Health Care in the U.S.
There are two health systems in the United States (U.S.) Private and the Government. Over 74% of people under 65 years of age in the U.S. have private health insurance, this is mainly through their employer (De Lew et al., 1992).
The U.S. spends more money on healthcare than any other country, and has the most expensive health system. One will think spending more money and having the most expensive health system will lead to health country, that is not the case in the U.S. The U.S. has the highest chronic illness, two times the obesity rate, highest suicide rate, and lowest life expectancy compared to other countries in the developed world ( Tikkanen & Abrams, 2020).
What are some of the underlying causes that explain these findings?
Policies and Improving access to care.
Policies- Each health system has its own policy that govern their practice. unlike the U.S., most of the develop countries get more from their healthcare dollars. The U.S. health system includes cost like administration, malpractice insurance, delivery system under stress, and inappropriate utilization. Inappropriate utilization simply meaning there are unessary health care interventions and these who need the intervention do not receive them (De Lew et al., 1992). The U.S. should focus on policies that reduce out of pocket health cost like universal insurance, access to health system in every community, less administrative interference, and invest in social programs that promote's better health outcome (Tikkanen, 2020). 
Improving access the healthcare- An article on ensuring access the quality healthcare, listed the following health venue as a must have in every community "primary care, psychiatric and substance use treatment services, emergency department and observation care, prenatal care, transportation, diagnostic services, home care, dentistry services, and, a robust referral structure to provide all individuals in the community with access to the full spectrum of health care services" (Bhatt & Bathija, 2018). People living in the U.S. should not go out of their way to seek health, it should be made accessible to everyone no matter their geographical location.
How has COVID-19 impacted disparities among vulnerable populations?
People with no health insurance are less likely to receive antiviral treatment, people of color experienced the highest unemployment rate, and delay in receiving care (Khatana & Groeneveld, 2020). Study found "In Chicago, Illinois, rates of COVID-19 cases per 100 000 (as of May 6, 2020) are greatest among Latino (1000), African American/black (925), “other” racial groups (865), and white (389) residents. Mortality rates are substantially higher among African American/black individuals (73 per 100 000) compared with Latino (36 per 100 000) and white (22 per 100 000) residents" (Monica Webb Hooper, 2020). People with preexisting health conditions like HIV, diabetes, COPD, obesity among other were more at risk for getting the COVID 19 virus as well as people who lived in crowded neighborhoods (Monica Webb Hooper, 2020).
What can be done to begin to address these disadvantages
The disadvantages can be addressed by changing how healthcare is being delivered on State to State bases. States can introduce programs that focuses on health, improving access to healthcare, and by building a better workforce to address the disadvantages.
Tikkanen, R., & Abrams, M. K. (2020, January 30). U.S. health care from a global PERSPECTIVE, 2019: Higher SPENDING, worse outcomes? U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019 | Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2019.
A, N. (2018, September 9). US healthcare system explained. The Infographics Show. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DublqkOSBBA.
Bhatt , J., & Bathija, P. (2018, September). Ensuring access to quality health care in vulnerable... : Academic medicine. LWW. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2018/09000/ensuring_access_to_quality_health_care_in.13.aspx.
De Lew, N., Greenberg, G., & Kinchen, K. (1992, January). A layman's guide to the U.S. health care system. Health care financing review. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4193322/.
Khatana, S. A. M., & Groeneveld, P. W. (2020, August). Health disparities and THE Coronavirus DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the USA. Journal of general internal medicine. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7251802/.
Monica Webb Hooper, P. D. (2020, June 23). COVID-19 and Racial/ethnic Disparities. JAMA. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2766098.
Tikkanen, R. (2020, January 30). U.S. health care from a global PERSPECTIVE, 2019: Higher SPENDING, worse outcomes? U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2019 | Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/jan/us-health-care-global-perspective-2019.
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