The working class has a wide range of problems in accessing not only healthcare in the US but having quality services dispensed unto them. There is a problem when a country invests in people having great healthcare services but not all the population can access it. Many factors need to be rectified in a bid to have all the people get the medical services they deserve. The amount that is dispensed by the government to ensure accessibility by all populations especially the middle working people is above the GDP and this is approximately 17.9% of the total (Wallin, et al., 2019). As opposed to the many countries that invest in healthcare, the USA caters for the largest amount to its citizens but the outcome does not amount anywhere close to the value offered. Cases like fraud and being overcharged since most middle-class families use insurance services have been on the rise. A medical test that costs a small amount in one hospital will be exaggerated to amount to double or triple the amount. Transparency is a factor that has hindered the growth and progress of the medical fraternity, making it difficult to have equality in healthcare services. The presence of private sectors and the public hospital also bridge a gap in the accessibility of quality and affordable services to all the population. The middle-class incomers should enjoy the benefits of having insurance covers and also reap the benefits of transparency. In this write-up, transparency on the prices of drugs and all the services are stated and implemented in the system to ensure the middle-class earners reap the benefits of accessibility and affordability (Eriksson, et al., 2017).
The problem of health insurance covers must cater to all people in the United States to ensure that progress is noted in classes of people especially the middle-class earners (Eriksson, et al., 2017). There is no doubt that the middle-class earners are just like the low-income people. They have to work 8-12 hours a day and they are still struggling to make ends meet. There should be an introduction of the UHC services where cover applies to all the population. When there is a certain group of people that do not have access to the insurance services, there is a strain and they are likely to fall to the point of need. Moreover, having the low-income earners have an access to health insurance at the expense of the middle earners that make up to 45% of the population is not fair. The government should implement services that ensure health insurance against long-term illness will also cover the middle-class earners and probably all the population. There are social factors that hinder the accessibility of free insurance covers and also political hindrances. People from all classes must have access to healthcare that is not just affordable but get the insurance covers that cater for a large percentage of the medical bills. Based on the preventive and curable insurances that people seek from the agencies, it is vital that a small amount is deducted by the government and that politically it becomes accessible to the middle earners. Additionally, these healthcare services should have healthcare workers that are competent in the amount that is required for payment in a bid to ensure the value of a treatment program applies to the changing needs and amount charged in each disease. The insurance cover should also cater for the medicine since most of the healthcare points only diagnose, but fail to offer the applicable drugs to the ailment.
Figure 1: SHOWS the variants of people that have an access to healthcare, and those that lack the accessibility to the insurance services.
The importance of ensuring that UHC services are applicable might put a strain on the government, but instead, the amount that is needed by a hospital must be cut. If there is a relief to the middle earners and they get to only pay a smaller portion, it will also help in catering to the problems of the country like poverty and the livelihood standards of the population. They have been a hindrance on the amount the government can use in catering for the amount spend on medicine due to COVID 19. Institutions like DAVIS insurance services in the USA can be publicized where the government caters for the amount paid every month. In contrast, it is vital; that the government reduces the amount that is charged on the services to ensure accessibility to its citizens. Moreover, ensuring competence and that health workers are fully compensated is vital for the progress of the treatment and catering to the population. Having universal systems that cater for nearly all the expenses is vital for the middle-class earners to get freed off the hefty amount they have to pay from their small salaries. Since most hospitals and insurance companies are commercially based, the government can take ownership and ensure that people don’t have to pay a lot of money. It is vital that people will be offloaded off the monthly deductions and that taxes are used to ensure a healthy nation. In a bid to have the middle-class earners categorized as the poor. The Medicare and Medicaid Services and programs should be installed with fewer criteria to have the middle earners fit in the category that requires the financial aid desired. Often, the middle earners can be part of the low-class earners and those that have no jobs, and rely on their retirement benefits. The age structure and the dependability of the frail to the middle earners should be eradicated. The eradication of the high dependency rate can be done by ensuring the government offers full payment in case they fall sick and cater for the drugs required.
