OECD’s Healthcare and Economic Statistics – U.S. vs. Canada

OECD’s Healthcare and Economic Statistics – U.S. vs. Canada

After going through the statistics:

• • What information or statistics do you find either surprising or reasonable?

I find it very interesting that the economic growth variables in the U.S. (including real GDP growth, net saving rate in household disposable income, and gross fixed capital information) have been slowly growing over the years compared to Canada. For example, the real growth GDP in Canada jumped from 0.7 in 2015 to 3.0 in 2017, whereas in the U.S., it dropped from 2.9 to 2.4. It is also intriguing to note that the American government spends about 14.4% of its GDP on compulsory health, while Canada only invests roughly 7.4%. The case is different in voluntary health expenditure, whereby Canada is leading with 3.2% against America’s 2.6%. However, the most interesting is the finding that Canada leads the U.S. in information and communications technology, with approximately 85.6% and 83.9% of households estimated to have access to computers and the Internet in 2013 (OECD, 2019a). The U.S., on the other hand, had only 72.0% and 74.2 % of households being able to access computers and the internet, respectively (OECD, 2019b). Similarly, Canada seems to outshine the U.S. in almost all health parameters. In 2014, for example, Canada recorded the lowest suicide rate (11.5%) against America’s 13.5%. The same applies to life expectancy at birth (81.8% vs. 78.9%), and infant mortality (4.7% vs. 5.8%).

• • Do you anticipate the statistics will be similar in ten years? Why or why not?

I expect the statistics to remain the same in ten years, or the gap will even widen because of several reasons. The most obvious is that Canada has been outperforming the U.S. for the past ten years in all areas, which is a clear indication that Canada has effective policies that ensure economic growth as well as efficient health strategies. Besides, I expect the trend to remain the same because the U.S. is obviously lagging behind in terms of creating efficient policies. This is primarily caused by the ongoing power battles between the ruling Republican party and the Democratic Party, which is affecting the creation of practical policies. For example, there has been no absolute reason why President Trump has been campaigning for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act introduced by Obama and replacing it with Trumpcare. This is likely going to create more health disparities as more impoverished and employed people will find access to health insurance difficult. Hire our assignment writing services in case your assignment is devastating you.

• The current structure of healthcare coverage in the United States has a combination of employer-based coverage and public program (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid) coverage, with a large uninsured population. If a single-payer system is implemented where Medicare is expanded to cover all citizens for those who prefer private insurance, there will be comparable coverage under the same range of private insurance plans already available. Keeping in mind these considerations, answer the following questions:
  • What do you think about allowing some people to purchase additional insurance, thereby creating a two-tier health system based on affordability?

I think that creating a two-tier health system that allows a few individuals to purchase extra insurance cover is an excellent idea for America because it can expand access to health. The rich will definitely opt for the expensive cover, which will relieve the public-funded resource. Quality will also improve tremendously.

• • What are the advantages and disadvantages of this initiative?

The benefit of this two-tier system is that everyone is covered. Those that cannot afford the expensive, private insurance are covered by the government. Also, those who have the cash to pay for their own cover can do so at whatever level of quality they desire. On the other hand, the downside of the two-tier system is that it might encourage an upsurge of private, for-profit healthcare. A majority of private healthcare service providers often tend to compromise quality and efficiency.

• Considering the fact that healthcare is not a guaranteed right for everyone in the United States, there are different kinds of barriers and obstacles in obtaining healthcare. In contrast to this fact, the notions of equity and fairness are considered very important. You will notice that these notions aren’t considered when we discuss people’s access to other goods, such as cars and computers.
  • What are these barriers? Give examples of the different barriers to health care under the following headings:
    • Financial barriers – High cost of private care and insurance premiums, which affects affordability.
    • Scarcity of healthcare providers – Lack of financial incentives to motivate more training of physicians and other healthcare workers.
    • Barriers to access healthcare – Inequality in terms of the distribution of resources.
    • Cultural barriers include the failure of certain populations to stick to medical appointments, misunderstanding of patients, and many others.
    • Barriers to healthcare resources – Lack of adequate government support and inequality in the distribution of health resources.
  • How would you define the term, “equity and fairness”, in the context of the healthcare situations prevailing in the United States and Canada?

The term “equity and fairness” refers to the provision of an equal opportunity for all members to stay healthy in terms of distribution and access to resources, regardless of their gender, age, income level, economic background, social background, or ethnicity.

• • Why are they considered important when discussing people’s access to care?

‘Equity and fairness’ is critical in the discussion involving access to care because it impacts the general well-being of a population. It is the primary factor attributed to health disparities and poor health outcomes among disadvantaged communities.

• It is believed that government-funded healthcare for all citizens is consistent with a capitalist economy and the cultural values of self-determination and free enterprise.
  • Do you agree with this statement? If not, what other approaches do you think will resolve the current inequities in the system?

Yes, I agree with this statement.

References

OECD. (2019a). Country statistical profile: Canada 2019. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/g2g9e46e-en.pdf?expires=1581772708&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=BB7D6658A18ABD2F0F7BD6CA4CD3BC9B

OECD. (2019b). Country statistical profile: United States 2019. Retrieved from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/g2g9e6de-en.pdf?expires=1581772787&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=DAA084CBDDB1E958DF7C004CCB86B32D

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Using the South University online library, the Internet, and the data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), research comparative international work and compare the United States and Canada with respect to which country is more effective in the areas of (1) economic growth; (2) expenditure (public and private expenditure on health); (3) information and communications technology; and (4) health.

OECD’s Healthcare and Economic Statistics – U.S. vs. Canada

Click here to access data from the OECD.

On the basis of your observations, create a 1- to 2-page report.

Your report should address the following questions:

After going through the statistics:
What information or statistics do you find either surprising or reasonable?
Do you anticipate the statistics will be similar in ten years? Why or why not?
The current structure of healthcare coverage in the United States has a combination of employer-based coverage and public program (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid) coverage, with a large uninsured population. If a single-payer system is implemented where Medicare is expanded to cover all citizens for those who prefer private insurance, there will be comparable coverage under the same range of private insurance plans already available. Keeping in mind these considerations, answer the following questions:
What do you think about allowing some people to purchase additional insurance, thereby creating a two-tier health system based on affordability?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this initiative?
Considering the fact that healthcare is not a guaranteed right for everyone in the United States, there are different kinds of barriers and obstacles to obtaining healthcare. In contrast to this fact, the notions of equity and fairness are considered very important. You will notice that these notions aren’t considered when we discuss people’s access to other goods, such as cars and computers.
What are these barriers? Give examples of the different barriers to health care under the following headings:
Financial barriers
Scarcity of healthcare providers
Barriers to accessing healthcare
Cultural barriers
Barriers of healthcare resources
How would you define the term, “equity and fairness”, in the context of the healthcare situations prevailing in the United States and Canada?
Why are they considered important when discussing people’s access to care?
It is believed that government-funded healthcare for all citizens is consistent with a capitalist economy and the cultural values of self-determination and free enterprise.
Do you agree with this statement? If not, what other approaches do you think will resolve the current inequities in the system?
To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.