Health insurance is a coverage that people pay monthly to cover their medical and surgical expenses once they fall sick but only those that are insured. People who get insurance are the owners of the insurance policy. A research conducted by the Commonwealth Fund indicated that only one fourth of all citizens in the United States of are not covered in any health insurance policy. People lose their insurance coverage when they become unemployed or change their jobs. The research also indicated that the number of people with insurance coverage decreased significantly from 2001 to 2016. The Public health insurance and the private health insurance are some of the major types of health insurances in the United States. The first health insurance is the private health insurance and the second one is the public or government health insurance. The state subsidizes healthcare costs for citizens in a Public Health insurance policy. For instance, the most common types of public government health insurance are the Medicare, Medicaid, Indian health services and the Veteran’s Health Administration. The essay will focus on Private health insurance, it is health coverage privately sponsored by cooperation’s, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention opines that the United States citizens heavily rely upon the private health insurance.
Researchers from the National Health Interview established that, 65 percent of U.S citizens under the age of 65 years have private health insurance coverage. Private health insurances are marketed and run by the private health insurance industry. Most people acquire private health insurance coverage due to its low inconveniences. Under a private insurance, insurers are able to avoid wait list in hospitals when seeking healthcare, there is also a refund in when a person has not acquired medical services and on non-Medicare health services. The health cover can also cover dental costs.
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The private health insurance industry has been hit by major scandals that have seen politics take center stage. Corruption in the healthcare industry has been rampant, and the fact that the private health insurance has a wider market than the public health insurance, it is mainly affected by corruption, political decisions and policies. Leaders in some of the private health insurance companies have been accused of to use power and influence for self-enrichment. The government has moved a step forward in curbing corruption in the private sector by implementing policies and regulations that develop effective system of auditing and accountability, these systems expose corruptions and act upon those kinds of revelations.
In recent years the United States government have attempted to provide a fully tax funded health service but these efforts have been in vain. Factors like opposition form labor unions, partisan politics and the American Medical Association have acted as obstacles in provision of fully or partially tax funded health service. The health policy in the United States have been largely consumed by ideological divide on how to mend and develop a better health insurance policy that is affordable and will cater for American citizens without much tussle.
The hate towards health insurance among American citizens is on the rise. Health insurance is hated due to its expensive nature. The private health insurance for instance can be very expensive if a person is not covered. The numbers of people without an insurance cover is also on the rise due to the expensive nature. Generally, private health insurance is more expensive than the public health insurance. The private health insurance dictates that one must pay a monthly premium regardless of whether he or she seeks medical services. Private insurance is also known for its better coverage and flexibility, which translates to higher payments.
The private health insurance continues to dominate in the United States due to its failure to enact entitlement programs and the universal health coverage. Politicians and political institutions have acted as obstacles in the formulation and implementation of programs that will ensure universal health coverage. The political system in the United States is bureaucratic in that, in order for a comprehensive reform to be passed, it must go through cumbersome processes and through the congressional committees and other tedious processes. The private health insurance industry has overtaken the political leaders in influencing them to avoid enacting or coming up with a comprehensive national health. This is because of the huge number of profit margins that corporations in the private health industry make. It has become more about making money than providing health coverage for Americans. The existences of non interest groups that fund political campaigns have made it hard for the American government to enact universal health coverage. Billions of money has been spent on private insurers to ensure that they maintain their status quo.
Conclusively, private health insurance has played a major role in shaping health coverage in the United States. Most people insured under a private health insurance can attest to numerous benefits compared to the public health insurance. For instance there is decreased wait times when one is insured with a private health insurance. In the public sector, the lengthy waits are an ongoing issue. People insured in private health insurance can also attest to private hospital rooms. There get to enjoy privacy, comfort and control. Private health insurance also covers for offers that are not covered in public health insurance covers, such as dental covers, antenatal, postnatal, and in-home nursing and care.
Bibliography
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