Health care is a broad term that encompasses all aspects of maintaining physical and mental well-being. It includes medical and nursing services, hospitalizations, laboratory tests, prescription medications and many other health-related activities performed by trained professionals.
Several different kinds of health care exist, from primary to specialty. Primary care is generally considered to be the best point of entry into the healthcare system, with studies showing that patients are more satisfied with their treatment by a general practitioner than by a specialist. However, specialists also adhere more closely to disease-specific guidelines and can provide more comprehensive treatment than a general practitioner.
As a society, we invest heavily in healthcare. In addition to direct personal expenditures and forgone wages, we spend a considerable amount of our GDP on health insurance and related costs. Yet, it is difficult to determine how much of an effect this investment has on health outcomes and quality of life.
Many people obtain their health insurance through an employer’s group plan. Other options include the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which allows individuals to purchase their own health coverage independently. Choosing a plan can be daunting, with the myriad of benefits and cost factors to consider. Ultimately, it is important to choose a plan that offers the services you need at an affordable price, and makes sure your preferred clinicians are included in their network.
There are also different types of health care plans available, from HMOs to PPOs and POS. The difference between an HMO and a PPO, for example, is that an HMO tends to have a restrictive network of providers — if you see a provider outside the network, you will be responsible for all costs. A PPO, on the other hand, will give you a broader choice of providers and may pay for some out-of-network care.
Regardless of how you get your healthcare, it is essential to understand the impact it has on your overall health and well-being. This is particularly true if you have any chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or hypertension, which can have devastating and even fatal complications if not properly managed.
In the United States, we rely on a mixture of private and public healthcare systems. A significant portion of our private healthcare is provided by insurance companies, while we subsidize public healthcare through a compulsory social charge and contribution to a state fund.
The best way to control health care costs is through free market competition and the resulting efficiency and fairness. The key to this is transparency, which requires all parties in the system — patients, doctors and insurers alike — to have full access to meaningful information. This approach can help bridge the gap between conflicting elements of professionalism, regulation, competition, malpractice and value purchasing.