Introduction

Healthcare reform is an evidence-based practice that seeks to address existing challenges and maximize medical experiences. Insurance coverage is a powerful strategy for increasing the number of citizens who have access to high-quality care. This discussion examines the level of coverage in the United States and recommends the best course of action to maximize equity and fairness and medical services delivery.

Health Insurance Coverage

American citizens can purchase health insurance from different corporations in the sector. In 2019, around 159 million citizens were identified to have health insurance from their employers (Federation of American Scientists, 2020). Sixty percent of the population had purchased self-funded insurance health plans in the country (Scott, 2019). The country has around 30 million people who lack proper health insurance plans (Federation of American Scientists, 2020). A total of 57 million people were covered under the Medicaid program while the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid was responsible for the health demands of 9 million Americans (Federation of American Scientists, 2020). Around 5 million citizens had insurance coverage purchases from private companies (Scott, 2019). Unfortunately, 11.1 percent of the country’s population lack health insurance coverage (Federation of American Scientists, 2020). Such a predicament requires an effective solution to meet the demands of more Americans.

This analysis reveals that there are different sources of health insurance coverage for each plan. For instance, the ACA Medicaid and Medicaid Programs receive financial support from the established governments. These insurance plans allow beneficiaries to receive specific medical services without the need for financial compensations. Private companies will cater for the health expenses of the identified individuals. Due to the established policies and funding strategies, employers, the government, and insurance companies are not affected significantly by such coverage plans (Federation of American Scientists, 2020). Instead, all stakeholders are usually involved to cater for emerging health demands and ensure that the targeted beneficiaries do not incur additional expenses for health services.

Patients without Health Insurance Coverage

Citizens who do not have health insurance will encounter diverse challenges when trying to seek medical support. They affect other patients by straining the available government-sponsored resources and undermining the overall quality of the available services. They force providers to work overtime and focus on some terminal complications and diseases that patients without health insurance develop, such as cancer (Scott, 2019). Consequently, the absence of such coverage worsens the situation for health institutions since they have to strike a balance between workforce shortage and meeting the demands of more uninsured patients in need of timely care. Without the required financial support, many hospitals will be unable to provide high-quality medical support to such patients.

Policy Course of Action

The US can consider the universal healthcare model as the best policy action to ensure that more people have access to high-quality care. The government should be the sole provider of coverage to meet the demands of all citizens. It will pool the available resources, fund hospitals, and channel budgetary allocations for Medicaid and Medicare equitably to meet the health needs of all people (Sohn, 2017). Individuals can also be allowed to retain their employer-funded insurance plans to maximize the quality of available services.

Conclusion

American citizens get insurance coverage for health from employers, Medicaid, ACA Medicaid Expansion, or private companies. These stakeholders collaborate to maximize the health outcomes of the identified beneficiaries. However, positive results are yet to be recorded in the medical sector due to the percentage of individuals without insurance coverage. The proposed universal program will address this gap and ensure that all citizens have access to personalized healthcare services.

References

Federation of American Scientists. (2020). U.S. health care coverage and spending. Congressional Research Service.