Name the Major Characteristics of the US Health Care System

Question 1

Name Ten basic characteristics differentiate the US health care delivery system from that of most other countries.
*Williams MHA621 Health Services System

Answer 1

• No Central Agency
• Access to health care services is selectively based on insurance coverage
• Health care is delivered under imperfect market conditions
• Third-party insurers act as intermediaries between financing and delivery functions
• The existence of multiple payers makes the system cumbersome
• The balance of power among various players prevents any single entity from dominating the system
• Legal risk influences practice behavior of physicians
• Development of new technology creates an automatic demand for its use
• New service settings have evolved along a continuum
• Quality is no longer accepted as an unachievable goal.