United States National Healthcare Policies 2015: An Analysis with Implications for the Future of Medicine

There is little doubt that the tenure of President Barack Obama and implementation of the Affordable Care Act has had a profound effect on the United States healthcare delivery system in terms of the organization, finances, and clinical aspects of medical practice. As we enter the 2016 presidential election, looming issues of health affairs include 1) Is affordability achievable and can it be achieved without sacrificing the physician-patient relationship? and 2) Does practice consolidation and control by insurance providers cast physicians in a role as technicians? In countries such as the United Kingdom, policies seeking to increase healthcare affordability without sacrificing the quality of care have been implemented, as manifested through not only socialized medicine but also a general goal of cost cutting without sacrificing patient care. In addition, although done more as a tactical move with little impact on the overall budget, the healthcare benefits of political leaders in the United Kingdom are being trimmed in order to increase citizen buy-in in the healthcare model. This article compares recent healthcare policy changes in the United States to those of some constitutional democracies. The attitudes of healthcare stakeholders, including patients, physicians, and political leaders, are also analyzed. It is argued that the evolution of health affairs internationally is driven largely by efficacious political and economic factors, and that it behooves United States healthcare policy makers to note the impact of these international changes and to integrate the necessary changes in order to enhance patient care.