The United States continues to experience challenges with respect to health reform. There is considerable agreement on the need for health reform; however, there is an appreciable divide with respect to how to best achieve reform. Discussions on strategies for reform include a repeal of current legislation (the ACA), the implementation of a universal plan, and various “fixes” to the ACA.
Many would suggest that a repeal of the current system would be most appropriate, while others support efforts to “fix” the current ACA. The health organization you work for has asked you to develop a comprehensive proposal for healthcare reform.
The U.S. expends more of its Gross Domestic Product on healthcare than any other developed nation. However, the superior amount of spending has not resulted in superior outcomes when compared to other countries. In addition to higher costs, the U.S. is the only developed country that does not offer universal health to its citizens. There has been a significant amount of discourse with respect to the pros and cons of universal coverage. Those who oppose universal coverage often refer to the Canadian, single-payer system and its challenges, such as high tax liabilities for citizens, its long wait times, and the perception of the single payer system as socialized medicine. However, those in favor of universal coverage argue that the single payer system is not socialized medicine and its costs relative to the current system in the U.S. is more cost effective. Moreover, the single payer system is only one form of universal coverage. Countries that consistently rank high in terms of positive health outcomes often employ a multi-payer universal system as opposed to a single-payer system.
Instructions
You will analyze the current literature on the health system in the U.S. Your final project will include a paper, a voiceover PowerPoint presentation, and an infographic of your proposed solution. Possible solutions include a single payer universal plan, a multi-payer universal plan, a potential enhancement to the ACA such as adding a public option, Medicare for all, or a complete repeal of the current law.
The three (3) deliverables are:
A paper that includes the challenges facing the U.S. in terms of balancing the iron triangle of health – Costs, Access, and Quality. Please address the following:
An examination of current policy
A discussion of whether healthcare should be considered a right or a privilege
A discussion of the role of special interest groups on health reform

Articulate the significance of the involvement the Congressional Budget Office in determining the cost effectiveness of reform
Explain the importance of considering existing privacy laws in reform efforts
Describe and justify your potential solution to current challenges facing the U.S., including resource allocatiion.
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Challenges facing the U.S. Healthcare System
The United States is considered to be the only developed country that experiences a great
challenge in balancing the health iron triangle that involves the delivery of quality healthcare
services, access to healthcare services, and the cost of various healthcare services. Though the
country has made a great effort to improve the condition of its healthcare system through various
policies, not all people in the nation have easy access to healthcare services. The cost of
healthcare services in the country is so high that only a few people can afford to pay for them
effortlessly (Sarpatwari et al., 2019). Besides, the quality of services provided to the country’s
residents is determined by the ability of an individual to pay for improved services. This makes
some residents seek healthcare services from other countries such as Canada and India.
Therefore, various aspects have been discussed in relation to the health iron triangle, which
include the examination of current policy, whether healthcare needs to be perceived as a right or
a privilege, the significance of the involving the Congressional Budget Office, the relevance of
considering existing privacy laws, and potential solution to current challenges facing the country.
Examining the Current Policy
The current policy considered in the U.S. in relation to the health iron triangle is the
Affordable Care Act (ACA). The policy was enacted on 23rd March 2010 to improve access to
healthcare services among U.S. residents, reduce the cost of healthcare services, and improve the
quality of services to the patients. The policy aimed to support and promote various healthrelated programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. These programs usually provide health
insurance covers to the vulnerable people in the U.S., especially the elderly, those with
disabilities, pregnant women, children, and low-income people (Sarpatwari et al., 2019).
However, regardless of the enactment of the policy, there are still millions of U.S. residents who
cannot access healthcare services, receive quality services, or pay for their healthcare costs.
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According to 2020 statistics, there were 31.6 million uninsured people. These uninsured people
belong to various populations, including the elderly, the children, and the people living with
disabilities. This implies that the aim of the ACA has not yet been achieved.
Whether Healthcare should be considered a Right or a Privilege
A right refers to something that should be provided to all people equally regardless of
their socioeconomic status or other conditions. Besides, a privilege is something special provided
to only a particular population based on their advantages over other people. Based on the
understanding of the two different terms, healthcare should be perceived as a right but not a
privilege. If healthcare is perceived as a right, people from different socioeconomic statuses,
ethnic groups, and cultures can access healthcare services without discrimination. However, if it
is perceived as a privilege, only the people who belong to the upper socioeconomic status will
benefit since they can afford to pay for the high cost of healthcare.
The Role of Special Interest Groups on Health Reform
A special interest group refers to people who engage in a particular activity to ensure that
common interests are gained by influencing the political process. Such groups are also known as
organized interest groups or pressure groups. In healthcare, the role of this group is to advocate
for the changes that need to be developed in healthcare to improve its condition in terms of
quality, costs, and access to services. This group usually pushes for various health reforms to be
improved or introduced to improve the healthcare system. Without the involvement of such a
group, reforms can hardly be introduced in healthcare.
The Significance of the Involvement of the Congressional Budget Office
The role of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is to provide the Congress with
timely, nonpartisan, and objective information, estimates, and analyses associated with the
federal budgetary and economic decisions (Kaltenboeck et al., 2021). The CBO is a federal
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agency belonging to the Legislative branch that ensures that the economic and budget
information is well presented to Congress. The agency plays a significant role in determining
health reform cost-effectiveness by indicating the changes in healthcare that can consume much
money and yet they may not be effective and the reforms that will only utilize minimal funds and
end up being effective (Kaltenboeck et al., 2021). Through such analysis, Congress can
understand the reforms to support and those that should be rejected.
Importance of considering existing Privacy Laws in Reform Efforts
Privacy laws in health reforms are critical since they ensure that patient health
information is kept private and confidential. Though there are several existing privacy laws, one
of them involves the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Erickson et al., 2020).
Such policy laws should be considered in reform efforts since they assist in maintaining patients’
information private and confidential.
Potential Solution to Current Challenges Facing the U.S.
The U.S. healthcare system is faced with several challenges associated with access to
healthcare services, the delivery of quality services, and the cost of healthcare (Erickson et al.,
2020). These challenges emerge due to different causes though the most significant one involves
the poor allocation of resources. Based on the challenges experienced, the most appropriate
solution to address such issues involves the adoption o the ‘Medicare for All’ program. Through
this program, all U.S. residents can easily access quality care services with little or no cost
regardless of their conditions and status, thus improving their health.
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References
Erickson, S. M., Outland, B., Joy, S., Rockwell, B., Serchen, J., Mire, R. D., & Medical Practice
and Quality Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2020). Envisioning a
better U.S. health care system for all: Health care delivery and payment system reforms.
Annals of internal medicine, 172(2_Supplement), S33-S49.
https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-2407
Kaltenboeck, A., Mehlman, A., & Pearson, S. D. (2021). Potential policy reforms to strengthen
the accelerated approval pathway. Journal of comparative effectiveness research, 10(16),
1177-1186. https://doi.org/10.2217/cer-2021-0184
Sarpatwari, A., Barenie, R., Curfman, G., Darrow, J. J., & Kesselheim, A. S. (2019). The U.S.
biosimilar market: stunted growth and possible reforms. Clinical Pharmacology &
Therapeutics, 105(1), 92-100. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.1285

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