Week 11 Response - United States Healthcare

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Image Source: https://www.healthcareitnews.com/sites/hitn/files/Global%20healthcare_2.

Question posed by @macie.mcpeak: What are the positive and negative aspects of the United States healthcare system?

There are many pros to being a healthcare customer in the United States, and seeing as healthcare takes up such a large percentage of our economy, it is easy to see why. The treatment that is given here in the U.S is second to none, and whenever a patient goes and sees their doctor or surgeon, they have easy access to high quality healthcare and treatment. The same goes for research, drug development, and cutting edge technology being introduced into the healthcare system. Another pro is the shorter wait lists that we experience here in the United States compared to countless other countries where people sometimes have to wait weeks in order to see their doctor. However, all this quality comes at a cost, as the U.S spends much more on healthcare than other countries and it is nationally agreed on that healthcare in the U.S is much too expensive. This makes it extremely difficult for poorer patients who need expensive treatment or surgery. Secondly, the lack of trust and transparency that exists within the healthcare system. Part of this may be due to how much the government and insurance companies are involved in the healthcare system and those are two of the least trusted institutions that exist in America.
Although there are some drawbacks in the U.S healthcare system, I still believe that we currently have the best system. This is not to say that it could do without some changes, there is definitely much room for improvement. But the staggering amount of resources that are put into the healthcare system are for our own benefit and sets us apart from other, similar countries and offers us the best treatment available.