Abstract: This article will first provide the two main theoretical perspectives related to the U.S. health system: the “market-based” view and the “socially sensitive” view. The second main section will discuss important facts and highlights related to the national health situation of the United States compared with other advanced OECD countries. Taking these facts and highlights into consideration, the final sections of this work critically examine the merits and demerits of contrasting approaches to implementing a comprehensive national health and insurance scheme in the United States, and offer concrete policy considerations. Some brief conclusions end the article.
Keywords: universal health, national insurance system, market-based view, socially-sensitive view, the United States
JEL codes: H4, H5, I11, I13, I14, I18, J1
