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Optimization: An Exploration of Better Healthcare
Jonathan E. Akpede
Arizona State University
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Abstract
This paper discusses why the United States should conform to the common health care policy of
many other countries which is universal healthcare. The point is made that there are obviously
many problems with the healthcare system in the U.S. and what this paper explores is how many
of these problems can be avoided by switching to a universal healthcare policy. Three main
support claims are given to explain why this shift to universal healthcare would be overall
beneficial to the citizens of America.
Keywords: Optimization, Citizens, Finances
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Optimization: An Exploration of Better Healthcare
For every civilization there are certain laws and policies put in place for the ultimate
purpose of benefiting society as a whole. An example of this is the concept of healthcare that has
been implemented and developed in different ways in different regions. Healthcare is an
extremely broad field and is arguably one of the most important components of any country's
government system. Though healthcare policies may look different depending on the country
being looked at, they all should serve the same purpose to the citizens of that region. Yes, it is
true that Health care must create some profit to fulfill its promise to society. It is also true health
care needs to be efficient and productive in order to earn a sufficient margin to continue to serve
and to improve. But when finances becomes the main focus in health care, we sacrifice its
fundamental purpose. The purpose of healthcare is to enhance the quality of life by enhancing
health. With this in mind, healthcare is not able to fulfil its fundamental purpose if there is the
hindrance of limited accessibility and a substantial financial inconvenience. When making
comparisons to other countries it becomes clear that the U.S have the least efficient healthcare
system in place for their citizens. This is why I believe it would be best if America conformed to
the structured universal health care policies as another country.
One main point of discussion surrounding healthcare in the U.S is how many can agree
that it is overpriced, but making this change to universal policy would make healthcare more
affordable for every citizen. Many seem to say that lowering the price of healthcare would not be
beneficial because if that were to happen the U.S debt would increase. Someone would need to
pay for this change so naturally people come to the conclusion that the government would have
to pay. Though this may be true, instituting a system such as universal healthcare where
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everyone has a right to healthcare would lower the cost of healthcare which benefits everyone.
By lowering the healthcare spending it lessens the chance of going further into debt. Under this
system, in which all citizens are guaranteed a right to health care, total public and private health
care spending could be lowered by up to $1.8 trillion over the next 10 years due to lowered
administrative and prescription drug costs. According to data by the Organisation for Economic
Co-Operation and Development (OECD), Canada and the United Kingdom, two countries that
provide universal health coverage, spend 47% and 42% of what the United States did per capita
in 2017. South Korea, also with universal coverage, spent just 28% (“Entitled to health care,”
2019). Several other countries oustside the U.S. with a universal right to health care, such as
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have a much lower Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
per capita than the United States, and they are still able to provide health care for all their
citizens. With the wealth that the U.S has, a structure like this if not impossible to setup.
Amongst the top 25 wealthiest nations in the world the U.S. is the only one that does not have a
universal healthcare type of system in place. If other countries are having positive results with
universal health care, learning from their success would benefit the United States as a whole.
The people are what should always be taken into consideration for any civilization
wanting to be successful. Taking care of the citizens is important and with universal healthcare
more people in the population as a whole are covered. Enabling as many people as possible to
have access to healthcare could save many lives, because thousands of deaths each year are
caused by a lack of health insurance. More than 13,000 deaths occur each year just in the 55-64
year old age group due to lack of health insurance coverage. In Italy, Spain, France, Australia,
Israel, and Norway, all countries with a right to health care, it was found that people live up to
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five years longer than people in the United States (“Entitled to health care,” 2019). A common
argument is that allowing more people to live to an older age would be detrimental to society
because these elderly people are not beneficial to society in any way. This is not true because in
families, elders play an important part as "great role models". In the society they are very
influential. Elders are diverse in wisdom and knowledge and can pass them on to younger
generations. Just because they have become older does not mean they have any less of a right to
receive healthcare.
Not only would more lives be saved but the general health of the population of would
improve significantly. The entire population expands around the cost of healthcare, so everyone
can at least get the basic care that they need. This type of healthcare will help to improve the
health of the general population, since every member of society has equal access to medical care.
