The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented primarily to provide access to health insurance for those who would not otherwise be insured. The ACA is not designed as a single-payer healthcare system although some of its architects as well as its detractors see the ACA as steering the United States toward one.
Research the single-payer approach to healthcare delivery using your textbook, the online library resources, and the Internet.
In a 3-page paper, address the following:
- Define a single-payer system and identify a country where it is used.
- Using demonstrated research findings, describe the strengths and weaknesses of a single-payer healthcare system.
- Based on your current situation in terms of healthcare coverage (insured by an employer, covered under a parent's or spouse's policy, receiving government benefits, uninsured, etc.), explain how a single-payer plan would affect how you receive healthcare. Do you favor a single-payer approach? Why, or why not?
- If you were to design a single-payer system, explain how you would address the challenges.