When your health is good, then you have everything. No material thing should be as important as the health and well-being of you and your loved ones. Still, people often take care of themselves only when problems occur – when they get sick, exhausted, experience serious problems, or when they simply can no longer neglect the signs their bodies send them.
Regulated states have well-organized health care systems. The United States is a little specific about this, given that its citizens mostly rely on private (voluntary) medical insurance. Find out more about its benefits here. And what about those who can’t afford this coverage or do not want to be insured for some other reason?
A budget-friendly option that these people can turn to is going to free clinics. These institutions do not charge for medical treatment or charge much less than when you go to a hospital or private practice as an insured person. Of course, using the no-insurance option brings with it certain pros and cons.
Everyone Has the Right to Medical Aid
Many people are under the impression that they will lose certain rights if they choose not to have health insurance. That is simply untrue, especially since penalties for this decision have been canceled. In most cases, you will lose certain perks on treatments and payments. The government will still guarantee these things to all citizens.
Law and morality impose that everyone has the right to be provided with medical aid. It’s something called universal health care, but it’s not yet fully implemented in the States. This model refers to the government covering most of the medical costs, which is done by collecting taxes.
In the United States, there are programs such as Medicaid or those intended for veterans, which provide these groups with medical services at affordable prices. With the no insurance option, patients are not divided into priority groups, but everyone has an equal right. Priorities are determined only after accessing one of the free clinics. But eventually, everyone will be taken care of.
Lower Costs
Universal health care has many other benefits as well. One important advantage is the decrease in treatment expenses. This system allows more efficient use of resources, and thus, lower medical costs. All services and costs of medical care providers are under the watchful eye of the state. It means that the state controls the prices paid by uninsured persons and maintains them at an acceptable level.
The system also reduces administrative expenses significantly. Standardized medical service is provided at free clinics instead of hospitals. These are under the patronage of the government. It means there’s not too much paperwork as with insurance companies of every patient.
Other advantages of the universal health care system are its efficiency and simplicity. Unlike the traditional medical coverages, this system doesn’t have many layers of administrated government appointees to oversee its functioning. And when fewer people do one task, the workforce expenses will be much lower.
More on the other options for getting medical aid in case you lack insurance read below:
Standardized Medical Service
There are a growing number of clinics in the United States that offer medical care to the uninsured. These can be emergency rooms, emergency care, research centers, or DPC providers. They also employ professionals as well as private practice or hospitals that only accept insured patients.
Free clinics have another advantage – they bring all the medical services under one roof, making it easier to provide uniform health care to patients. You can find physicians of all specializations there. They might provide free service or charging some symbolic price.
But most people are still not familiar with this concept. They are convinced that no insurance means the absence of choices and restrictions. They may be refused admission in some hospitals and clinics, even for essential medical treatment. But if they seek help in specialized clinics that provides free (or low-cost) services, they’ll be spared of such inconveniences.
Seeing Doctor More Often
Low-income people tend to visit the doctor less frequently than high-income people. The reason is, of course, the high costs that all uninsured patients have. Since these institutions don’t ask for insurance coverage, people often think they won’t get good quality health care at affordable prices. Luckily, they’re wrong.
Universal health care reduces health care costs and improves the overall health of the nation. How’s that? By increasing access to medical services for people with low incomes. The system provides free, comprehensive expert aid at the point of use. That ensures timely treatment of common diseases, which are expensive to treat.
In the long run, timely visits to the doctor and early detection of the
Safety and Discretion
The advantages of a universal health care system also extend to patient safety. There is greater security for the patients’ data in no insurance health clinics, since the entire system is computerized. That means that there is less chance for human error or unintended side effects.
In the case when the patient needs the help of several experts, all that paperwork is translated into files. Moving on, these reports and all necessary information are available to every specialist. They all work in universal software to find all the relevant information and provide people with necessary health care.
Each country has a unique set of circumstances and other constraints in maintaining and running a health care system that will apply to everyone, whether they’re insured or not. Its advantages are many. It provides quality health care services at an affordable cost. There is less paperwork involved in this system. It also promotes better preventive health care practices. These are perks that all people can enjoy.
Digital Health Buzz!
Digital Health Buzz! aims to be the destination of choice when it comes to what’s happening in the digital health world. We are not about news and views, but informative articles and thoughts to apply in your business.
