Question

Is pursuit of a single-payer system the solution to workforce challenges? Why or why not? What challenges have occurred to health care workers in countries that have adopted a single-payer system? PLEASE INCLUDE REFERENCES

Answer 1

No, pursuing a single-payer system is not the complete solution of the workforce challenges in the healthcare service systems.

Shortage of nurses and doctors, turnover rates, employee’s burnout, research, and developments are the biggest workforce challenges that every healthcare system is facing nowadays.

A single-payer system is a healthcare insurance process that is entirely run by the government to provide essential health benefits to the citizens. It is helpful for the peoples who seek health benefits but it is not helpful for the hospital management system as does not cover workforce challenges in the healthcare units.

Due to the implementation of a single-payer system in the different countries citizens are constantly overusing the costly health benefits from the healthcare center. The expensive technologies, drugs, and services are associated with these benefited facilities. But the single-payer system is not concerned about the administrative cost of the healthcare system. Thus it is getting difficult day by day for healthcare workers to manage these problems. The staff of the HR department in the healthcare organization is already facing employee shortage, and other serious health-related problems and implementation of the single-payer system may create added challenges on them in terms of achievement of profits.

Though the US government has not still applied the single-payer system within the country, it is possible that the country may face similar challenges after applying the single-payer system. Thus it is important to be concerned about the effective implementation of the single-payer system so that both the healthcare system and people can get the benefits.

Reference:

The Balance. (2019). Understanding Single-Payer Health Insurance or "Medicare for All". [online] Available at: https://www.thebalance.com/is-single-payer-health-insurance-a-good-deal-how-does-it-work-4175823 [Accessed 12 Aug. 2019].

Diamond, M. (2009). Con: Single-Payer Health Care. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 180(10), pp.921-922.