Health
care in the United States has a long history; from the traveling physician who provided
services in
private homes and charity organizations, to government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid that proceeded hospital construction, and the relatively recent trend of
managed health care. Along the way, innovation and competition facilitated new health care technologies and services that offered numerous approaches to prevention, treatment, and management of diseases. In a bold new health care
policy, integration and collaboration between the
public and private sectors of health care is not only an option, but a necessity in providing the most efficient and sound health care services and options. This paper examines health care in the U.S. from a historical and current perspective and concludes by introducing a new model of managed health care utilizing a systems approach. Table of Contents Introduction Historical Examination of Health Care Public
sector Health Care in the USA Private Sector Health Care in the USA Types of Managed Care Organizations HMO Models The Merging of Public and Private Health Care Models A New Universal Managed Health Care Model Conclusions References Appendices