Health care is a complex topic that encompasses multiple areas of social life, including the delivery and financing of medical services. A key factor in the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of any health care system is its ability to provide patients with adequate access to care. In addition to the need for financial security, patients must be able to understand what is being provided and how it might benefit their condition. The current system of health care in the United States is undergoing significant changes and reorganization. These include acknowledgment of limited resources, reexamining methods for financing and delivering health care and greater examination of the roles of the public, professionals and institutions.
The primary goals of health care are to promote health and extend life. These are accomplished through a variety of means. These may involve preventive, diagnostic, curative and rehabilitative services as well as medical research and education. Some of these services are available for free through private insurance, and some through the government. Those who are in need of care may be forced to forgo or delay medical treatment due to financial constraints. Others are unable to receive any medical care because of nonfinancial barriers, such as lack of transportation or illiteracy. Still others face difficulties in obtaining quality health care because of the limitations of health insurance or the complexity of insurance benefits.
A comprehensive view of health care requires consideration of a broad range of issues, including professional ethics, malpractice, and the use of information to make decisions. It also requires a clear understanding of the ways in which the economy and market principles can affect health care, as well as a careful examination of the role of government regulation and the responsibilities of consumers and providers. In the final analysis, however, it is important to remember that the ultimate end of health insurance coverage and health care is improved health outcomes and quality of life.
In the United States, health insurance is largely privately financed through private insurers who set premiums based on actuarial projections. It is subsidized by the federal and state governments, but it does not completely cover costs for those who are not insured through work. Some of the supplemental coverage that people buy in the private market is used to cover basic health care costs, such as prescription drugs and dental visits. In countries that have a free-at-the-point-of-entry health system, such as Canada and the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, it is financed by taxes and is considered a fundamental human right.
The economics of health care is a complicated subject, and the simple assumptions that underlie market economies are rarely valid in healthcare. For example, there is often no such thing as perfect information about doctors and hospitals, the products cannot be totally homogenous, the number of suppliers and customers (here, healthcare professionals and patients) is large, and the product is something that is unique to each individual patient.