Health Care System in the United States
Healthcare remains one of the essential services in the US economy. As such, citizens should get value for money whenever they seek healthcare services. Having watched the documentary, it is outright that health care in the United States is profit-oriented compared to universal health care in other countries, such as Canada, United Kingdom, and France, (Bernstein, 2010). Health care insurance companies aiming to maximize returns have denied Americans better services. A majority of the insured found out that their policies were worthless because of fraud by insurance employees.
The documentary also depicts that other countries have universal healthcare. Moreover, they are associated with long life expectancy as well as low infant mortality rate, unlike the United States. For instance, France provides extensive medical services around the clock, such as house calls and social services. America’s health care has been equalized with countries of less economic wealth despite being ranked above them.
Major Healthcare Concerns
The film lays emphasis on the several aspects in relation to healthcare provision, such as corruption, poor quality care, government bureaucracy, universal health care, and employee incompetence. It exposes corruption by insurance companies, revealing how the insured have found themselves at the crossroads regarding their insurance policies. The companies have been linked to fraud by introducing pre-existing conditions and procedures. As a result, it has denied Americans their right to proper medical care.
Concerning low-quality healthcare, instances of neglect in hospital were witnessed, with some scenarios leading to death. According to Saunders (2010), the documentary reveals that people with unauthorized policies failed to receive treatment. Besides, the United States health care faced several challenges, such as high infant mortality and short life expectancy. Consequently, majority of the Americans are uninsured, making access to healthcare challenging.
Bureaucracy is also an issue of concern. The government denied volunteers funds to enable them to seek and access treatment. As a result, they sailed to Cuba with the company of Moore to access free medical care. Consequently, they received health coverage, which they failed to receive in the United States. The bureaucratic system under which the health care system falls also denied people freedom of choosing hospitals and doctors compared to their counterparts. Other countries, such as France and the United Kingdom, have embraced a universal health care system, which is intended to provide quality and affordable medical services. According to the film, prisoners in Guantanamo access better medical services as compared to the citizens of the United States.
Employee incompetence is another area of concern. Corporations whose purpose is to make profit bribed government and congress members. Besides, insurance company investigators embezzled funds by creating conditions that were not covered previously. The funds allocated to research and development have been used as bonuses. Therefore, citizens cannot access required services despite the allocations.
Role of Information Technology in Healthcare
In the current dispensation, information technology is important in provision of quality services. Therefore, healthcare delivery system uses it to increase efficiency in the provision of services. With the advancement in technology, hospitals have adopted upgraded computer system in their facilities. Healthcare facilities use such computers to track supplies and make financial transactions. Technology has played a significant role in diagnosing diseases and submitting results electronically. Moreover, the internet provides a medical database for clinical experiments, thus proving to be an important facet in the provision of quality healthcare.
Role of Federal Government in Healthcare
The federal government is mandated to provide subsidized medical services for its citizens. For instance, patients have been able to receive treatment at a lower cost, as a result of adequate budgetary allocations and favorable healthcare policies. Similarly, it is responsible for providing quality healthcare in addition to regulating the health facilities by formulating and implementing policies that guide their operations. The federal government equally promotes the acquisition of knowledge by providing training and free education.
In conclusion, the documentary demonstrates the iniquity surrounding healthcare system in the United States. Health insurance companies that intend to maximize profits have denied citizens medical services. Other countries like France and United Kingdom display have embraced universal healthcare characterized by increased life expectancy and a low infant mortality. The film evokes major issues of concern namely corruption, lower quality care, universal health care, bureaucracy, and employee incompetence. On the other hand, Information technology has proved significant to health facilities in improving service delivery. The federal government has the mandate of regulating healthcare institutions to enhance quality healthcare.
References
Bernstein, M. (2010). Michael Moore (1st ed.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Saunders, D. (2010). Documentary (1st ed.). New York, NY: Rutledge.