Research Paper on "Health Care Systems in USA"

Research Paper 4 pages (1342 words) Sources: 6

[EXCERPT] . . . .

In America, the public health crisis is due to the fact that approximately 43 million residents are currently without health insurance. Consequently, the country's health care system is not working for everyone since there are problems associated with the increasing costs and lack of easy access to health services. Since a significant percentage of the population can't afford the expensive health care insurance, many of the conditions that could either be avoided or treated inexpensively develop into health crises (Hellander & Bailey, 2001). The crisis is also increasing because health care costs in America are rising faster than inflation and wages with these costs being passed to employees by their employers.

Differences in the Health Care Systems in USA and Haiti:

Some of the differences in the health care systems of these two countries include the following:

Regulation and Resources:

While government policies have the potential of effecting positive changes in the country, there has been little effort from the Haitian government to enact legislations that would improve health care services. The country's political instability, poor infrastructure and the recent devastating earthquake have contributed to the health care crisis since the government is incapable of reacting appropriately. Furthermore, Haiti does not have enough resources to implement strategies for effective and affordable health care services because it's dependent on donor aid. On the contrary, American policymakers have been involved in the search for solutions to the nation's health care crisis. With the adequate resources at their disposal, these policymakers have usually attempted to address the health care crisis resulting in the recent enactment of a new health care policy by President Obama.

Mortality and Morbidity:

The infant mortality rate in Haiti is 79 per 1000 live births while the standard life expectancy at birth is estimated to be 50 years. Among children under the age of 5, the mortality rate is estimated to be approximately 123 per 1000 live births (Guly, 2004). Haiti also has a high morbidity rate because of poor sanitation and hygiene, lack of clean drinking water, inadequate nutrition and lack of proper sewage systems. On the contrary, infant mortality and morbidity rates in America vary considerably based on an individual's race. While infant mortality and morbidity rates in America have declined rapidly in the recent years, they are much lower as compared to that of Haiti.

Conclusion:

The health care system in the United States is much more effective as compared to that of Haiti even though health care insurance in America is expensive. This is due to the fact that America has better infrastructure and proper regulations to ensure that health care insurance is affordable and accessible to all. The effectiveness of America's health care system is evident from the fact that only less than 20% of the country's population is currently uninsured or underinsured. On the contrary, the health care system in Haiti is not as effective as it should be due to many problems the country encounters. These myriad of problems include political instability, recent disastrous catastrophes and poor infrastructure. Many of the country's residents don't have access to medical care due the many problems in Haiti.

References:

Guly, C. (2004, April 27). Haiti Emerging from Chaos to Face Health Care Crisis. Canadian Medical Association Journal 170(9). doi:10.1503/cmaj.1040541.

"Health Care in Haiti." (n.d.). OFCB Ministries of Bayonnais Haiti. Retrieved April 10, 2011,

from http://www.ofcbministries.org/History/Health_Care_in_Haiti.pdf

Hellander, I & Bailey, J. (2001). The U.S. Health Care System: Best In the World, or Just the Most Expensive? Retrieved from The University of Maine website: http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf

Johnson, T. (2010, March 23). Healthcare Costs and U.S. Competitiveness. Retrieved March

April 10, 2011, from http://www.cfr.org/health-science-and-technology/healthcare-costs-us-competitiveness/p13325

"Politics and Health in Haiti." (n.d.). Mount Holyoke. Retrieved from Mount Holyoke College

website: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~follo20e/classweb/css/4politics.html

Whyte, S. (2010, January 14). Health Care in Haiti: A Battered System Is Dealt Another Blow.

Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2010/01/13/f-haiti-earthquake-health-care.html READ MORE

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