The healthcare system, in general, is considered to have many problems by a vast majority of citizens. Several of these major problems in the system have had a solution found to them, but multiple issues still linger. These problems caused many to wonder if the healthcare system needs a reform. But what are the most important problems that are facing the system and making people believe it is need of a reform? Well, these complications include our fragmented delivery system and the financial obstacles in healthcare.

According to the article “Healthcare Delivery System,” by Doctors for America, “ our delivery system ... drives [a] low-quality and inefficient care in a country filled with highly skilled health care professionals.” This is true as doctors, hospitals, etc. practicing in the same area and caring for the same patients are not ‘connected’ to each other. This fragmentation results in miscommunications between the providers and may sometimes contribute to diagnostic errors. The lack of coordination has led to patient files being lost when traveling from one provider to another. The WHO states that “In one study, researchers found that patients whose PCPs exhibited fragmented care coordination, were more likely to suffer from chronic illness … than patients whose PCPs were more coordinated.” This is authentic information as inadequate coordination among providers can prevent patients from receiving the proper care they seek.

“Healthcare in the U.S. is about twice as expensive as it is in any other developed country,” states the Modern Health Association in the article “Healthcare Is Expensive in the U.S.” As a matter of fact, drug and insurance costs are skyrocketing as the years pass by. A report that was published in the journal Health Affairs found that the cost of prescription drugs rose more than 9 percent a year from 2008 and 2019, while the annual cost of injectable drugs rose more than 15 percent! Insurance costs are not any better. According to the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures), the average annual premium for family healthcare rose a near 5 percent in 2018. With these increasing prices, healthcare is becoming less and less affordable. Without proper medication and insurance, patients will not receive the care they need. 

It may be true that the healthcare system is slowly improving, but that doesn’t mean that there are still a large number of problems facing it. With a fragmented delivery system and costly healthcare, the system can be expected to eventually fall into chaos. Countless people are wanting a reform to help improve or even change these conditions. Although the minor issues in the system may be quickly solved, the larger ones like fragmentations and un- affordable care can cause a tremendous amount of damage. The healthcare system is certainly nowhere near perfect.