If the United States is one of the strongest countries in the world, why do we have such a poor health care system? Rising costs in medical care, as well as medications and treatments, are what contribute to the large amount of debt that Americans' are facing today. Although we pay so much money for health care, we do not receive the same results that countries across the globe do. The United States must reach a common ground concerning health care in order to increase positive treatment outcomes.
The United States health care constitutes of many different categories. Coverage is one of the main topics when care is discussed. In 2010, the Obama administration established the Affordable Care Act. This act was intended to provide more access and higher quality care for Americans. Although this made a significant change in the healthcare world, there is still so much room left to grow.
Many government public programs exist to aid in healthcare costs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is a federal program for adults aged 65 and older which assists in medical care costs. Medicaid is a federal-state program and partners with CHIP, which is the Children's Health Insurance Program, and provides assistance to low-income individuals. Private insurance is another component that exists in the health care world. It is the most popular in the United States, and is usually received through an employer.
While insurance is usually required to cover a variety of categories of health care, mental health is one that is an ongoing issue to receive coverage. Mental illness can be categorized as eating disorders, mood disorders, and addiction. Mental Health is a large issue in the United States and is continuing to grow. With an opioid epidemic, and suicide rates on the rise, mental health care is a necessity for individuals across the country. Mental health care has been found to be more likely in out of network care, and mental health professionals are generally paid less than primary care doctors. With the high costs of treatment, people with issues will not be able to receive the right care that they need.
Allowing for access to screenings for patients would allow people to discover and assess their mental illness needs. Barriers that prevent the access to these screenings include lack of insurance, lack of providers, and lack of available treatment. If left untreated, mental illness such as depression or anxiety can increase, and lead to self-harming or suicide. Mental health is not heavily researched, and comes with a large stigma attached to it. In order to allow patients to feel more comfortable going to a provider if they feel they may have a mental illness, we must end the stigma.
United States healthcare has been a problem because democrats and republicans can not agree on a universal idea to health coverage. While many are divided based on political sides, mental health must be a combined contribution in order to better the mental state of the people of the United States.
