Final answer:
A for-profit health care system can lead to an uneven distribution of healthcare resources, with providers favoring more profitable areas, potentially causing high costs and inadequate coverage for less affluent or less insured populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
One significant consequence of a for-profit driven health care system is the uneven distribution of healthcare providers. This system creates a situation where doctors and hospitals tend to avoid poorer areas, preferring regions where more profit can be made from well-insured patients. In this fee-for-service model, medical care providers are reimbursed based on the services provided, which can lead to high costs and a lack of basic medical care to all population segments. In contrast, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) use a different approach, compensating providers based on patient numbers rather than services provided. However, this can lead to resource allocation issues between patients receiving varying levels of care. Additionally, adverse selection in insurance markets can exacerbate these issues, as low-risk individuals may avoid insurance due to high costs while high-risk individuals find it appealing, further skewing the balance of coverage and care.