Health Care Systems Compare and Contrast
As a country we are facing currently facing a problem based on health care. Every country has their own way of doing things, but which way makes the most sense? Statistics show that Canada’s health care system is working for them, but will it work for the United States? Ezekial J. Emanuel, Holly Dressel, and together, Karen Davis, Cathy Shoen, Katharine Shea, and Kristine Haran, all address possible solutions to this problem. While Emanuel feels that America’s system is sufficient, Dressel, Davis, Shoen, Shea, and Haran believe there are better options. These authors evaluate the different systems based on quality, cost, and accessibility. Emanuel (2008) believes that the care that is received in a single-payer plan is much poorer than most people realize (p. 567). It is not uncommon for many of the services to be harmful or un-beneficial. Doctors are going to want to do the bare minimum amount of care in order to save money. With a lot of conditions there are not set numbers with how many doctor visits are necessary. Even though a patient may require multiple visits to the hospital, they may only have. This will also keep costs down and patients will not even know they are receiving less efficient care. According to Emanuel (2008), the system is established for acute care and the need is for chronic care (p.567). This shows that by changing the system people may not receive the amount of care necessary. Dressel, Davis, Shoen, Shea, and Haran (2008) all argue that Canada has shown statistically that their health care system is better. According to Dressel, America spends more money on health care than Canada, but have higher infant mortality rates and an average lower life expectancy (p. 573). Canada and America used to be equal, but since Canada changed their system the numbers have changed, and they have pushed ahead. Davis, Shoen, Shea, and Haran explain that it is becoming harder for Americans to access quality care because of insurance rates (p. 3).
References: Davis, K., Schoen, C., Shea, K., & Haran, C. (2008). Aiming High for the U.S. Health System: A Context for Health Reform. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 36(4), 629-643. doi:10.1111/j.1748-720X.2008.00317.x Dressel, Holly. “Has Canada Got the Cure?”. In Reinking, J & Robert Vonderosten (eds). Strategies for Successful Writing (p. 572- 576). Emanuel, Ezekiel J. (2008). “The Problem with Single-Payer Plans”. In Reinking, J & Robert Vonderosten (eds). Strategies for Successful Writing (p. 566- 571).