Introduction
The discussion in the United States (U.S.) on issues regarding health care reform focuses on whether individuals are entitled to the basic right to medical care, the people who ought to access the medical care, and the quality of healthcare about the large sums used. In addition, the debate centers on the responsibility of the national government in achieving those changes and interests on unfinanced liabilities or expenses. Most of the individuals who are bankrupt in the U.S. are mainly as a result of medical bills. In this case, this paper will examine how political ideology, organized lobbying, and American beliefs and values are impacting reform efforts related to the access, equity, costs and quality of U.S. health care services.
Political ideology
In the recent U.S. discussion concerning health care reform, the term rationing has been used as a dirty word but president Obama has urged governors to avoid using the word since it might trigger hostile reactions which might hinder them from achieving the reforms. For instance, there was a publication that stated ‘Obama shall ration the people’s health care. In addition, some people claim that the national health services of Britain do not cater for drugs which do not provide excellent worth for money used. Rationing as a political ideology in the health care reforms will impact on access, quality, equity and costs of health care services because it will limit the free selection of private medical insurance. Therefore, everyone will be entitled to equal health care services which are offered at the same price with similar quality. In addition, the political ideology of rationing allows everyone to access any health care facility whether he or she has medical insurance or not and receive quality services (Singer, 2009, p.1-5).
Similarly, the recent medical care system of the U.S. which is a non-adaptive and pricey hodgepodge of worker-grounded insurance, public programs, unique responsibilities and private markets is an understatement. Fortuitously, identification of the truth has finally created great health care reforms which are both impending and unavoidable. Even without understanding the concluding particulars of the medical debts which will be presented to president Obama, people can presuppose that the bill will create inexpensive or reasonable coverage which is accessible and needed for most of the people who are recently not insured (Leonhardt, 2009, par. 5). In addition, the concept about the safety-net programs will make sure that despite the economic or social status, no access of an individual to significant health care services will decrease below a particular level. Thus, the political ideology of changing the safety-net programs is impacting on the equity, access, costs and quality of health care services because any health facility is required to offer services to a certain minimal limits despite the social or economic conditions of the citizen (Redlener & Grant, 2009, par. 1-6).
Similarly, lawmakers have started to identify the significance of addressing equity in health care services and developing on it. Both the ‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and Medicare Improvement for patients and providers Act of 2008’ has provisions which need the collection and evaluation of information of the ethnic and race group of the patient (Siegel & Nolan, 2009, par. 6).
Organized lobbying
The U.S. serves as the center of fundamental demographic conversion. By the year 2050, it is expected that non-Hispanic whites’ population will be less than 50 percent of the U.S. population while individuals of the cultural minority and racial teams might be the majority. Though there are variations in the minority teams, all these people experience particular problems or challenges. People who belong to the minority teams have the following features; poorer health, more circumscribed access to health care compared to their counterparts’ whites and higher rates of illnesses. In addition, the same groups account for 50 percent of the population which is not insured. Even when they are covered by medical insurance, a majority of minority patients are more likely to access medical care of lower quality, in comparison with their white counterparts. The factors which contribute to the above inequalities are multifaceted and are beyond the medical care setting. However, any significant and reasonable health care reforms should deal with such disparities in health care (Siegel & Nolan, 2009, par. 1).
Therefore, the current health care reform debate aims to drastically raise medical coverage. The outcome of the reform is reduction of ethnic and racial inequalities, bearing in mind that deficiency of medical insurance has considerable impacts on health and medical care. For example, though Medicare has been influential in advancing equality, marked racial and ethnic inequalities in health care continues within the program. Thus, organized lobbying is impacting on the equity, costs, quality and access of health cares services because individuals suggest that medical care system should be provided with equipment to determine and develop the quality of health care which minorities get. As a result, the principles of health care reforms have been achieved because currently, the health care providers do not evaluate the quality of health care provided depending on the primary language, race and ethnic group of the patient. The quality of care provided is equal to all patients despite their race or ethnicity (Siegel & Nolan, 2009, par. 2-5).
American beliefs and values
Currently, American medical care system is experiencing severe difficulties which should be addressed and transformed. However, the underlying predicaments or challenges cannot be addressed or transformed until the Americans have adequate comprehension to establish an agreement on the changes it intends to involve in the modern health care system, which will meet societal requirements. Value driven settings will assist by demonstrating the effects of various options and thereby inducing thinking on primary value-driven elements, which should be included for a sustainable and operational solution.
The Americans believe that the U.S. health care system is the most expensive system in the world. For instance, in the year 2006, Medicare used approximately $15,000 per enrollee, which was about twice the federal average. The volatile sequence in American health costs appears to have happened in a particularly powerful manner. Thus, the beliefs and values of the Americans are impacting on the costs and access to health care services because the purpose of the health care reforms in Washington is both to expand medical coverage to all individuals and ensure that the medical costs is under control (Gawande, 2009, par. 3).
Conclusion
In conclusion, political ideology, organized lobbying and Americans believe and values are impacting reform effort related to the equity, access, quality and costs of U.S. health care services in different ways as discussed above.
Reference List
Gawande, A. (2009). The Cost Conundrum; What a Texas town can teach us about health care. Annals of Medicine. Web.
Leonhardt, D. (2009). The Big Fix. The New York Times. Web.
Redlener, I. & Grant, R. (2009). America’s Safety Net and Health Care Reform — What Lies Ahead? The New England journal of Medicine. Web.
Siegel, B. & Nolan, L. (2009). Leveling the field-Ensuring Equity through National Health Care Reform. Journal of Medicine. Web.
Singer, P. (2009). Why we must ration health care. The New York Times. Web.