The Pros And Cons Of Health Care Reform

Health care reform has been fraught with political controversy for decades. As a developed nation and world leader, the United States’ government should be leading by example; however, they cannot seem to come to an agreement as to the best way to provide for our nation’s medical health. Programs that provide medical coverage to the poor, disabled and the aging are inadequate and disjointed. Subsequently, there are gaps that many individuals fall prey to, even though such programs have successfully lowered our nation’s uninsured rates. Moreover, medical costs continue to rise exponentially despite efforts to curb unnecessary medical procedures. As our aging population continues to swell, governments will be forced to make difficult decisions
Consequently, some politicians have suggested rationing as a defensible measure. The idea of choosing who is eligible for medical treatment and limiting medical treatment options, broaches ethical and socially moral boundaries. Oregon’s leadership approached the idea of prioritizing treatments and eliminating the less effective ones for non-threatening conditions. However, rationing was ultimately not put into practice because it was found to “violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, because the list undervalued the quality of life of people with disabilities” (Schneider, 2017, pp. 440-441). Despite this a modified version was enacted and eventually failed. Political buy in from a vast majority of individuals and lawmakers from both parties seems to be the only way towards implementing progressive measures in health care reform. Nevertheless, rationing already takes place among the sick, elderly and poor in the form of self-rationing. Individual’s rationalizing that services are too costly or are unnecessary is an unfortunate side effect of today’s inadequate medical health
This scientific practice of examining the reasoning behind the variances in medical procedures for specific diagnosis’ across the country, alongside outcomes research documentation which seeks to quantify medical treatments actual risks versus benefits, could drastically change the way doctors treat their patients thereby meaningfully lowering costs. I find this attention to measurable treatment outcomes could be the significant factor that propels the U.S. forward towards enhancing health care coverage while simultaneously reducing unnecessary costs. Subsequently, health care budgets could be redistributed to the poor and aging. In so much as medical attention is actually a tertiary measure towards a person’s overall health, the gaps in senior medical coverage must still be addressed. If they are not addressed, the quality of life will surely spiral down thereby increasing overall medical costs. Prescription costs have had a crippling effect on seniors living on a limited monthly income. And yet they may be a chief contributor to the “reduction in disability among the elderly” helping bypass additional unnecessary medical and hospital costs (Schneider, 2017, p. 476). In 2006, Medical prescription drugs supplemental coverage became available to offset the needs for seniors’ hard choices between food or live-saving medications. Although Medicare Part D has enhanced the