Health Policy Issues - Essay Example

Health policy issues in the US Health policy issues facing the US There are a lot of health policy issues facing the US today. According to Pescosolido (2010), “Quality concerns are not new t the health policy arena nor are the issues of access, health insurance coverage, and cost. Issues of quality, cost, and access are intertwined and will continue to receive attention as among the most important issues facing the health care system in the US” (P. 281). Quality of healthcare is associated with staffing levels, the available resources, availability of medicines and other pharmaceutical products, as well as qualification and certification of medical personnel.

Policies and programs put into action should focus on these issues. Results from studies done in the past have shown that health institutions or hospitals with adequate and appropriate nurse-to-patient ratio provides high quality care as compared to those with inadequate staffing levels. The cost of healthcare is very high today in the US. This has been attributed to the high cost s of living that consequently elevates the cost of available services. Some individuals have also been unable to pay for their healthcare insurance.

Therefore, many Americans have limited access to healthcare as individuals ought to have health coverage for them to access affordable and high quality care. Policy issues affecting the aging population in the USThere are various policy issues that affect our aging population of the United States. One of the most significant issues of concern is long term care. It is evident all over the world that there has been a persistent or constant increase in the percentage of senior citizens particularly in the US.

Such an increase leads to elevated requirements whereby more individuals in the senior citizens category necessitate continuing and long-standing care. There is therefore a need to design healthcare programs geared towards increasing the quantity and quality of institutionalized care as well as care practices at the community level. Another important health policy issue facing older people’s lives is access to healthcare. A large proportion of Americans have limited access to appropriate and affordable healthcare.

This is attributed to the ever increasing rates of insurance cover. An individual is necessitated to pay up his/her health insurance during his/her younger and working years (Pescosolido, 2010). Therefore, those individuals unlucky in life and hence are poor heave a lot of problems when they get old. Some of them lack healthcare insurance at this crucial and vulnerable stage in their lives. The greatest challenges in the US healthcare systemThere are a few challenges that face the US healthcare system today.

In my opinion, obstinate and inflexible services offered by health insurance institutions are one of the most serious challenges. These insurance companies have laid down specific services that they provide to their clients. It is not one of their concerns whether these services will be helpful or of assistance to the individual receiving cover. Lack of transparency is also one of the challenges. This is attributed to the fact that there is unavailability of appropriate information regarding health caver available to many individuals in the US.

There have been reports over the recent past that a good number of individuals have been impairment in the course of treatment especially when women are giving birth to their children. This is as a result of carelessness on the part of medical practitioners. In conclusion, there are a lot of issues in the US healthcare system and policy makers should focus on these issues when laying down and implementing health related policies. ReferencePescosolido, B. A. (2010). A Handbook of the Sociology of Health, Illness, and Healing: A Blueprint of the 21st Century.

New York, USA: Springer.