Abstract
The need for change in the system of health care delivery in the United States has finally emerged as a political issue alongside continuing budget deficits, a growing national debt, declining educational outcomes, and decreased competitiveness of American business in the global economy. The two most pressing health care problems at the present time are rapidly increasing costs and lack of access to the system. A more distant but potentially more recalcitrant problem is the ageing of our population. This paper outlines and discusses some of the options for reform which are currently under consideration in the United States.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Jenks, S. F. and Schieber, G. J. (1991). Containing U.S. health care costs: what bullet to bite?Health Care Financing Review 1991 Annual Supplement, 1–12.
Sonnefeld, S. T., Waldo, R., Lemieu, J. A. and McKusic, D. R. (1991). Projections of national health expenditures through the year 2000.Health Care Financing Review 13 (1), 1–15.
(1992).Health Cost Squeeze on Older Americans: A Report by the Families USA Foundation, Washington DC.
Meyer, H. (1993). Embattled insurers fight for survival.American Medical News 18, 1.
Shelton, J. K. and Janosi, J. M. (1992). Unhealthy health care costs.Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 17(1), 7–19.
Brown, M. L., Kessler, L. G. and Rueter, F. G. (1990). Is the supply of mammography machines outstripping need and demand? An economic analysis.Annals of Internal Medicine 113(7), 547–552.
Shelton, J. K. and Janosi, J. M. (1992). Unhealthy health care costs.Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 17, 7–19.
Webster, Jr. J. R. and Berdes, C. (1990). Ethics and economic realities.Archives of Internal Medicine 150, 1795–1797.
Budetti, P. (1992). Universal health care coveragepitfalls and promise of an employment-based approach.Journal of Medicine and Philosophy 17, 21–32.
U.S. General Accounting Office (1990).Health Insurance: Cost Increases Lead to Coverage Limitations and Cost Shifting, Washington D.C. GAO/HRD 90–68.
Iglehart, J. K. (1991). Germany's health care system (first of two parts).New England Journal of Medicine 324(7), 503–508.
Woolhandler, S. and Himmelstein, D. U. (1991). The deteriorating administrative efficiency of the U.S. health care system.New England Journal of Medicine 324(18), 1253–1258.
Schriber, G. J., Poullier, J. P. and Greenwald, L. M. (1992). U.S. health expenditure performance: an international comparison and data update.Health Care Financing Review 13(4), 1–15.
Shields, J. F., Young, G. J. and Rubin, R. J. (1992). O Canada: do we expect too much from its health system?Health Affairs 11(1), 7–20.
Woolhandler, S. and Himmelstein, D. U. (1988). Free care: a quantitative analysis of health and cost effects of a national health program for the United StatesInternational Journal of Health Services 18, 393–399.
Barer, M. L. and Evans, R. G. (1992). Interpreting Canada: models, mind-sets, and myths.Health Affairs 11(1), 44–61.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1988).Health United States 1984, Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Publication PHS 88-1232, 1988:2.
Munoz, E., Rosner, F., Chalfin, D., Goldstein, J., Margolis, I. and Wise, L. (1989). Age resource consumption, and outcome for medical patients at an academic medical center.Archives of Internal Medicine 149, 1946–1950.
Schneider, E. L. and Guralnik, J. M. (1990). The aging of America: impact on health care costs.Journal of the American Medical Association 263(17), 2335–2340.
Hospital Statistics. (1987). American Hospital Association, Chicago.
Schneider, E. L. and Guralnik, J. M. (1990). The aging of America: impact on health care costs.Journal of the American Medical Association 263(17), 2335–2340.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hackler, C. Health care reform in the United States. Health Care Anal 1, 5–13 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02196965
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02196965