Question A:
Why is it that despite a general sentiment against government involvement in healthcare, Medicare and Medicaid were created? Respond to your peers’ posts; do you agree with their opinions? Why or why not?
Question B:
Why is there an imbalance between primary care and specialty care in the United States? Discuss how to improve the current situation.
Respond to your peer’ posts; do you agree with their opinions? Why or why not?
CLASSMATE’S POST
A. The health system is designed to ensure that all populations have accessibility to cost-effective healthcare that meets certain performance standards. The US healthcare system relies heavily on private medical insurance, which not everyone can afford. Private insurance has largely been available to the working class, leaving impoverished and elderly uninsured. Medicaid and Medicare are both inexpensive options for the elderly and children with the most severe symptoms. Medicare covers all elderly persons, non-elderly disabled persons whereas Medicaid covers only the very poor with income criteria (Shi, 2015). Despite strong resistance to government intervention, Medicare and Medicaid are being created to deliver basic health care to both the elderly and the poor.
B. First-contact, accessible, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated care is at the heart of the primary care model (WHO, 2021). When it comes to higher-level medical treatments, primary care practitioners often refer to specialized care (HSLAC, 2021). As a result, the training and experience necessary for such two aspects of patient care are significantly different. The disparity between primary care and specialized care in the United States has been caused by a wide variety of factors. In my opinion, the price for service for primary care is quite minimal, which is directly related to their income. As compared to primary care, specialty care requires significantly less training time and has more time off with predictable schedules. Health providers’ potential career decisions are influenced by the prestige as well as the notoriety of intermediate and high-tech specialties. Instead of emphasizing on primary care, health institutions urge individuals to practice specialty care.
References:
HSLAC: Health Services Los Angeles County (2021). Specialty Care. Retrieved from https://dhs.lacounty.gov/our-services/specialty-care/#:~:text=Specialty%20Care%20refers%20to%20higher,from%20your%20primary %20care%20provider.
Shi, L. (2015). Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System (4th Edition). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://ambassadored.vitalsource.com/books/9781284113044
World Health Organization (WHO): Primary Health care (April 2021). World Health Organization: Clinical services and systems. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/teams/integrated-health-services/clinical-services-and-systems/primary-care
