The US health care system is one of the largest branches of the American economy in which huge resources are concentrated. The medical industry makes one seventh part of the whole national economy in which over 10 million people are occupied. Policy making in the sphere of health care makes multilateral impact on the American society. The policy covers essential interests in the sphere of health care practically in all layers, groups and social classes; it is in the center of a political life of the country.
The state policy making in the USA is built on the following principles: measures directed at the preservation and strengthening of the population’s health; referring of health care to the factors of the national security; compliance with the rights of a person in the sphere of health care and the guarantees connected with these rights; responsibility of the state authorities for the provision of the rights for qualitative health care services for all the citizens of the country.
The state, municipal and private health care systems, the development of which is guaranteed by the US Constitution, is the integrated health care system. Health care policy making is a rather important aspect of a state activity as it allows determining the degree of influence, rendered on the population of the country by the chosen policy. It is well-known that the financial resources of the state are limited, but the quantity of the problems, demanding solution, is quite numerous. Therefore, the state authorities should choose a correct policy on the basis of the assessment of all alternatives.
The state assumes the responsibility for those spheres of health care which are either unprofitable to private medicine, or objectively need a nation-wide support. There is a strong tendency towards the observance of the interests of society as a whole while the activity of the main components of medical care is aimed at receiving of the maximum profits. This is the main contradiction of the American health care, generating the elements of a crisis of a medical system. There is a general American support behind the expansion of health coverage. However, they have a lot of worries concerning the reform.
“One of the most striking features of public opinion surveys is that while Americans frequently state support for a national goal, they are unwilling to make any sacrifice to reach it – whether paying higher taxes, cutting other programs, limiting their choices, or having more government interference in their health care arrangements” (Morone: 2008, p. 259).
There are a lot of contradictory views to the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The opponents of the reform state that the reform can break the freedom of choice of every person, increases the expenditures and taxes. Moreover, there is a doubt in the overall access to the modern treatment – the US citizens will need to spend much time in the queues for the specialist’s consultation. Owning to the decrease of profitableness, the investments into the medical science, new technologies and medications will decrease.
Question 2.
Speaking of …