C489 task 3.docx - C489 Task 3 Healthcare Utilization and...

C489 Task 3: Healthcare Utilization and Finance 1
A1) Country to compare: The country’s healthcare system I will compare to the U.S.
healthcare system is Great Britain.
A2) Access: For children in the United States, uninsured rates have decreased over time. In
fact, “ uninsured rates declined from 12.1% in 2000 to 5.3% in 2014, with improvement
across all 5 access indicators” (Larson, Cull, Racine, & Olson, 2016). Therefore, access to
healthcare for children has improved over time. Additionally, “New expansions in health
insurance coverage through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are
making coverage more available to children in working-poor families” (Guendelman &
Pearl, 2004). So, not only have uninsured rates declined in children over years, there is also
much being done to make sure that coverage is more available to children. Children in the
United States also have access to healthcare through programs such as CHIP. CHIP
(Children’s Health Insurance program) is a program that is funded through Medicaid and
separate CHIP programs. CHIP is available to children that are eligible, particularly those in
low income households. Therefore, even children in low income households are ensured to
receive healthcare, which is a large contributor in the declined in uninsured children. Great
Britain also has programs to ensure children have access to healthcare. For example, “The
UK has a state welfare system and all children in the UK are entitled to child benefit,
currently £82.80 (€114.60) for one child and an additional £54.80 (€75.90) per additional
child, per month” (Wolfe, Sigfrid, Chanchlani, & Lenton, 2016). So, just as the United States
has CHIP to ensure healthcare for children, the UK also has a state welfare system to ensure
children receive health benefits. Additionally, “Parents with children with disabilities can
receive additional disability living allowance benefits. Child tax credit is an additional
benefit that parents whose combined earnings are less than a certain amount per year…”

C489 Task 3: Healthcare Utilization and Finance 2
(Wolfe, Sigfrid, Chanchlani, & Lenton, 2016). Therefore, there is an effort made to ensure
that children have access to healthcare, even those with disabilities and those that have low
income. As for those that are unemployed, the US healthcare system offers coverage for
those that are eligible for Medicaid, as well as CHIP. In the United States, eligibility for
healthcare coverage through Medicaid or CHIP is determined by the size of your household,
and overall income, not employment status. However, if you do receive unemployment, the
amount you receive counts towards your household income and must be reported when
applying for Medicaid or CHIP. If individuals are seeking coverage through these programs,
they need to apply through Marketplace coverage. If those individuals that apply for
Medicaid or CHIP do not qualify, then they are to pay their own premiums for health
insurance. Great Britain, on the other hand, has a social welfare system called the NHS
(National Health Service) and healthcare is free to anyone that is a resident of Great Britain.