Does the United States Healthcare System Need an Overhaul?

Healthcare is undoubtedly one of the United States’ biggest challenges today. Having been declared “broken” by experts over ten years ago, the system has still not improved. Supposed “fixes” promised by managed care have not surfaced. Instead, health insurance premiums are rising, hassles for patients and physicians continue, and more than 45 million Americans are uninsured.

If the challenges with healthcare that the United States faces are not met

Ten years ago, the US healthcare system was declared "broken," and it has not improved. Fixes promised by managed care have not materialized. Premiums are rising. Hassles for patients and physicians abound. Nearly 45 million Americans are uninsured.
Over the next decade, these problems will worsen and new challenges will arise. Although new technology will increase efficiency, the cost of new tests and treatments will outweigh the savings. As physicians get better at treating problems, they will lengthen patients’ lives and increase the number of people requiring care. As baby boomers age, these new patients will demand top-quality care "their way."

As costs rise, the status quo will not be acceptable to employers. Some will eliminate benefits for new hires. Others will get out of the insurance business entirely, contributing some funds to coverage costs but no longer providing coverage themselves. These changes will cause the number of uninsured citizens to grow. The result will be an increasingly disenfranchised middle class. They—and employers—will vote for radical change.

In my role as a citizen rather than as the president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), I have developed a proposal to transform our healthcare system by the year 2010. This proposal outlines 6 problems, 6 principles for addressing them, and potential solutions.

It’s sad but true…not many people would argue against the fact that the United States’ healthcare system is under considerable distress, and needs major reform. Approving this overhaul is President Obama himself. The president has plans in motion to ensure that every American has access to high quality health care, deeming it “one of the most important challenges of our time.” He stated that the number of uninsured Americans is growing, premiums are skyrocketing, and an increasing number of people are being denied coverage every day. In addition, President Obama believes that an improved healthcare system is also essential to rebuilding the U.S. economy, in that an improved system will benefit people and businesses – not just insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

According to Darrell M. West, Vice President, Governance Studies at Brookings Institution, “the biggest obstacle to health care reform is fear of the unknown. Anytime you make fundamental changes in the system, there is going to be anxiety from doctors worried about reimbursement levels, patients concerned over access to care, insurers about market competition, and hospitals about cost structures. In this situation of complex proposals and unknowable consequences, it is easy to play to people’s fears and scare them into resisting change. What President Obama has to do is persuade people that diving into the unknown future is less risky than the current status quo. If he can overcome the fear hurdle, he will get health care reform.”

The way of approaching healthcare in the United States has become outdated. With the rapidly expanding array of technology that is available to the people of the United States, it is no wonder why the way research is done has changed; and the ways in which people communicate has also changed. So what about change in the healthcare system? It is due time for physicians and other healthcare providers to evolve with the times and incorporate telehealth services into their practices.

Datamonitor has predicted that the global telehealth market is expected to exceed $8 billion by the year 2012. Telemedicine (often used synonymously with telehealth) is the use of medical information being exchanged from one to another via electronic communication, whether it is the internet or phone. This exchanged medical information in turn is used to improve the patient's health or direct them in the right path.  Commonly referred to as online medical consultation services, telemedicine is not different from the actual practice of medicine; it is just the application of the standard, accepted practice of medicine, to electronic communication, thus making it more widely accessible and easier to obtain by the general public.  With technology at everyone's fingertips, it is no wonder that more and more people are turning to the internet for online doctor consultations and printable doctors’ excuses.  Approximately 36 million Americans have already been treated by telemedicine through online doctor consultations and/or prescriptions. A survey showed that over 70% of patients indicate that they are willing to try online doctor consultations rather than going into an office when they have a minor illness.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has reported that possibly 70% of all doctors visits are for information or a consultation of sorts that could easily be handled over a phone. All of these visits cost medical providers and patients alike for the unnecessary trips. It has been estimated that as much as $300 billion of health care costs are wasteful and unnecessary, thus resulting in higher insurance costs for groups and individuals alike.

President Obama has three targeted goals when it comes to improving the U.S. healthcare system – and those are to reform the healthcare system; promote scientific and technological advancements; and improve preventative care.

With the rapid advancement of telemedicine, or online doctor consultation services, the aforementioned goals are not too far out of our reach.

For exceptional telemedicine services, consult with the qualified, fully licensed U.S. physicians, or online doctors, on KoolDocs.com. KoolDocs.com’s telemedicine service offers patients increased access to health care services with added convenience and affordability. Our “Ask a Doctor” service helps patients avoid the hassle of having to go into the doctor’s office for acute simple medical conditions such as bronchitis, colds, coughs, flu, ear infections, sinus infections, laryngitis, sore throats, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections, smoking cessation, shingles, athlete’s foot, acne, rashes, insomnia, weight loss, herpes, and much, much more. Unlike waiting hours for the typical doctor’s office to call back, KoolDocs.com physicians return patients’ calls within a one- to three-hour window of time, or whenever is most convenient for the patient. Visit www.kooldocs.com today!

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