Acute Illness Treatment in Hospitals - Essay Example

Healthcare expenditure of the United States in 2008 is three times what they spend in 1900. Employers, consumers, and even the government are troubled by the increasing healthcare costs. Healthcare expenditure in the United States constituted almost 17% of the GDP. Healthcare costs rise at a rate faster than the income of the nation. Healthcare costs are expected to rise in the future. Control on the rise is the need of the hour as healthcare costs are negatively affecting the growth and economic stability of the nation. Even though the healthcare systems of America are benefited from the investments in healthcare, the heavy increase in healthcare costs, increasing the federal deficit, and the general economic slowdown are negatively affecting them. Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurance coverage sponsored by employers are extremely burdened with increasing healthcare costs. Family premiums available for healthcare coverage sponsored by employees also increased, putting trouble on workers as well as employers. The income of workers is growing at a fast rate and healthcare costs are increasing at a fast rate. Medicare and Medicaid and other government systems contribute a big chunk of healthcare expenses. However, compared to private insurance government programs are increasing at a slow rate. Enrolment in government programs has increased significantly because of the economic recession. Expenditures on government programs have increased considerably these days. The high spending figures are putting government programs under great pressure.

Affordable Care Act or The Patient Protection Affordable Care Act signed by the US president in 2010 is considered a highly beneficial healthcare reform (Mantel, 221). It is a far-reaching and useful healthcare reform. It is expected to bring good results like what Medicare did. This Act makes the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department offer essential health benefits to people. These benefits should be dispensed through health plans, covering the plans that include in the health insurance markets. However, this process that extends essential health benefits would be unable to meet coverage standards that would serve the public interest. It would also be unfair. This is because political considerations would compel politicians to extend health benefits to special interest groups. This influence of short-term politics should be lessened in the matter of forming national coverage standards. Two fundamental changes would solve the issue. Congress should set up a separate commission that can give recommendations to Congress about necessary health benefits. Next, Congress should make some internal rules so that if lawmakers amend these recommendations, they should make up for the costs of permitting coverage of a few conditions by taking out other benefits from essential health benefits. Moreover, it would discourage lawmakers from altering essential health benefits for the sake of political gain as it would trigger conflicts among interest groups and bring blocks in the process of mandated benefits legislation. The new measure would be fruitful provided these measures are taken. This would also help citizens enjoy essential health benefits programs.