Healthcare Policy
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Coast of Healthcare in The United States
American Public University POLS410: Public Policy
Professor Kimberly Cheiken
31 December 2023
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To:
To The Governor of Florida
From:
State Policy Advisor
Subject:
Reducing the Cost of Healthcare
Date:
31 December 2023
The Beginning of Healthcare
Healthcare is a system that provides full or half coverage to people who may need health
coverage from licensed medical personnel, whether it's physical, mental, or emotional well-being
(Merriam). President John Adams, the second President of the United States, signed the first Federal health law on 16 July 1798. The Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen law was
to help seaman seek medical attention at American ports for twenty cents a month. The twenty cents helped provide seamen medical attention and build hospitals for them, and this was the first
prepaid medical care in the United States. Healthcare costs have risen throughout the years. It is a topic you may have seen in newspapers, television commercials, or social media. The challenge that the people of the United States face is how to afford healthcare. Mainly, low-
income families are affected by the cost of healthcare. High-income families may pay up to sixteen percent of their income for healthcare, while low-income families may pay thirty-three percent for healthcare (RAND, 2020). In 1970, a total cost of $74.1 billion in healthcare by 2000, it reached around $1.4 trillion; in 2022, the cost of healthcare tripled to $4.5 trillion. During the first year of COVID-19, from 2019 to 2020, it had increased by 10.6%. It continued to increase by 4.1% from 2021 to 2022. The increase made it harder to afford for families because most jobs required being around people, making it hard to have social distancing. Unlike other jobs, such as office jobs, they could work from home.
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The purpose of this policy is to prioritize the reduction of healthcare. However, the price of healthcare is different in each state in the United States. In states where healthcare is affordable, such as Michigan, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii, and New Mexico, people will seek medical attention with no hesitation, unlike Florida, which ranks fourth as one of the states with the most expensive healthcare, 14.87% of adults did not see a doctor due to the cost (Masterson, 2023).
Cost of Healthcare in Florida
Technology and medicine have evolved over the years, which is one of many reasons healthcare can be expensive. In the state of Florida, employers are not covering employees' healthcare. A study from The Commonwealth Fund stated that people struggle to pay for healthcare: they must determine where to take it from, such as buying fewer groceries, living in a
different house, or delaying education (McGough, 2022). In Miami, private health insurance offered by companies, premiums healthcare for workers could go up to five to twenty percent. The reasons for the jump is due to inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Van Horn Law Group, which has 30 workers, employees have experienced ten to fifteen percent increases in their healthcare annually for the past few years (CBS).
This year, the Silver Plan's monthly healthcare cost for those aged 40 is $613.00. We are already expecting a 2% raise in healthcare to go up next year, in 2024. Floridians have five tiers of healthcare: catastrophic, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. They all have their pros and cons.
Pros and Cons for Tiers of Healthcare Plan
Catastrophic and bronze plans are affordable and best for people who don't seek medical attention and may be in good health. The downfall of this plan is Floridians must pay a large portion of their health care bills if they have a severe illness or injury.
The average monthly cost for the catastrophic plan for the following ages is:
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Age 21- Monthly fee $245
Age 40- Monthly fee $313
Age 60- Monthly $664
This plan has a $9,450 deductible and a $9,450 out-of-pocket maximum.
For 2024, there will be a -5% increase in the monthly cost (
Deventer, 2023)
.
The average monthly cost for the bronze plan for the following ages is:
Age 21- Monthly fee $399
Age 40- Monthly fee $510
Age 60- Monthly fee $1,084
This plan has a $7,500 deductible and a $9,400 out-of-pocket maximum.
For 2024, there will be a 6% change to the monthly cost (
Deventer, 2023)
.
The silver plan is best for average medical needs; it is affordable and has a good average. Floridians still need to pay a small portion of their medical bills. The average monthly cost for the silver plan for the following ages is:
Age 21- Monthly fee $480
Age 40- Monthly fee $613
Age 60- Monthly fee $1,302
This plan has a $5,900 deductible and a $9,100 out-of-pocket maximum.
For 2024, there will be a 2% change to the monthly cost (
Deventer, 2023)
.
The gold and platinum plans are best for complex medical needs like severe or chronic conditions. This plan costs more but can save you money on expensive treatment or treatments. The average monthly cost for the gold plan for the following ages are:
Age 21- Monthly fee $522
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Age 40- Monthly fee $667
Age 60- Monthly $1,416
This plan has a $1,500 deductible and an $8,700 out-of-pocket maximum. For 2024, there will be
a 2% change to the monthly cost.
The average monthly cost for the platinum plan for the following ages is:
Age 21- Monthly fee $820
Age 40- Monthly fee $1,047
Age 60- Monthly $2,224
This plan has a $800 deductible and a $2,500 out-of-pocket maximum.
For 2024, there will be a 9% change to the monthly cost (
Deventer, 2023)
.
