to the need to balance the sources of the funds; the government uses in such researches. For instance, the program administration was valued at $10.2 in 1970, and in 2003, it was estimated at $112.5 which is significant rise. The prescription drugs were valued at $20 in 1970 and 168.4 creating a huge margin which is a clear indication of the tremendous increase in the NHE for the period of examination.
Several factors could be the cause of the trend. For instance, the growing population in need of health services, technological advancements which are essential in treating the emerging infectious diseases and the complication that comes with the emerging diseases. The world has witnessed a tremendous population increase in the last three decades meaning than more people would be in search for healthcare services now and then, which means that the government has to allocate more funds in the healthcare budget to meet the needs of the growing population. Similarly, there has been an increase in pandemics which were not in existence in the past decades. For instance the Zika virus, H1N1 virus and so on. Some of these have been contributed by human activities and lifestyle. For example, the lung cancer which is related to tobacco abuse. Some of these diseases require special attention, which may include advanced machinery for treatment which has also contributed to the rising trend in the national health expenses.
