Socialized or privatized healthcare is a question that has concerned modern people for a few decades now. The eruption of technology and healthcare options has made the standard of healthcare incredible in comparison to previous years. However, this benefit also comes with new problems. The healthcare system especially in the United States is a mess at times but also constantly in need of reform, as every new political candidate reminds us. I will argue that we need a blend of social and private healthcare. To demonstrate this, I consider how other countries approach healthcare and also look at a various perspectives on the issue, such as research and political.
The by Álvarez (et al, 2011) addresses a problem facing the NHS in the United Kingdom. Currently, the healthcare system uses a variety of databases for different locations or services or medical sectors. This creates inefficiency and even problems for the healthcare professionals. Thus, this study proposes for an integrated inventory of all the databases. The researchers test this sort of system with a case of influenza resilience planning to support their claim. This article shows the problem with socialized healthcare in the United Kingdom. This sort of issue might also arise in the United States if we adopt such a plan, the disordered and chaotic mess of government run health systems.
M. Tennant reflects on the origins of the Affordable Healthcare Act (2015). He writes, “Democrats, of course, controlled the Senate from 2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed, through 2014 and blocked all attempts at ObamaCare repeal during that period. Even after Republicans took charge, the minority was still able to stall repeal by threatening a filibuster.” In the first place, Tennant puts the situation in context by talking about the two parties of the political system that are the main players in this deal. It seems that the health systems recently in the United States are driven greatly by the interests of political parties. While I am not a skeptic towards politics, there are important aspects to consider here. It seems the private healthcare alone could also cause problems for a place like the United States which enables so much opportunity to make money.
Finally Badano (2016) draws attention to the international schemes for healthcare, especially the Australian system. There, the residents use a blend of both private and social healthcare, one supporting the other. I find this a very convincing method of heath care offering. It allows the poorer people to receive immediate healthcare for their needs but it also supports the wealthy who can buy other forms of healthcare and pay less on their taxes. The United States has enough diversity in economic levels and also enough of a system already in place to support this sort of method. It would require a few steps and a generous heart from the government. It would also require cooperation between the government and the private businesses, something that does appear possible in Obama’s latest healthcare marketplace dealings. In all, social healthcare is not the solution alone; and private healthcare is not the resolve for our health needs. Rather, a blend of both that requires careful thought will provide the best option for our healthcare system in the United States.
- Álvarez, L., Aylin, P., Tian, J., King, C., Catchpole, M., Hassall, S., Whittaker-Axon, K., and A. Holmes, A. “Data linkage between existing healthcare databases to support hospital epidemiology.” Journal of Hospital Infection, 79 (2011): 231-235. Electronic.
- Badano, Gabriele. “Still Special, Despite Everything: A Liberal Defense Of The Value Of Healthcare In The Face Of The Social Determinants Of Health.” Social Theory & Practice 42.1 (2016): 183-204. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
- Tennant, M. “Senate Votes to Repeal Much of ObamaCare, Defund Planned Parenthood.” The New American. 7 December 2015. Web.
