Comparison between Healthcare Systems in two Countries: US and UK | Assignment Collections | assignmentcollections.com

Discussion

The health care systems applied in the United States and the United Kingdom portrays various similarities and differences. On one hand, the similarities occur due to the fact that most of the legal and governmental operations carried out in the United States are as a result of colonization by the British. Nonetheless, with regard to health care issues, these two countries employ diverse strategies and systems (Kinney, 2012). For instance, in the United States, the health care system employed entails programs provided by the government such as Medicare as well as privatized organization that focus on realizing the demand and supply forces as opposed to the needs of their patients. Contrastingly, the health care system in the United Kingdom entails a strategy propagated by the government through control, regulation, and funding. The achievement of these activities occurs through a governmental entity, National Health Service (NHS), which focuses on providing health care services that are affordable to the people (Kinney, 2012). It also ensures that the people enjoy unrestricted and genuine access to health care facilities and services based on the amount of money at their disposal. Most importantly, the services provided by the health care system are paid for by the taxes collected by the government.

Additionally, in the United States, coverage for medication and other services rendered is mostly provided by private sector organizations. Most of the hospitals and medical facilities in America are either owned or managed by profit organizations or non-profit and charitable companies. For instance, research indicates that at least 84 percent of the people in America get access to health care through programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurance (Pritchard and Wallace, 2014). However, the other 16 percent relies on their financial resources or charitable care services for payment and facilitation of the medical care required. Most importantly, the two health care systems differ in that in the requirements to get a referral to see a specialist. For instance, in the United States, patients are required to make certain payments termed as consultation fees to see a specialist. However, in the United Kingdom, the patients enjoy an unlimited choice of physicians who are readily available to assist them. Additionally, payments for such requirements are negligible due to the fact that the physicians are compensated for services while hospitals receive global budget funds (Pritchard and Wallace, 2014). Besides, the government caters for the people eligible to pay taxes implying that it disregards groups such as children, the unemployed and those who are retired.

The financial implications related to the two health care systems include variations in the health outcome obtained. On the one hand, that health system in the United Kingdom is deemed financially fair as opposed to that of the United States. The system in the U.K. provides a national tax based structure based on low costs while in the United States; it entails a capital scheme that obtains finances from private organizations (Shi and Singh, 2011). The quality of health care provided by the American system relies on the amount of money the patients possess. Similarly, coverage for preexisting conditions in America depends on the amount the patients pay. If the patients lack insurance coverage and are not catered for by the Medicare program, they are required to cater for the costs incurred. Contrastingly, in the United Kingdom, such costs are catered for by the government (Shi and Singh, 2011). Nevertheless, these systems bring about financial implications such as bankruptcy in the American structure and hefty taxes for the people in the United Kingdom.

Conclusion

Research accentuates the disparities existing between the health care systems employed in America and the United Kingdom. The prevalence of these disparities occurs through the financing strategies employed in providing and delivering medical services to the people in both nations. Nevertheless, despite the flaws and financial implications identified in the health care system applied in the United Kingdom, it provides a suitable platform through which all citizens get access to affordable medical care. Therefore, the health care system should strategize on developing and implementing a structure that considers all people regardless of their financial capability.