BY: CLAIRE KIM
Healthcare is arguably one of the most important factors for members of a germ-contaminated society to thrive consistently. Every day, every minute, every second, we are exposed to germs whether it’s from our food, completing house chores, or just going on our phones. Germs, bacteria, and viruses are everywhere and it’s no surprise that they will never go away. But if they are so harmful, how come we are still living and breathing just fine as if nothing ever happened? Well, the answer is pretty simple. We have a strong immune system, take medications when necessary, and visit the doctor’s office to battle off any serious or fatal illnesses. With healthcare by our side, we can receive treatments and examinations from our doctors which has significantly helped us stay healthy and alive. The current health care system offers a wide range of services starting from as simple as providing vaccines to aiding in pregnancy or surgery. With so many procedures available that are growing in success, the healthcare division definitely seems quite stable from a brief overview. However, financially the health care program in the US is not getting supported enough in comparison to other countries in the world. Like other sectors in our economy such as agriculture, healthcare stands farther behind when it comes to investment. According to a report done by Harvard Business Review, they stated that the main cause for the low investment in healthcare was that, “Overinvesting in low-value services by physicians, payers, and patients leads to the underinvestment in high-value services. A failure to reduce investments in low-value care and reinvest these resources in high-value therapies will reduce incentives to develop future therapies that can deliver significant value to patients.” So based on their research, I think it’s valuable for us as Americans to realize how problematic our current healthcare system is instead of ignoring it and hoping that it will figure out eventually. If nothing really changes and we continue to lose interest in investing appropriately, our healthcare program may fall off its tracks which could lead to terrible consequences.
claire kim. 