Health Care System in the USA

Health Service in Ukraine

The main principle of our Health Service is to prevent diseases, to strengthen the health of the people and to increase their longe­vity.

The Health Network of Ukraine comprises a great number of hospitals, policlinics, out-patient departments and research insti­tutes.

In Ukraine there are large centres of cardiology, surgery, onco­logy, ophthalmology, the First Aid Stations where many people are examined and treated.

New medical institutions are built and equipped with modern medi­cal apparatuses and devices.

We have different sanatoria and rest-homes where a lot of our people rest and take the course of treatment. Many of them get sana­torium accomodation free of charge or pay only 10 per cent of the total cost of the voucher.

Much attention is paid to the health protection of mother and child. Mothers are given maternity leaves and paid leaves until the baby is three years old. The mother's job is reserved during the definite period.

We have maternity homes, nurseries, kindergartens and special hospitals.

There are rest-homes and sanatoria for mothers and children too. At present many sanatoria and rest-homes are presented to the mothers and children suffered from Chornobyl tragedy. Many of them have the treatment and rest in other countries.

As for medical personnel much attention is paid to the training of doctors, nurses, obstetricians and others as they must take care about the health of our people.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the main principle of our Health Service?

2. What medical institutions does the Health Network of Ukraine comprise?

3. Are there large centres of cardiology, surgery, oncology and others in Ukraine?

4.Are new medical institutions built?

5. Where do a lot of our people rest and take the course of treatment?

6. Is much attention paid to the health protection of mother and child?

7. What medical institutions do we have for mothers and children?

8. Whom are many sanatoria and rest-homes presented to?

9. Is much attention paid to the training of medical personnel?

Health Care System in the USA

Health care in the USA is organized in three levels: family doctor, the medical institution or hospital and the USA Public Health Service.

A private doctor, they call him a family doctor, gives his patients regular examinations and inoculations. In case professional service and care is needed the family doctor arranges for the specialist or a hospital for his patient. The family doctor receives pay directly from the patient. A family doctor either has its own private office or works with several other doctors in the so-called group practice. Many Americans have no family doctor and they come directly to hospital for all their medical needs.

The hospital provides health care to the sick and injured. They have government-financed and propriety hospitals. The patients are admitted to hospitals or clinics staffed by consulting physicians, residents, interns and highly skilled nurses. In some hospitals pastoral care is available, and pastors visit their parishioners at any time. Most hospitals have at least the following major medical departments and units: surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, pediatrics and general medicine. They may also have trauma and intensive care unit, neurosurgical, renal care unit and psychiatric unit. Emergency units are very special areas in the hospital. The Emergency patients acquire immediate attention.

The Public Health Service in the USA is the leading agency in the policy to supply knowledge, facilities and professionals to the health sector.

The United States have the most expensive health care system in the world in dollars per capita and fraction of Gross National Product. The dynamics of health care system drives them to use more and more services that are more and more sophisticated and more and more costly. As a result, the annual rate of increase of health care expenditures seriously challenges the financial capability of the United States.

We must not forget about the high cost of medical care in the USA. Most of the population have private health insurance. Approximately 75 per cent of the population have their health insurance, life insurance, disability protection and retirement benefits at their place of employment. Most employers and their families now pay more than 50 per cent of the cost of health insurance. The great cost of medical care in the country and a great number of people who could not pay for it had forced the federal government to develop two programs-Medicaid and Medicare. Medicaid, started in 1966, is a federal-state program, providing free medical care for the poor and aged, for the blind and dependent children. Medicare, started in 1967, is a federal program providing free medical care for aged Americans over 65, those, who in the past had the greatest medical expenses.

The chief scientific problems facing American medicine are the same as those facing the Ukrainian medicine, they are heart diseases and cancer. The chief causes of suffering and death today are cancer and diseases of the heart and blood vessels, including hypertension, stroke and atherosclerosis. Also of major importance in America are illnesses of aging and disabilities caused by arthritis, mental diseases, drug addiction and genetic problems. Americans must seek new knowledge about the causes and cure of these diseases.

1 Answer the following questions

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1 In what levels is health care in the USA organized?

2 What does each level provide?

3 Is health care system in the USA expensive or cheap?

4 What forced the federal government to develop such programs as Medicaid and Medicare?

5 What are the chief causes of suffering and death in the USA today?

2 Answer your friend's questions. Use in your answers words and word combinations given in brackets (work in pairs).

1 What kinds of hospitals are there in America? (government-financed, private hospitals).

2 What is the stuff of hospitals or clinics in America? (consulting physicians, residents, interns, highly skilled nurses, pastoral care).

3 What departments are there at American hospitals? (surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, pediatrics, general medicine, neurosurgery, a renal care unit, a psychiatric unit, an emergency unit).

4 What is Medicaid? (a federal state program, to provide free medical care, the poor, the blind, dependent children).

5 What is Medicare? (a federal program, a health insurance program, the elderly and disabled, to provide free medical care, aged Americans).