Below is an essay on health care crisis from anti essays, your source for research papers, essays, and term paper examples. Health care crisis in america july 24, 2011 the government’s latest attempt at fixing america’s health care crisis, the patient protection and affordable health care act aca , was signed into law on march 23, 2010. Supporters touted the act as the definitive answer to america’s myriad of health care woes. While the law has yet to be fully implemented, there are already indications that little, if any, improvements have resulted in health care coverage or cost control. In fact, health care coverage is becoming increasingly less adequate and more expensive for consumers. This paper presents a brief study of some of the problems that led to the present health care crisis and offers recommendations as to how to address the issues. The health care field, like many sectors in the economy, has seen enormous development of technological advances.

Consumer demand for new medical technology that promises to improve quality and length of life is inelastic consumers are willing to pay any price to obtain such products. Expense for treatment is not a consideration as health care expenses are mainly funded through employer sponsored group health insurance plans for which the consumer pays little or nothing at all. The kaiser foundation reported that 61% of non elderly americans in 2006 received insurance through their employers. Compounding the problem is the fact that until recently employees had virtually no financial incentive to reduce health care consumption. There was free, or nearly free, access to any doctor, hospital or specialist to resolve health issues. Consumers had no reason to adopt a healthy lifestyle or take any responsibility for their own health. Fda, epa, osha, local prosecutor's office 149 understands the cost and accessibility of a variety of health care services e.g.

Health insurance coverage 149 use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health. Students will learn how to listen, express themselves, and show respect for others. Iste technology standards found at 149 routinely and efficiently use online information resources to meet needs for collaboration, research, publications, communications, and productivity. 149 select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning. 149 collaborate with peers, experts, and others to contribute to a content related knowledge base by using technology to compile, synthesize, produce, and disseminate information, models, and other creative works. tools needed 149 video: healthcare crisis: who's at risk? 149 computers with internet access, paper for the brochure, presentation boards, large pads of paper or posterboard.

149 in addition to the video, at least one each of the following must be used to complete the assignment: web site, book, interview, periodical 149 web site reference list in particular, frontline: the high price of health pbs: healthcare crisis: who's at risk? procedures and activities 149 begin the lesson by asking students what types of things they will look for in a full time job after graduation, as adults. If students have identified benefits as an important quality, ask them why benefits are important. What types of benefits are essential? 149 explain that today they'll be viewing a video that will explain more about employee benefits, especially health care benefits. 149 explain also that they may take notes and may want to use those notes to complete several assignments related to the video. 149 explain that they will be working in groups and that one student from each group will draw a number to determine which group selects their topic first. The topics to be explored will be: 149 what is a benefits package? examples choice between higher wages/no insurance or lower wage and benefits what is a cafeteria plan and is it a viable alternative to employer subsidized health insurance. How can it be used? how does it benefit the employer and the employee? 149 hmo 149 ppo 149 major medical or fee for service 149 medicare/medicaid 149 national comprehensive health care status 149 the presentations may be web pages, power point presentations, on a tri fold presentation board or as a tri fold brochure.

149 a list of web sites will be given to each group for use in their search 149 the assessment rubric will be distributed as a student checklist for the project 1st day introduce the topic, draw for group assignments, and view the video, healthcare crisis who's at risk? 2nd day begin research on the internet and in the library. 3rd day plan for a health insurance agent guest speaker who sells a variety of health insurance plans. 4th day set aside this day for group work compiling presentations and information.

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5th day presentations assessment the attached rubrics are examples of possible assessments. In lieu of a class speaker, each group or a member of the group could interview an agent on their own. 149 student presentations could also displayed at health care open houses or community health fairs. 149 as homework the night before showing the video: healthcare crisis: who's at risk? students might be asked to talk with their parents about the type of health insurance they have for their family.

The lesson introduction might then be class discussion about what the students learned from their parents. The cost of insurance has increased dramatically over the past decade, far surpassing the general rate of inflation in most years. Between 1989 and 1996, the average amount an employee had to contribute for family coverage jumped from $935 to $1778. In 1990, american companies spent $177 billion on health benefits for workers and their dependents that number rose to $252 billion by 1996, or more than double the rate of inflation.

