United States health care system is in very bad shape and Obama government is working on a plan to bring the system on the track. The system has evolved over past few decades and has become too complex. I was browsing through youtube to get a basic understanding of the health care system. I found a video that I would like to share with you.
This is an animated video, where Pinki, a cat, is taking interview of Dr. Hui, a Physician and health economist. Here are the excerpts from the interview; I would encourage you to listen to this very interesting 15 minute video to ground yourself to the health care system.
What are major problems with health care system?
- Skyrocketing cost of healthcare – biggest in US history
- It is one of the leading cause of bankruptcy
- Health care cost is non affordable – almost 50 million Americans not insured
Play the Video
What is Managed Care Organization (MCO)?
Concept of MCO was implemented in 1970 and currently ~97% of US workers are with private insurance. MCO idea was thought to offer cost savings by increasing efficiency, disease prevention and providing necessary and appropriate care.
How did the health care system look like before MCO?
System was called fee for service – go to any doctor you like, whenever you want. That system had its own problems as told by Dr. Hui and led to enormous cost. Then, Dr. Hui goes explaining how managed health care is different from fee for service.
One interesting point that came out was that quality of health care has remained same either with MCO or older system. There is little evidence that by MCO quality of patient care and satisfaction may be slowly improving by MCO.
It was also interesting to know that patients’ bill of rights and patients’ right to sue the health care companies led to dramatic increase in cost of MCO. After all health care insurance companies are business and they will look after their interests.
USA spends more on health care than any other country ~ 15% of GDP that amounts to 1.7 Trillion dollars ($1,700,000,000,000.00) in 2003. USA is the only industrialized nation in the world with no universal health care. These bone chilling statistics are self-evident that proper measures are required to improve health care system, so that it is affordable and efficient.
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