One of the national problems of American health care is the cost of health care for the population. Despite the adoption of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, 29.6 million Americans did not have health insurance in 2019, while a portion of the population had insurance that did not cover all costs (Keisler-Starkey & Bunch, 2020). This fact also affects the quality of patient care and the overall morbidity rate as patients who cannot pay their bills refuse healthcare services. This problem leads to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular and mental diseases, which could have been avoided by timely screening and taking preventive measures. This problem is national and global since unequal access to medical services is an issue in most countries.
However, there are several solutions to this problem, although they are complex in nature. First, changes are needed at the national level that will expand insurance coverage for all US residents, including migrants and people with income levels slightly above the current benefit threshold. Although this solution will bring additional costs to the national economy, the cost of health care will decrease in the long term due to the lower incidence of morbidity. The second method requires the interaction of an interprofessional team. Nurses and specialists must work and explore the possibilities of providing low-cost but effective treatments for patients with financial challenges, especially in the area of prevention. Moreover, joint research and lobbying initiatives to reduce the cost of basic tests or make them free of charge also contribute to disease prevention. The introduction of such practices contributes to broader access to healthcare, reducing the cost of services for patients and healthcare costs in general.
References
Boltey, E., Yakusheva, O., & Costa, D. K. (2017). 5 Nursing strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia. American Nurse Today, 12(6), 42–43.
Keisler-Starkey, K., & Bunch, L.N. (2020). Health insurance coverage in the United States: 2019. United States Census Bureau.
Marshall, E. S. & Broome, M.E. (2017). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.