Explain why the lack of universal health care coverage can raise health care costs.
If the uninsured stay uninsured they will treat emergency rooms like GP offices. If they can't afford insurance how can they afford the bill, thus driving up premiums of the insured to shorten the gap of coverage. ( just on theory)
The lack of universal health care coverage can raise health care costs due to several reasons:
1. Limited preventive care: Without universal health care coverage, individuals may not have access to affordable or free preventive care services such as vaccinations, screenings, and routine check-ups. As a result, many people may delay or avoid seeking medical attention until their conditions worsen. This leads to higher medical costs, as treating advanced or severe illnesses is often more expensive than preventing or detecting them early through regular check-ups.
2. Increased emergency room visits: When people lack access to primary care services, they may resort to using emergency rooms for non-emergency medical issues. Emergency rooms are typically more costly than primary care facilities, and since emergency rooms are legally required to provide care regardless of an individual's ability to pay, the burden falls on everyone else to cover the costs. This cost shifting leads to higher overall health care expenses.
3. Higher uninsured rates: Without universal health care coverage, there tends to be a higher number of uninsured individuals in a population. These uninsured individuals may delay seeking medical care due to financial concerns, leading to medical conditions worsening and resulting in more expensive treatments when they do eventually seek care. When uninsured individuals cannot pay for their medical bills, health care providers often have to absorb these costs or increase prices for other patients to compensate, driving up overall health care costs.
4. Administrative inefficiencies: In fragmented health care systems without universal coverage, there can be a lack of centralized coordination and administrative inefficiencies. Each insurance provider may have its own billing systems, reimbursement rates, and administrative requirements. This complexity increases the administrative overhead for health care providers, resulting in higher costs that get passed on to patients.
To get more specific data and evidence supporting the impact of the lack of universal health care coverage on health care costs, you can refer to academic research studies, reports from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Commonwealth Fund, as well as publications from reputable think tanks and health policy institutes. These sources often conduct comprehensive research and provide in-depth analysis to support their claims.