Essay Sample: The Role of Government in Healthcare

The healthcare system has become a critical issue in the United States with the rift between the government and the stakeholders about making the healthcare accessible for all the U.S citizens. The healthcare system has been facing challenges including inadequate personnel in hospitals, poor quality services in many hospitals, among many problems. Despite the reforms that the government has tried to introduce in the healthcare sector, it seems that much is still needed in order to change the face of the healthcare system in the United States. This paper seeks to examine the role of the government and other stakeholders in the healthcare system and attempts to improve the healthcare service delivery strategies.

The Governments Role in Healthcare

The government has a responsibility to ensure that the healthcare sector is supplied with enough resources including financial, manpower and other resources. The U.S government spends about 17.6 of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on the healthcare system, but the sector is still clouded with many challenges including shortage of personnel and lack of proper infrastructure (Larrat, Marcoux & Vogenberg, 2012). It is the governments role to ensure that hospitals are equipped with proper facilities and adequate resources. The government also makes policies and regulations that regulate the way healthcare institutions are operated (Heskett, 2007). The government policies framework applies to all healthcare institutions including the private sectors. Therefore, these policies need to involve all the stakeholders especially the private sectors in improving the healthcare delivery system.

Governments Impact on Healthcare Organizations

The government is responsible for making policies and regulations that impact all the healthcare institutions across the country. Both the Federal and local policies have a significant impact on the healthcare organizations. For instance, the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 that was signed into law by President Obama influenced the whole healthcare system; thus, the organizations as well (Larrat et al., 2012). The ACA provisions aimed at improving the accessibility of healthcare services, quality, and efficiency of care delivery. All the healthcare organizations are expected to conform to these provisions. However, in cases where the government disagrees with a policy framework that is suitable for all healthcare organizations, it becomes a great challenge for the whole healthcare system. A good example of such scenario is the failure of the congressional committee to agree on the budget allocation to the healthcare sector in 2011 that left the whole healthcare system paralyzed. The enactment of the ACA aimed at improving the healthcare services and also reduces the governments spending. It is estimated that between 3% and 10% of the healthcare expenditure fall victim to fraud annually (Larrat et al., 2012). However, when the policymakers fail to agree on a common framework to follow, it affects the operations of the entire system all healthcare organizations included.

Impact of Health Insurance on Healthcare Delivery

The insurance provider helps in improving the ease of healthcare accessibility in the U.S. The government spends over $77 billion annually on uninsured people to make healthcare accessible to them (Institute of Medicine, 2003). This money can be channeled to other projects like improving the infrastructure of the healthcare organizations or hiring more qualified personnel. Healthcare insurance is associated with better health outcomes especially for the elderly. It is also associated with having a regular source of care (Yoon et al., 2012). As a result, it enhances the likelihood of screening and early detection of diseases. This enables the care providers to provide assistance early enough.

Reducing the Number of Uninsured While Maximizing Quality and Access

Despite the magnitude of the challenges experienced in the healthcare sector, the government is able to minimize the risks associated with those challenges and maximize the healthcare delivery services across the country. However, it requires that these problems be addressed with the creativity and seriousness that each deserves. For instance, the government can provide universal insurance system through vouchers to all the uninsured to enable them access healthcare services at their discretion. This will ensure that the government saves over $77 billion used annually on uninsured Americans (Institute of Medicine, 2003). It will ensure that the healthcare cost is minimized while the accessibility and quality care are maximized.

References

Heskett, J. (March 2, 2007). What is the Governments Role in the US Health Care? Harvard Business School. Retrieved from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/what-is-the-governments-role-in-u-s-healthcare

Institute of Medicine (US). Committee on Assuring the Health of the Public in the 21st Century. (2003). The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century. National Academy Press.

Larrat, E. P., Marcoux, R. M., & Vogenberg, F. R. (2012). Impact of Federal and State Legal Trends On Health Care Services. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 37(4), 218.

Yoon, P. W., Gillespie, C. D., George, M. G., & Wall, H. K. (2012). Control of hypertension among adultsNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 20052008. MMWR Morb