Among the cost drivers: an aging population the number of senior citizens who need health benefits is increasing dramatically every year medical technology advances which decreased the death rate new drugs expensive and effective, which make us live longer and of course the increase of fear in medical litigations among doctors. On average, between the ages of 45 and 65, a person's usage of health care triples. The number of organ transplants has doubled in the past 15 years, and all transplants cost over $100,0. From my point of view, i think that increase in medical litigations is one of the most important factor of health care crisis.

Americans spend far more per person on the costs of litigation than any other country in the world. The excess of the litigation system are an important contributor to defensive medicine the costly use of medical treatments by a doctor for the purpose of avoiding litigation. As multimillion dollar jury awards have become more commonplace in recent years, these problems have reached crisis proportions. Insurance premiums for malpractice are increasing at a rapid rate, particularly in states that have not taken steps to make their legal systems function more predictably and effectively. Because the litigation system does not accurately judge whether an error was committed in the course of medical care, physicians adjust their behavior to avoid being sued. A recent survey of physicians revealed that one third shied away from going into a particular specialty because they feared it would subject them to greater liability exposure. When in practice, they engage in defensive medicine to protect themselves against suit.

They perform tests and provide treatments that they would not otherwise perform merely to protect themselves against the risk of possible litigation. The survey revealed that over 76% are concerned that malpractice litigation has hurt their ability to provide quality care to patients. Every test and every treatment poses a risk to the patient, and takes away funds that could better be used to provide health care to those who need it. The malpractice insurance system and the litigation system are inexorably linked.

The litigation system is expensive, but, at the same time, it is slow and provides little benefit to patients who are injured by medical error. An introduction to the health care crisis in america: how did we get here? by stephanie kelton september 2007 associate professor of economics, university of missouri kansas city and research scholar, center for full employment and price stability cfeps , [email protected] the author thanks ryan dodd for his research assistance and paul kelton for reading and commenting on early drafts of the paper. Health care system and lays the groundwork for a deeper investigation into the nature of the current crisis.

First, it provides a snapshot of the health care system and the institutional arrangements through which health insurance is currently obtained and administered. Health care system and examines the events that led to the emergence of a system in which the majority of the population relies on an employer for health insurance coverage. It is argued that the current system of employer sponsored health insurance has its origins in: 1 the failure of early twentieth century proposals for compulsory national health insurance 2 the impact of world war ii wage and price controls 3 the role of unions and collective bargaining in the early postwar period and 4 the impact of preferential tax treatment for fringe benefits beginning in the mid 1950s. The last part of the paper identifies a series of disturbing trends and suggests that the limits to employer based health insurance have been reached. The beginning of the contemporary crisis is traced back to the end of the post wwii prosperity in the 1970s, and it is argued that employer based coverage is unlikely to remain the dominant source of insurance in the coming decades. A snapshot of the current enviroment the united states does not provide health care to its citizens the way the rest of the industrialized world does.

Instead of guaranteeing coverage for all, it relies on a patchwork system of market based institutions in which those who are insured sometimes receive coverage as a condition of employment, sometimes purchase individual policies and sometimes obtain coverage through public programs such as medicaid 1 and the state children’s health insurance program schip. As the data reveal, the vast majority of this population group – over 60 percent – relies on an employer for health insurance. 2 figure 1.1 source: paul fronstin, employee benefit research institute, may 2007 a relatively small number of those under age 65 – about 7 percent – purchase coverage in the individual market, and about two and a half times that many – today roughly 45 million people – lack any kind of health insurance whatsoever. 3 the number of americans without insurance would be even more staggering in the absence of government programs, such as medicaid and schip, which have provided insurance for millions of low income families particularly children when their employment based coverage was lost gould, 2005. 4 in total, the government picks up the tab for almost 18 percent of the non elderly population. Employers, governments and individuals comprise the group of purchasers who supply figure 1.2 funds to public or private insurers. The insurers then reimburse providers and suppliers by disbursing a portion of the funds they collect from purchasers.