The Future of U.S. Health Care, A FUTURIST Magazine Primer

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Obama Administration’s signature health care law left many asking what is the future of health care now? THE FUTURIST magazine presents these recent articles to shed light on this complex issue.

Health Insurance in America After the Reform

By Jay Herson and David Pearce Snyder

Summary: "If for-profit health insurers find that business is too unprofitable under the new law, where will Americans find affordable coverage? One solution may rise from the nonprofit sector led by credit unions, which have already demonstrated an ability to keep up with for-profit banks.

The primary objective of President Obama’s 2009 health care reform initiative was to provide health insurance for an estimated 46 million people who did not have it. The Act requires insurers not to reject coverage on the basis of preexisting health conditions, and it requires all citizens to purchase health insurance or to pay a tax should they decline to purchase."

Revolutionary Health: Local Solutions for Global Health Problems

By Rick Docksai

Summary: "Better health care doesn’t have to be costlier, as a number of innovative health practitioners are showing. In India, Venezuela, and elsewhere, the strategic use of technology, community involvement, and resource reallocations are enabling health-care providers to treat more patients more effectively, all while spending less money."

From Hospital to “Healthspital”: A Better Paradigm for Health Care

By Frank W. Maletz

Summary: "Hospitals should not simply be places where people go to get well (or, worse, where they go to die). Future hospitals could become wellness information centers and proactive partners in community well-being, says a practicing orthopedic surgeon."

Could Medical Tourism Aid Health-Care Delivery?

By Prema Nakra

Summary: "Medical tourism—wherein patients seek more affordable or specialized treatment outside their home countries—represents a major challenge for health-care delivery in developed countries such as the United States. It also offers an opportunity to integrate and improve medical delivery globally."

We hope these articles put today's ruling into future perspective. Just a reminder, THE FUTURIST magazine and the World Future Society are nonprofit and nonpartisan. Support our work by becoming a member today!