American Health System

1.

AMERICAN HEALTH SYSTEM

2.

In the United States, about 7 million people work in the health
care system, the largest employment area in the country. There
are 450,000 physicians, 1 million registered nurses, 120,000
dentists and 150,000 pharmacists. Most doctors in the United
States are in private practice. This means that their medical office
is organized as a business.

3.

Health insurance
Most Americans have private health insurance to pay their
medical bills. But this insurance covers less than 40% of the
cost of medical care. People have to pay the rest of the costs.
The State Medicare program helps pay medical bills for people
over sixty-five years old.

4.

The Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)
oversees public health and
social services throughout
the country. It is financed by
US citizens through taxes.
The Public Health Service,
which is part of the HHS, is
the main federal agency
dealing with public health
issues.

5.

The USA does not really have a tried and tested medical
program for all its citizens. This is paradoxical if you know
that the USA spends the largest portion of its GDP (gross
domestic product) on health care than any other country in
the world.

6.

The Public Health Service
The Public Health Service is divided into several separate
institutions that specialize in various aspects of health. The
National Institute of Health, the Department of Medical
Research of the Public Health Service, conducts biomedical
research and supports 17 health institutes and the National
Medical Library.

7.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensures
the safety of food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and
medical products through legislation and licensing
programs.

8.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP)
monitors and prevents outbreaks of diseases, maintains
national health statistics, and administers many of the public
immunization programs in the United States.