Since the provision of insurance services is to the Medicaid and Medicare services, the government must exclude the burden to the middle-income earners. When there is a reduction in the requirement for those that qualify for these services, it becomes easier to have access to the medicines and care needed (Wallach, et al., 2018). When it comes to long-term illnesses like diabetes and pressure, insulin and drugs for the management of the ailment must be favorable. Most middle-income earners do not have enough capital to ensure they pay for the subscriptions. Therefore, the institutions must have access to the services without factoring in the continuous deductions from their small salaries. When there is a program funding for cancer and terminal illnesses, there is a chance that the population feels the need for equality. Often, the high-class earners and people that are almost 30% of the total population in America do not feel the burden of catering for their medical insurances. Therefore, having people that are low-income earners and those that make middle money have an access to all the care, management of the population in America will be bearable. The state and the federal government should be highly involved with the services of care and that it becomes a law to have a healthy population (Bayham & Fenichel, 2020). Moreover, having a healthy and stable nation is the key to ensuring a state and all the countries in the USA are stable. There are countries in the world with maximum involvement in the payment process of healthcare and it is time that America took the consideration to have a healthy nation. The middle-income earners and low-income ones should be incorporated as a project to relieve the burden that comes with inaccessibility and affordability of healthcare.
Transparency is mainly based on how accessible true and reliable information is to the different parties that could show interest. Usually, transparency is overlooked because of the individuals with malicious desires. Several measures need to be taken as a solution. Purchasing drugs is a part that is manipulated by most healthcare centers (Papanicolas, et al., 2018). When it is clear where the medicine is purchased from, there is some basis of accountability. Different manufacturing companies are known based on how efficient and reliable their commodities are. Therefore, knowing exactly which one is servicing the needed medicines to which healthcare center will enable an increase in accountability. This can be achieved by putting up a board of directors to lead in the procurement. Each director will ensure that every step taken is known to them.
Quality will be a key factor of consideration when purchasing both the medicine and medical equipment. Lack of transparency promotes the possibility of using substandard medicines. The after-effects of these commodities are seen in the community as they are served with low quality. Quality medical equipment being purchased enables proper and quality processing of data and specimens which in turn produces proper diagnosis. Transparency on this can be achieved by doing thorough research before placing an order (Blomgren & Sahlin, 2017).
The upgrading of medical equipment is easily and effectively done when there is transparency. Usually, an upgrade takes time but it is easier to advocate for an upgrade especially in cases where questionable acts are not seen. Due to transparency, the tenders are given to the best companies and not just any company (Mackey, et al., 2018). Therefore, it promotes fair competition among those giving the services. Competition in most cases leads to excellence which is exactly what is offered where transparency prevails. Investing in outsourcing is a way of curbing this irregularity. The leadership should take time to visit different manufacturers and get qualified technicians to run the machines. The leadership can invest in training their employees on how to use the upgraded equipment.
Transparency in medicine and medical equipment is important because it ensures good, and up to standard services to all the social groups. Proper channels in giving different health practitioners a chance to work for the USA government will ensure the availability of the medical team to the middle and the low-class groups (Mackey, et al., 2018). It is a major problem in society to get doctors to attend to them because of how hard it is to secure a chance. Therefore, making them accessible will be better. This can be done by advertising the chances publicly and holding the interviews on a fair basis.
Increasing transparency in the information offered on the online platforms for them that seek to get their knowledge and answers from the different platforms will be reliable. This can be achieved by having a particular doctor respond to the online audience. The government can collaborate with the doctor’s union into allocating specific doctors for the online assignment. Moreover, for better response, the union can work towards creating a website that will be reachable for those that cannot afford to visit and pay a doctor (Anindya, et al., 2020).
Transparency in the employment of standard doctors will promote encouragement to the young generation. Those that are in school from both the low class and middle class will be encouraged to work towards such courses (Anindya, et al., 2020). Moreover, employing qualified doctors from other regions would make it easy for health care servicing. This would be easier in creating good relations among different countries. To identify the standard doctors, the government can create a portal that will have their names and therefore counter possibilities of fraud and poor services. Transparency in the doctors will ensure unquestionable personnel takes charge.
Conclusively, the best alternative will be to ensure that insurance services are offered to all people in America. It should not be only catered to the low earners since the middle ones struggle to put food on their table at times. The government must be involved in ensuring that Medicare and Medicaid services are accessible and that people will not strain to qualify for the services. Based on recent statistics, 91.4% of the population in the USA has access to healthcare insurance (Bernales-Baksai, 2020). However, the private sector makes 66.5%, with the public one only being 34.8%. It is an indication that the government should be more involved to ensure that coverage applies to those that cannot afford the private sector (Bernales-Baksai, 2020). The over dominance of the private services in ensuring care is catered through the private sector in most hospitals should be reduced. It is time the government took a stand and establishes free insurance for the middle earners and those that have a problem in affording and accessing the services. Therefore, if the government concentrates more on having the prices of medical care reduced as opposed to other factors like transparency, there will be a tremendous improvement in the medical field.
References
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