It will lead to a reduction in the amount of untreated sicknesses suffered by the general
population, create healthier people, and increase the overall productivity.Citizens can get free
treatment for basic conditions without fear of not being able to afford them. This can greatly help
reduce the spread of infectious diseases and other common health problems that people may
ignore if they can’t afford healthcare. When looking at data from over 100 countries, "evidence
suggests that broader health coverage generally leads to better access to necessary care and
improved population health, particularly for poor people." In the United States, people are 25%
more likely to have unmet health needs, and over 50% more likely to not obtain needed
medicines in comparison to Canada who have a universal right to healthcare (“Entitled to health
care,” 2019).
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Another reason as to why we should make this change is because there are great
economic benefits that would come with a universal healthcare system. Because the healthcare
field is one of the fastest growing fields in the U.S, more people are needed in order to fill jobs
required to continue the progression in the field. This increase in the demand for jobs in the
medical field is good because it gives more people jobs who beforehand may not have had the
opportunity to get a job. Economically, providing all of the citizens of the U.S with the right
healthcare is beneficial because it will increase the economic productivity as a whole. When
people have access to health care, they live healthier lives and miss work less, allowing them to
contribute more to the economy. A study by researchers at the Universities of Colorado and
Pennsylvania showed that workers with health insurance miss an average of 4.7 fewer work days
than employees without health insurance. According to an Institute of Medicine report, the US
economy loses $65-$130 billion annually as a result of a decline in worker productivity, due to
poor health and premature deaths, among those who do not have insurance (“Entitled to health
care,” 2019). If workers are given a more accessible way to obtain healthcare treatment then they
will be more capable and efficient at doing their job. If the United States implemented a
universal right to health care it would also benefit businesses, because they would no longer have
to pay for employee health insurance policies. Some economists believe the high costs of
employee health insurance place US companies at a competitive disadvantage in the international
marketplace (“Entitled to health care,” 2019). Making a change in health care policy would be
advantageous to both parties.
What most people’s mentality is that the insured taxpayer has very little reason to support
universal health care coverage. This group feels that if there is an increase in the amount of the
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taxes they have to pay for universal health care coverage for other people, then it is an automatic
negative towards themselves. What they fail to realize is that there are direct benefits to nearly
everyone if universal health care coverage can be properly implemented. By correcting the issues
other countries have universal healthcare, hospitals may not close, consultants may make
themselves available, ambulance diversion may decrease, and prolonged waits in the emergency
department may be minimized. All of this benefits the insured taxpayer. Universal health care
coverage will make health care available to more people. If there are no health care providers
available and the health care facilities have closed in the insured taxpayer’s community, the
insured taxpayer will not be able to find care even though they are insured. If an uninsured man
who has a sudden unexpected injury or a certain condition is no longer able to work, all
taxpayers would benefit from this individual receiving better health care by helping him get back
to work.
In conclusion, the current healthcare in the U.S. has many problems and we typically say
this when we make comparisons to the healthcare policies of the majority of the countries around
us. The way healthcare in the U.S. is set up can be improved upon, because other countries have
a setup for healthcare that is arguably more accessible and achieves the main purpose of
healthcare which is to enhance the quality of life by enhancing health. A perfect healthcare
system that meets all the necessities of every person will most likely never exist. Though that is
true, it does not mean that we should not attempt to optimize the healthcare we have to the best
of our ability. Like stated previously, if the best interest of the citizen is taken into account and
the correct components are implemented correctly then universal health care will work
effectively in the United States.
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References
History of the Right to Health Care. (2018, October 22). Retrieved from
https://healthcare.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=006590
Brown, L. (2004). The California Journal of Emergency Medicine V:3. The Journal of
Emergency Medicine,3, 59-61. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2906993/pdf/cjem5-59.pdf.
Cohen, G. (2014, April 2). What is the purpose of healthcare? Retrieved from
http://news.trust.org/item/20140402123148-6vk7g/
2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. (2017, July 03). Retrieved from
https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr16/overview.html
International Health Care System Profiles. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://international.commonwealthfund.org/countries/
Griffin, J. P., & OGrady, J. (2008). The textbook of pharmaceutical medicine. Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publ.
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