Among the developed nations of the world, the United States is alone in not having created a universal health care system. This is slated to change somewhat by 2014, as the current government administration has finalized a plan to introduce broader access to affordable health care for many of the nation's uninsured people. These government changes have many in the general population and the private insurance sector worried about just how they will affect the health care systems in place and just what this will mean for Americans of all ages and all health levels. While the details have been finalized, there are a number of government changes that will not be effective for several years. Whether these changes will be good or bad for the American people remains to be seen.

Despite not having a universal health care system, almost 30 percent of the nation's population is insured in some way by the federal or state governments, making the government as a whole the largest insurer in the nation. While there are innumerable private companies that "compete" with the government by offering a greater range of services, that competition is not truly fair because only those who qualify based on such criteria as military service, age or income can utilize the government programs. The new changes in health care systems will see the creation of insurance pools, accessible to all Americans and heavily regulated by the government. These pools will operate in direct competition with private insurance firms. In addition, the government is proposing a standard of care that must be maintained by all insurance companies, as well as mandatory inspections of facilities. This has some concerned about higher premiums and longer waiting periods for treatment.

In a country such as Canada, where no private health insurers exist, waiting periods can be long, even for major surgeries. While the costs of health care in Canada are a fraction of the price paid by most Americans, the government regulation of the system is hardly perfect, and their politicians often discuss the possibility of for-pay healthcare reform. No system is perfect, and the new changes coming from the current administration are intended to address some of the more glaring problems being experienced by the over 30 percent of Americans who do not have health insurance currently.

While the government has made a number of glowing promises, only time will tell what the ultimate effect will be on the health care systems in place in America. For citizens, what is important is to have access to high-quality health care at a reasonable price.