Many industrialized nations have universal health care plans that their residents might claim to be a better system that the one offered in the United States. People in the United States might be divided on this issue just by looking at their own income – those above a certain income would feel that they can access the best treatment money can buy while those below a certain income threshold may feel marginalized because they can barely access the most basic of treatments.

For this reason looking at health insurance in the United States can be a divisive issue. For example, because the United States’ system is privatized and market-based there can be a lot more red tape to cut through before we decide when and where we can access treatment and whether or not we qualify for certain drugs that may have helped our condition had we been in a better insurance plan.

Unlike with the United States, some industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom have insurance systems centralized with their government. Because of this organizational method, everyone living in these countries gets universal treatment should they require emergency care, which is available immediately.

The concept of the medical insurance system in the United States is something that has developed through a number of voluntary programs. In the mid 1800s, medical insurance policies were being made available provided mainly by fraternal beneficiary associations and cooperative mutual benefit organizations. Many of these may have come from Christian organizations or being associated with a certain trade or employment.

It was mainly due to the change of mindset in the depression years that people began to seek peace of mind and access to treatment, and for this reason insurance as we see it now can be traced back to such developments in the 1920s and 1930s.

A problem that is often cited as affecting health insurance in the United States is how inefficient its structure is. Despite strong beliefs in free market principles, it is common sense that health care administration actually works better when done universally instead of privately. If that were the case, then, fewer restrictions would be in effect, allowing patients the freedom to choose any doctor or hospital they wanted, rather than being only able to choose one in their health plan.

Whatever you may think about the medical insurance system in the United States, it is still considered to be one of the most well-regulated and well-designed insurance systems in the world. It is well-known that the costs of medical care in the United States are extremely expensive, which is why it is important to consider buying a medical insurance plan and have your medical care expenses covered by the health insurance company.

In these hard times, many people see health insurance in the United States as more of a luxury than a privilege, with some reports showing that many people are marginalized and excluded from basic health care. Surely this has to be a moral question more than a financial one and health insurance in the United States must find a way of including everyone!