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The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial damage to millions of people’s lives, countries’ economies, and many healthcare organizations worldwide. The coronavirus crisis revealed inadequacies of the U.S. health system, which is primarily insurance-based (Metzl et al., 2020). Unfortunately, the economic downfall that the United States experienced at the beginning of the pandemic resulted in a surge in unemployment. It meant that many citizens lost their jobs and had no medical insurance, usually provided by employers (Blumenthal et al., 2020). Although some were eligible for Medicaid after becoming jobless, many people lacked insurance amid the COVID crisis. According to Blumenthal et al. (2020), “31 million persons … were uninsured and the more than 40 million estimated to be underinsured before the pandemic struck” (p. 1483). These numbers were problematic for the nation because 26% of COVID-19 cases and 24% of death occurred in the United States, whose people comprise only 4% of the global population (Blumenthal et al., 2020). This pandemic damaged hospitals’ infrastructure and reflected the deep crisis of the American healthcare system by exposing issues of insurance-based care that prevented many people from receiving medical help.
The U.S. hospitals were in crisis at the beginning of the pandemic because of the lack of materials and supplies. Since many non-emergent procedures had to be canceled, healthcare institutions started to have a drop in their revenue (Zeegen et al., 2020). Indeed, it was estimated that hospitals could lose more than $320 billion during the first year of the pandemic (Blumenthal et al., 2020). This situation could affect the financial viability of clinics that were potentially dangerous for the system because of the personnel and equipment shortage. Furthermore, monetary losses could incentivize healthcare organizations to raise prices, making care even more unaffordable (Blumenthal et al., 2020). Moreover, before the vaccination was introduced, Emergency Rooms had to function at their maximum capacity despite being understaffed and underfunded (Dorsett, 2020). Although some COVID patients could stay home for quarantine, many required admissions to the intensive care units (ICU) for mechanical ventilation. Since the United States, like other countries, did not have enough ventilator machines, ICUs were overwhelmed (Dorsett, 2020). These circumstances often required prioritizing care in favor of critically ill people, leaving less severe patients for home care through telemedicine.
The inadequacy of the insurance-based healthcare system was evident before the pandemic, and when the coronavirus crisis began, it became apparent that fundamental change was required. The economic downturn caused by the pandemic resulted in the loss of about 35 million employer-provided health insurance (Zeegen et al., 2020). The main problem was that Medicaid could reach the point of non-expansion due to its limited capacity, leaving millions of people without access to medical care. This situation was dangerous not only for acute COVID patients but also for people with chronic illnesses who were at increased risk for complications from their non-communicable diseases if left without long-term treatment. Moreover, the pandemic revealed racial discrimination in providing access to health care. The lack of insurance among many people of color resulted in the substantial rise of COVID-19 death among African Americans. According to Blumenthal et al. (2020), the black population comprised 20% of cases and 22% of deaths from this infectious disease during the initial stages of the pandemic. Overall, the COVID-19 crisis demonstrated that the U.S. healthcare system demands significant changes.
The disarray caused by the pandemic was an indication of the need for change in the U.S. healthcare system. According to Sorenson et al. (2020), it is essential to eliminate unnecessary prescriptions and procedures “that provide little to no clinical benefit” to reduce the cost of care (p. 2). Despite the implementation of vaccination, there is a need for continuous social distancing. Therefore, it is crucial to expand the healthcare network with telehealth and community services (Sorenson et al., 2020). Moreover, this pandemic is an opportunity for the federal government to alter the structure of the American health system. For instance, policymakers can encourage the country’s transition to a single-payer model (Blumenthal et al., 2020). Indeed, the coronavirus crisis showed that this transition is critical because it will enable the detachment of medical insurance from employment status, protecting people from future economic disturbances and pandemics.
In summary, the current COVID-19 pandemic severely affected the United States healthcare system. It reduced the hospitals’ revenue, caused a shortage of equipment and personnel, and left many people unemployed and uninsured. Since hospitals lost billions of dollars due to canceled procedures, their financial viability was endangered. The COVID crisis revealed that insurance-based care is inadequate because it makes people’s health linked to their jobs, which means that any disruptive event that affects businesses leaves patients without medical support. Thus, the U.S. government should consider changing the system to a single-payer model to provide health care to patients regardless of their income. This transition is needed to support people during the ongoing pandemic and prevent similar disasters in the system in the future.
References
Blumenthal, D., Fowler, E. J., Abrams, M., & Collins, S. R. (2020). COVID-19—Implications for the health care system.New England Journal of Medicine, 383(15), 1483-1488. Web.
Dorsett, M. (2020). Point of no return: COVID-19 and the U.S. healthcare system: An emergency physician’s perspective.Science Advances, 6(26), 1-3. Web.
Metzl, J. M., Maybank, A., & De Maio, F. (2020). Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic: The need for a structurally competent health care system.JAMA, 324(3), 231–232. Web.
Sorenson, C., Japinga, M., Crook, H., & McClellan, M. (2020). Building a better health care system post-COVID-19: Steps for reducing low-value and wasteful care. NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery, 1(4), 1-10. Web.
Zeegen, E. N., Yates, A. J., & Jevsevar, D. S. (2020). After the COVID-19 pandemic: Returning to normalcy or returning to a new normal?The Journal of Arthroplasty, 35(7), 37-41. Web.
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