Health Reforms in USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health Reforms in USA - Term Paper Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that similarly as in the US, China has also seen many health reforms in the last decade, but the grounds on the basis of which the reforms have been made in the two countries differ quite considerably. Whilst in China, securing people from financial shocks resulting from high medical costs was the reason; in America, the attention was focused on reducing expensive emergency care by increasing access to health insurance and thereby reducing the burden from providers’ shoulders. The healthcare system of US was declared as ‘broken’ in the 1990’s, and since then the health-related concerns have only risen. One essential healthcare system overhaul in the USA was the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed by President Obama in 2010. Since it became law, US has observed great debate on the national level about the ‘Obamacare’ Act; a term coined by people against the pas sage of the Act who see the Act as bringing benefit not for the citizen but for Mr. Obama solitarily. Similarly, an appeal was filed in the world’s top court for the repealing of the law but the Court on ruled the Obamacare is upheld – the ruling to which Obama referred to as the victory for the people of America. Comparing the US healthcare structure with that of China, things are much different. Although major reforms have been made and efforts have been put in to ensure the delivery of better health services to the people of China, a vast proportion of the total population still lives far below national socioeconomic average. Of particular importance, among these reforms, is New Rural Co-operative Medical Care System (NRCMCS), a restructure overhaul for China’s healthcare arrangement initiated in 2005. The essential provisions of this system are that the burden of an average Chinese patient is not borne by the patient alone, rather it is divided among the Cen tral Government, Provincial Government and the patient himself, the ratio is 40%, 40%, and 20% respectively.