Among the greatest strengths in the health sector of the United States is that it has a well-built classified sector orientation that is set to offer and enhance ready admittance to all types of examination, especially to all those with steady coverage and sturdily gives confidence to the ongoing medical research and innovations by the local medical manufacturers (Capretta). Additionally, another strength of our health sector is the employer-sponsored cover which has taken part in a major role in preserving and maintaining the well-built private segment in the health care system of the US. This is due to the fact that employer-sponsored indemnity is very elastic and can effortlessly adjust to the varying outlines of accepted therapeutic practices. Furthermore, the advancement in the health IT and medical engineering sector which helps in advanced medical systems for patient diagnosis and theatre services (Chua).
On the other hand, the major weaknesses of the US health sector include; high costs of medical services compared to other modern societies. Additionally, medical liability and this call for legal redress to act on victims of such. Last but not least, another weakness of the US sector is the high number of uninsured citizens under medical cover (Donohue).
The most significant among the above are the high costs of medical services and the high number of uninsured citizens. This is because, with the high costs of medical services, many citizens tend to avoid health centers due to fear of the unknown. Additionally, without medical insurance, many citizens prefer domestic or family doctors due to fear of the huge hospital bills, and this subjects patients to poor services and under care during the period of sickness.
Describe some factors that influence people’s behavior regarding their health.
At practical level research has been used to justify the difficulty in changing the behavior of a person. However, some people tend to have funny kinds of behaviors that end up affecting their health in one way or another. Firstly, tobacco and alcohol use is a major factor that highly influences the behavior of a person regarding his/her health. Additionally, drug intake and sexual activity also affect someone’s behavior towards their health. Last but not least, the diet that someone takes and the rate of physical activity determine the behavior of a person with regards to health status (Carver 765).
Do you believe people should pay more for health insurance if they engage in unhealthy behaviors? Why or why not?
People who engage in unhealthy behaviors should pay a lot of money for health insurance compared to other people who do not do the same. This is simply because, when one engages in unhealthy behaviors for instance tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption or sexual immorality and drug intake, they usually expose themselves to health hazardous situations and are declared fragile since anything can happen to the person and this will be of extra cost to the insurance company. Furthermore, such people are prone to health defects and organ failure due to the uncouth behavioral acts that are engaging in it. On the other side, people who do not engage in coarse behaviors stand a little chance of being sick hence when set to pay the insurance cover at the same expense as the other one, definitely one will suffer as far as the wallet is concerned.
Works Cited
Capretta, James C. “Healthcare in the United States: Strengths, Weaknesses & the Way Forward.” 2008. THE CENTER FOR BIOETHICS AND HUMAN DIGNITY. <https://cbhd.org/content/healthcare-united-states-strengths-weaknesses-way-forward>.
Carver, Charles S. “Negative Affects Deriving From the Behavioral.” (1992): 765.
Chua, Kao-Ping. “Overview of the U.S. Health Care System .” ( 2006 ): 5-6.
Donohue, Thomas J. “Weaknesses in the U.S. Health Care System.” 27 November 2007. Target Health Global. 20 April 2018 <http://blog.targethealth.com/weaknesses-in-the-us-health-care-system/>.
