Introduction
The contemporary state of the US society is a matter of dispute due to the lack of universally accepted criteria for measuring the performance of societal institutions. The present paper aims at assessing how the US society serves the elderly, the youth, and the disadvantaged population. Even though the US government puts its best effort to improve the situation, at-risk populations receive an inadequate level of service in comparison with other developed countries.
Main body
The situation concerning the older population in the US is improving. Currently, the education level of the older population and life expectancy is rising, while the poverty rate dropped to 9%, and the life expectancy gap is narrowing (Mather, Scommegna, & Kilduff, 2019). However, it is unclear if the current tendency will linger due to an increased amount of challenges projected in the future.
According to Mather et al. (2019), in 2060, they’re expected to be over 95 million people aged over 65, which will comprise around 23% of the US population. The US nation is aging, which implies that there will be more people in need of high-level services addressing the needs of the elderly population. It is unclear if the US government will be able to sustain the economic pressure considering the high cost of healthcare in the US.
The efficiency of healthcare in the United States poses considerable problems with the availability of health services for at-risk populations. Mathur (2016) states that the US healthcare system is “least efficient among eleven developed, industrialized nations” (p. 1). Even though US society spends over 18% of its GDP on healthcare, it is not enough to provide a high level of service (Mathur, 2016). The common problems included unregulated drug prices and fee-for-service reimbursement structures (Mathur, 2016). In the US, pharmaceutical companies are free to put any price on their medicines, which means that the costs will continue to grow.
Moreover, the fee-for-service structure motivates care providers to prescribe more costly procedures to ensure profits. The high cost of care makes it unavailable for people living beyond the poverty line, which leads to increased morbidity and mortality. The problem is especially concerning for children living in low-income families.
The number of children living in families with incomes below the federal poverty line in the US is high. According to McCarty (2016), 21.1% of children in the country are financially disadvantaged, which may have a significant impact on the physical and mental health of children. The problem is associated with immigration, an increased number of divorces, and declining rates of marriages (McCarty, 2016). Even though the number of programs serving the youth is growing, they are not enough to address the need of the at-risk population (McCarty, 2016). In other words, US society is unable to serve the younger generation on the required level. Therefore, the problem requires urgent attention in order to avoid its long-term implications.
Conclusion
The current state of the US society is concerning since it is unable to address the problems of at-risk populations on the required level. In particular, the high cost of healthcare makes it unavailable to the majority of disadvantaged socioeconomic classes. The issue of poverty in children remains unaddressed, which may lead to considerable consequences. Even though the situation concerning the problems of the older population is improving, the trend may be reversed due to growing financial concerns. In conclusion, US society requires reformation on all levels to meet the needs of all its members.
References
Mather, M., Scommegna, P, & Kilduff, L. (2019). Fact sheet: Aging in the United States. Web.
Mathur, P., & Srivastava, S. (2016). High Cost of Healthcare in the United States-A Manifestation of Corporate Greed. Journal of Forensic Medicine, 1(1), 1-4. Web.
McCarty, A. T. (2016). Child poverty in the United States: A tale of devastation and the promise of hope. Sociology Compass, 10(7), 623–639. Web.