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What lasting impact will COVID-19 have on the U.S. healthcare industry? What lasting impact will COVID-19 have on the U.S. healthcare industry?
Systematic changes to the once rigid healthcare process will occur Systematic changes to the once rigid healthcare process will occur
Many hospitals and clinics might face moderate to severe financial hardships Many hospitals and clinics might face moderate to severe financial hardships
The fitness and wellness markets within the healthcare industry will make huge profits The fitness and wellness markets within the healthcare industry will make huge profits
Telehealth might become the next big innovative move in healthcare Telehealth might become the next big innovative move in healthcare
The public health sector will be more heavily emphasized in the future The public health sector will be more heavily emphasized in the future
The physician shortage crisis will be addressed The physician shortage crisis will be addressed
The fee-for-service healthcare model might be replaced with universal healthcare The fee-for-service healthcare model might be replaced with universal healthcare
Health centers might need government funds to keep their doors open Health centers might need government funds to keep their doors open
Efforts to reduce expenses in clinics and small hospitals will be taken Efforts to reduce expenses in clinics and small hospitals will be taken
Healthy living initiatives will be implemented in workplaces Healthy living initiatives will be implemented in workplaces
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What lasting impact will COVID-19 have on the U.S. healthcare industry?
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Systematic changes to the once rigid healthcare process will occur

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The fee-for-service healthcare model might be replaced with universal healthcare

The American healthcare system relies on a large swath of the population to maintain employment. However, with unemployment numbers hitting highs unseen since The Great Depression, calls for public, government-funded healthcare are getting louder.
Alison P. Galvani Andy Slavitt
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The Argument

Currently, a majority of Americans receive health insurance through their employers.[1] This model—which has worked well for years, albeit leaving 78 million people in America without access to adequate healthcare[2]—cannot survive during a global pandemic. With unemployment rates hitting upwards of 14 % at the peak of the pandemic, healthcare can no longer be tied to employment in the United States.[3] Universal healthcare in the States would not only make it more feasible for people to get tested, treated, and take preventative measures to protect themselves against COVID-19, but it would also make it more economically feasible for states and the federal government to control the pandemic.[4] While the Families First Coronavirus Response Act approved by Congress in March stipulates that COVID-19 diagnostic testing is basically free for everyone, treatment is not covered, forcing many Americans to make a difficult choice: seek medical attention and go into debt, or risk the personal health of themselves and their loved ones. The healthcare system in America has its flaws. But those flaws are now more prevalent than ever, and it's time for universal healthcare in America.

Counter arguments

Michael A. Diamond, a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, writes that single-payer healthcare might not have the positive effects that others suggest.[5] Government bureaus, he writes, have a tendency to become large and bloated and are often not swift, sleek, or well-oiled. Further, he says that just because the government offers healthcare to everyone, does not mean everyone would take advantage of the system to treat their illnesses or pains. People would still have to take time out of their day to find time to go see a doctor or get a prescription, something not everyone can afford to do. Further, he makes the argument that single-payer healthcare would not be as inexpensive as some believe, and could end up costing states money in lost tax revenue taken from private insurance premiums and revenues.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/total-population/?dataView=1&currentTimeframe=0&selectedDistributions=employer&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D
  2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30124-3/fulltext#bib0001
  3. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/11/unemployment-rose-higher-in-three-months-of-covid-19-than-it-did-in-two-years-of-the-great-recession/
  4. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30124-3/fulltext
  5. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.200906-0882ED
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 16 Sep 2020 at 19:37 UTC

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