I wrote this paper for my PA Role course. It addresses the current debate over health care reform in the US from the perspective of a PA student. Feel free to comment. Enjoy!
Health is a valuable asset to man. It grants us the strength and vigor to carry out day-to-day activities – many of which we take for granted – such as earning a living or simply getting out of bed. It also plays an important role in our mental functioning and general sense of well-being. For this reason, every individual should be granted the right to fair and affordable health care to maintain the integrity of his or her health.
Unfortunately, tens of millions of uninsured Americans are economically deprived of access to the medical attention they need, and the number is steadily increasing every year. The alarming reality of this ‘crisis’ highlights the need for health care reform. However, the current system cannot be reformed without first addressing the health workforce. With plans to extend insurance to millions more, the shortage of primary care doctors will only get worse. One solution is to increase the role of physician assistants.
Physician assistants represent an economical approach to providing high quality treatment to patients. There is no doubt that PAs could be the essential factor in the health reform debate. As a student in PA school and a future health practitioner, I welcome any change that will facilitate the role of PAs and provide invaluable, cost-effective health care to many. Furthermore, the importance of increasing the medical workface with PAs is imperative if we are going to make a reform successful.
The argument in favor of health care reform is augmented by implementing more PAs in holistic medicine. By increasing access to and lowering the cost of primary health care, millions of more patients will be able to seek the medical attention they deserve. Moreover, by improving both preventative care services like routine check-ups, as well as care of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure, the overall cost of health care in the US will be drastically cut.
The debate over health care reform is primarily divided between those who prefer a free market approach and those who favor a single-payer plan, as in the case of universal health care. Considering our current system of a restricted market with its limitations placed on insurance companies by the government, the best solution would be to have a free market for health insurance. It would allow insurance to be bought and sold across state lines so that we can use it wherever we live. It would allow individuals to purchase policies and enjoy the same tax benefits as insurance purchased through an employer. This would give consumers more power to choose the best insurance plan that is affordable for them, with the overall goal of making health care more accessible.
Health care reform in the US is inevitable and physician assistants could be the essential factor in the national debate. PAs represent an economical approach to providing high quality treatment to patients. By utilizing PAs, health care may become more attainable and the overall cost of health care will be drastically reduced. A move towards a free market for health insurance would potentiate the extension of health care to millions of more Americans. Health care reform can truly be a win-win situation for the health practitioner, insurance company, and consumer.