overview of united states health care system

The US Health Care System

As the third largest country in the world with an estimated population of over 296 ,000 ,000 the United States health care industry is the largest single market today . Some 545 ,000 health care establishments make up the industry . These are the hospitals (public and private nursing and residential care facilities , home health care services outpatient care centers , medical and diagnostic laboratories , offices of physicians , dentists and other health practitioners . Hospitals represent only 2 of all health organizations but employ 40 of all workers . U .S . health

care expenditures are projected to increase from 1 .9 trillion in 2005 to 3 .6 trillion in 2014 , with annual increases averaging about 7 . Health spending in the U .S , at about 16 of Gross Domestic Product (GDP ) in 2005 , will grow to about 18 .7 by 2014 (Plunkett , 2006 ?1 . Many considered the system to be technologically advanced and the best with state-of-the-art facilities . However , others pose issues that challenge the system to undergo improvement

The organization of the U .S . health care system is made up of public and private insurers . What makes this system unique is the dominance of the private over the public . Public health insurance is composed of Medicare , Medicaid , the State Children 's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP , and the Veterans Administration . Medicare is a single payer program administered by the government where it reimburses , using federal income taxes , the health expenses of its 43 million beneficiaries . It primarily covers people whose age is 65 and above disabled , and with permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant . Medicare has two parts : Part A (Hospital Insurance ) and Part B (Medical Insurance . Part A pays for care services rendered in hospitals as an inpatient , hospice and home care as well as access to skilled nursing facilities and critical areas . Most people do not pay premiums since payment is acquired through payroll taxes while working Part B , on the other hand , compensates for doctors ' services , outpatient hospital care , services of physical and occupational therapists . There is a monthly premium . In addition , there is the prescription drug coverage implemented last January 2006 making medicines readily available to all beneficiaries . A member has to choose a drug plan and pay a monthly premium . This lowers drug costs and protects future increases in prescription drugs

Medicaid is designed to give health care services to the indigent population . It covers some 39 .7 million beneficiaries of low-income families , pregnant women , the disabled , parents meeting specific income thresholds , and children . Responsible for administering this health insurance are the states that can expand the eligibility as they see fit . This insurance includes a variety of benefits like laboratory and x-ray , nursing home and home health care , family planning , drug costs inpatient and outpatient hospital , services of physicians , midwife and certified nurse practitioner . There are 51 Medicaid programs in the country financed by both federal and state governments

Set up in 1997 , the State Children 's Health Insurance Program is a 10-year health...