It becomes less affordable for older Floridians because once we start getting older, we may develop health complications that may require expensive treatment. Because of the high cost of healthcare, Floridians may not seek medical attention and go without treatment until their illness becomes severe. They may not get the best medical attention due to their healthcare plan. From self-experience, my aunt was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, and the hospital where she was receiving treatment in a well-maintained hospital. She was discharged from the hospital and told to return in four days for a follow-up. As a family, we saw that she was not well
and did not understand why they discharged her when she was still feeling pain and was not able to eat. The following day, my aunt got worse, and we called 911. The paramedics evaluated her and immediately transported her to the nearest hospital because of her health condition. Once she
was at the hospital, she was treated differently from the other hospital. She was in a private room
with different doctors and nurses. The doctors were running different tests, but a few hours later, she passed away. We realize that if she had a better healthcare plan, she would have never been
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limited to hospitals that took her health insurance. Before her passing away, we had talked about changing her health insurance and looking into what hospitals would give her a better treatment. Unfortunately, someone needs to hit rock bottom to receive better healthcare treatment.
Solutions to Reduce Healthcare
Reducing the cost of Prescription drugs
The United States is going through inflation, and with the COVID-19 pandemic and other new viruses, pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of their selling prices. The United States are always willing to pay because they want to be the first to have the newest drugs to cure
people. Although the U.S. is using taxpayer money to purchase the latest drugs, it still needs to be affordable for those who may have basic healthcare. If our government can negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and push back on companies profiting, it can help overpay
for medicine and improve healthcare coverage.
Equalizing Health Insurance
As I previously explained, the cost of healthcare by tiers and age becomes less affordable as
we age. The older and depending on one specialty, we won't be able to perform as fast as a younger employee and recover as fast as a younger employee—this is one of the reasons why healthcare is more expensive for older Floridians. An older person who may be retired still needs
to pay a high price for their healthcare. The government should get involved in equalizing senior Floridians' health insurance by surveying how much they pay monthly and how much their insurance covers. Low-income families also need help affording insurance that can cover their healthcare needs. However, Medicaid can be an option for low-cost or free health insurance for low-income homes.
Unfortunately, in Florida, it is harder to qualify for Medicaid than in other states. To
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qualify, you must be a relative or caretaker of a child under 21 or pregnant. Some Floridians may
qualify if they are formally in foster care and under 26. Elderly Floridians might qualify, whether
they are disabled or blind. You are automatically enrolled in Florida Medicaid if you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI). They have paid and are still paying taxes. Why can't the government negotiate with insurance by equalizing their payments? Equalizing Medicaid payments could help reduce healthcare costs by creating a more level playing field for providers.
Competition between insurance companies The more you pay on health insurance, the less deductible it will be when seeking medical attention. If an insurance company can provide me a little more, reduce my deductible for the same price I am currently paying, or cover my medication a little more, I would definitely change my insurance. At the moment, the company is losing money, but in the long run, it will profit because some people will change their insurance for better care for themselves and their families. The cost of healthcare can go on and on. Every level of the household, whether a high-
income or a low-income home, still pays taxes from federal to state. Floridians who can not afford Platinum healthcare should not be penalized for the healthcare service they are provided. Other states have managed to approve Medicaid for Senior and low-income families. Everyone is
trying to make a living and live a healthy life. With the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the impact
of people not being able to go to work. How people could not function or go without restaurants, daycares, and social events. In most of these places, employees may get paid minimum wage and
cannot afford healthcare because they still have to pay rent and other utilities. We need them to do jobs that only they, or not many, can do. Our government needs to look at the effects of high healthcare causes. I go to a smaller town where seeking medical attention is
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challenging due to the lack of a clinic or nearby hospital, but I still need to pay a high price for healthcare even if there is no nearby medical clinic. Before raising prices for 2024, let's look at the facts and find a solution, such as keeping the cost as it is, and come up with a solution that Floridians can vote on.
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Reference “Health Care Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster
, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/health%20care#:~:text=1,up%20when%20they%20get%20sick. Accessed 31 Dec. 2023. “Images from the History of the Public Health Service: Disease Control and Prevention, Health Care for Seamen.” U.S. National Library of Medicine
, National Institutes of Health, 5 Jan. 2012, www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/phs_history/seamen.html. Burden of Health Care Payments Is Greatest among Americans with ... - Rand
, 27 Jan. 2020, www.rand.org/news/press/2020/01/27.html. McGough, Matthew, et al. “How Has U.S. Spending on Healthcare Changed over Time?” Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker
, 15 Dec. 2023, www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-
collection/u-s-spending-healthcare-changed-time/#Total%20national%20health
%20expenditures,%20US%20$%20Billions,%201970-2022. Masterson, Les. “Most and Least Expensive States for Health Care, Ranked.” Forbes
, Forbes Magazine, 18 Oct. 2023, www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/most-and-least-
expensive-states-for-health-care-ranked/. Deventer, Cate. Best Cheap Health Insurance in Florida for 2024 - Valuepenguin
, 8 Dec. 2023, www.valuepenguin.com/best-cheap-health-insurance-florida. The Inflation Reduction Act Will Cut Health Care Costs for Floridians
, www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Florida-Health-Care.pdf. Accessed 31 Dec. 2023.
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