The Comparison between the USA and British Healthcare System (Essay Sample)

The Comparison between the USA and British Healthcare System
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Introduction
The general organization of healthcare services its institutions, providers and practitioners –constitute a common system known as the healthcare system. Healthcare system is, therefore, a common service offered by these institutions, resources and people to the public, the sick and those in need of medical services. The aim of this work was to conduct a comprehensive comparison of the National Health System (NHS) in the UK to the healthcare system in USA. This discussion will look at the various characteristics and structure in order to highlight major differences in terms of provisions i.e. paid or free, management strategies, ethical considerations and historical overview.
History and Overview of NHS and USA Healthcare
The NHS was launched by UK’s parliament in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II (Fox, 2014). Due to the abolition of the Department of Health (DH) in England as the management of the NHS, it is important to understand the concept of national healthcare and its importance in supporting all people equally. According to the DH (2013), the major transformation in the NHS changed the dynamic and structure of national healthcare in England. The new structure sees the Secretary of State taking overall responsibility for the DH. The DH, in turn, commissions the NHS in England, monitoring and regulating medical services, training and development of healthcare service management (DH, 2013). Fundamentally NHS service is funded through taxation and offers comprehensive health services that are free to all legal residents of the UK. The service is free to use at the same time by foreigners during emergencies. Currently the NHS faces critical changes in funding and provision as the government seeks to make the service more efficient and reachable.
Perhaps the USA healthcare system is the most diverse and complex system on earth. Healthcare is provided in various distinct organizations as most facilities are owned and operated as private businesses. Around 58% of hospitals in the US are non-profit, 21% are owned by the government and the last part of 21% privately owned. Currently the US is top as the country that spends more on healthcare per capital in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Healthcare provision trough Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid and the Veteran Health Administration covers up to 65% of spending. Health insurance is accessed through family and employer processes. The Obama Administration oversaw major changes in healthcare through the Affordable Care Act that has affected insurance coverage, insurance premiums, insurance quality and medical quality that has caused an uproar and huge debate.
Social Perspective and Value of the UK and USA Healthcare Systems
The USA healthcare system has undergone huge social developments in the 20th and 21st century. Through the 1990s the system has sparked numerous political and social upheavals in relation to pricing of prescriptive drugs, the role and control of drug companies and private sector. Government intervention, universal healthcare, medical and insurance quality has been among the controversial issues. The main objective of the system is to provide a quality and comprehensive system that can provide quality coverage to all Americans. Major concerns on quality of medicine and insurance coverage have been raised presenting debates on the composition and creation of an effective healthcare system that does not discriminate the poor. While the number of uninsured people has increased and insurance premiums have gone high, the government has sought legislative process to ensure that everyone gets covered and accesses healthcare. But still many people are still dying in the USA due to lack of healthcare coverage.
Ethical considerations are hugely promoted in the both systems as professionalism and integrity defines the healthcare industry. Both systems have strict ethical regulations that manage the conduct of all healthcare stakeholders. The objective of the NHS is to provide healthcare services to all communities across the UK equally. While provincial based medical services in USA targets its citizens in the community, through local leadership and structurally based conservation in creating, demonstrating and increasing the overall healthcare for the young and old people in the provinces. The USA system targets the community and its people who are able to pay and not pay for their medical services (Tulchinsky and Varavikova, 2014). United Kingdom’s NHS targets all people in the community but who are its citizens. This is the only difference in terms of USA healthcare and NHS. The value of the USA healthcare system is similar to NHS, in that it aims to offer free or affordable medical services to the community.
Ethical Issues and Conflicts of Interests in the Healthcare in USA and the UK’s NHS
The NHS follows deontological and utilitarianism principles in its offer of healthcare services. It focuses on medical services offered to the community while developing a regional aspect in terms of leadership and supporting its citizens’ affairs (Light, 2003). While the USA Healthcare focuses on the virtues of medical preferences in terms of private and public medical facilities. Although there are the considerations of its private medical services and those who are insured, to those who are not insured it is a disadvantage. The British NH...