The Benefits of Universal Healthcare Plan for the United States Research Paper

The Benefits of Universal Healthcare Plan for the United States - Research Paper Example American Medical Women’s Association has come up with one of the better definitions of the term: â€Å"Access to health care should not be linked to a person's employment, place of residence, sex, age, marital status, or health status. Health care should be available to all persons on the basis of medical need rather than financial ability or employer contracts.† (Brown et al, 918-919) A universal system of health care is considered the most optimistic way out for the healthcare crisis in America. Under this system the government becomes responsible for repayment of almost all the services offered by the health practitioners in clinics and hospitals. It is believed that this system would give everyone a chance at health insurance and provide significant cost savings if related administrative expenses could be reduced. This end could be achieved by promoting preventive medicine. Also required would be universally available electronic medical records (Diamond, 921). On th e other hand, many people are opposed to the idea of Universal Healthcare and consider it an impractical ideal that can’t be achieved. The biggest reason perhaps is that historically government bureaus have been known to become difficult and over-bearing rather consistently. It can also be argued that just because a person has access to preventive healthcare education, it doesn’t mean that they will adhere to its guiding principles; so there is a huge potential for costs going rampant. And lastly, the single-payer health system can put a huge toll on the quality of healthcare, something American will not be willing to put up with (Diamond, 921). Many people believe that despite all of its good intentions of â€Å"healthcare for all†, the current health reform movement is not the best method of achieving the desirable objective of universal health coverage as it is government controlled. History is witness that governments just aren’t prepared to do this j ob. It is argued that once the government gets the power to rule over the practice of medicine, it would signify the end of medical profession as known to mankind. Simply put, those against universal healthcare are afraid that it will bring a humiliating end to the best medical care in the world (Diamond, 922). It is commonly believed that health insurance cannot make healthcare more accessible in the United States. It cannot make people adhere to their recommended therapies, nor can it convince people to get to their doctor’s appointments on time. It can also be argued that medical problems are almost always a part of the bigger picture. A person’s health issues can be related to the conditions prevalent in the society. And universal healthcare may not be the solution at all if pregnant women remain ignorant of the advantages of prenatal care, and if asthma patients neglect to take their inhalers on time. It would indeed be better to educate and change people’s perception of health care and medical professionals. It would also be beneficial if the risk factors are weeded out of society so people can be healthier and more receptive to healthcare in case they do need it. We must stop people from smoking and educate them on the disadvantages of eating an unhealthy diet. The fact of the matter is that universal health coverage and medical advice will not have any effect no matter how strictly implemented. These measures would only work if the patients

Gulf Coast Medical Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gulf Coast Medical Center - Essay Example On the other hand, the presence of radiologists and the hospital administrators will ensure understanding of the issues with delay in scheduling procedures with the facility. Therefore, while physicians would be able to more easily identify the likely problems causing the unusually long time each procedure takes, the administrators and managed care companies might be better able to identify issues related with time it takes physicians to schedule a slot at the facility. The Shewhart Cycle proposes a four-step process of continuous quality improvement which includes: Act, Plan, Check and Do (Shewhart, 1980). Creating a work group to identify the relevant issues with the facility is obviously the first step, i.e. 'Acting'. The outcome of deliberations of the work group which will identify the relevant issues and propose steps towards resolving these issues is the Planning stage. The outcome of the work group will be critically appraised in the light of activities and practices of competitors and what is obtainable in evidence based practice, for viability; which is the 'check' process. Lastly, once the feasibility of these recommendations has been ascertained, implementation will follow. Reduction in the time and processes required for physicians to get a procedure slot in the facility by 40% after six months and keeping up with what is obtainable from competitors within th... Improving customer perception of the facility through better cleanliness, reduced charges and increased follow up screens. d: Measuring the Success of the Work Group The success of these measures would be measured by Reduction in the time per case from 1.5 hours per case to 55mins per case in the first six months and down to the national average of 50mins per case after 12months. Reduction in the time and processes required for physicians to get a procedure slot in the facility by 40% after six months and keeping up with what is obtainable from competitors within the next 18months. Better customer perception of the facility as measured by increased return rates for follow up screens and better customer satisfaction feedbacks. 2. Dealing with Physician Perforation Rates The medical profession being a human endeavor is prone to errors, miscalculations and other human errors, and the endoscopy services is not an exception. Several government documents have acknowledged the fact that medical error is a human fact (Linda, et al., 1999). Therefore, perforation after colonoscopy is no an unusual thing, however, the rates should not be too high. Thus to deal with the high physician perforation rates in the Gulf Coast Endoscopy Facility, the first step would be to get better commitment from physicians. The facility should be able to ensure that physicians get a procedure slot without having to go through so much time wasting processes and requirements. Furthermore, the facility should be placed in a better competitive position, through cleaner and tidier environment, better facilities, so that the improve customer levels will encourage the physicians to do better jobs (Wennberg, 2005, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2004). However, besides the