Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Lack of healthcare in united states
A flawed U.S. healthcare system
A flawed U.S. healthcare system
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Lack of healthcare in united states
In recent discussions of healthcare, a controversial issue has been what is the source of the healthcare crisis. On the one hand, some argue that only capitalism plays a part in the crisis. From this perspective, one can only blame the hospitals for the United States low life expectancy rate. On the other hand, however one can argue that cultural norms and the fact that health care providers are loosing sight of their clients. This essay will address whether the health care crisis is because of capitalism, cultural norms or the disassociation between doctors and clients. In the documentary, Money and Medicine (2012), we learned that America is facing a health care crisis because over-diagnosis and over treatments (PBS 2012). This turns …show more content…
Some of reason that have been suggested that the that United States mortality rates are higher because of higher risk of iatrogenic drugs, drug toxicity, hospital-acquired infections, and that patients have the “do more” attitude but are not explained all the risks (Moses et al., 2013). The “do more” attitude that Moses et al (2013) writes about and the documentary agree that the crisis is caused by over treatments (Moses et al., 2013; PBS 2012). Both of the sources agree that clients are not explained the risk and benefits of procedures. Both sources also agree that we spend too much money on healthcare. However, they are different because Moses et al (2013), is not so quick to blame hospitals and physicians entirely adds writes about other issues like cultural and obesity for the crisis (Moses et al., …show more content…
I agree with Moses et al. (2013) when they wrote “As long as health care is caught in a triangle between patients, clinicians, and public health, the problems that are plaguing health care in the United States will continue,” (Moses et al., 2013). I agree with the documentary, Money and Medicine, (2012) when it supported the idea that Americans will continue to have the “do more” attitude as long as they are not educated about the risk to the procedures (PBS, 2012). Warner (2014) wrote about disassociation between healthcare and clients; I believe that supports both of the sources (Warner,
Carol finishes her story with a plea for a better communication among the different healthcare providers and the system in general. There is no perfect system, and health care, the system that constantly evolves, deals with life and death, and employs people to fill such diverse niches is probably the most complex of them all, the most difficult to assess, comprehend, and change. As big, complex, and sometimes scary as it seems, it can be changed: talking to a colleague, taking a moment and asking a patient’s opinion. “Be the change you wish to see in the world”, said Gandhi. This is my motto.
Sicko, a film by Michael Moore was released in 2007. The film investigates health care system in the United States. One would definitely get amazed by the facts and figures explained in this documentary. The movie explains failing health care system in the United States. America has advance medical technology, big hospitals, and educated health care professionals, but these facilities are not universal. The film starts by talking about true American stories; what some people have experienced from current health care system, those who had and did not had health insurances. The story starts by Adam, one of 50 million people in America who does not have health insurance. Due to an accident Adam required a medical treatment, but for the reason of not having any insurance he puts stitches on his leg by himself. The second story was about Rick, who accidentally cut the top of his two fingers, middle and the ring while working on the table saw. As a result of not having health insurance, Rick could not put the top of his middle finger back because it was costing 60,000 dollars and he did not had the money. So, he decided to put his ring finger back because it cost 12,000 dollars which he could afford. The movie does not go into the detail of 50 million people who do not have health insurance, but it’s about 250 million Americans who do have health insurance.
There has been a shortage of physicians, lack of inpatient beds, problems with ambulatory services, as well as not having proper methods of dealing with patient overflow, all in the past 10 years (Cummings & francescutti, 2006, p.101). The area of concern that have been worse...
What happened to modern day health care? It seems like throughout the years modern day healthcare has altered drastically into a Bureaucratic organization. In addition, our social institutions are becoming more and more Mcdonalized. According to the article What is McDonaldization? “McDonalization is the term invented by George Ritzer to describe a sociological phenomenon that is happening in our society.” In essence, McDonaldization is the process of rationalization, albeit taken to extreme levels” (Mcdonalization.com). Mcdonalization is considered a form of bureaucracy, which Ritzers refers to as dehumanizing. Many of the characteristics of Mcdonldization can easily be examine in the health care system, from a routine check-up or physical to a visit in the emergency room. In the past, healthcare was more simplistic in nature. For example, doctors knew their patients on a more personal level. In addition, checking on patients and making house calls wasn’t unheard of. Doctors would also make follow up appointments and keep in touch with their patients on a regular basis. The compassion for the patient was very prevalent during this time. However, now profit is becoming the most important component in the health care system. According to NP Oddessy, “Like a fancy restaurant, the more times they can turn over a table during a shift, the more money made. Hospitals use beds instead tables. Healthcare has been broken down into small parts, like an assembly line of care” (NP oddessy.com). We can see how healthcare is transitioning into a Beaucratic organization by looking at four components: Calculability, Efficiency, Predictability and Control.
In order to make ones’ health care coverage more affordable, the nation needs to address the continually increasing medical care costs. Approximately more than one-sixth of the United States economy is devoted to health care spending, such as: soaring prices for medical services, costly prescription drugs, newly advanced medical technology, and even unhealthy lifestyles. Our system is spending approximately $2.7 trillion annually on health care. According to experts, it is estimated that approximately 20%-30% of that spending (approx. $800 billion a year) appears to go towards wasteful, redundant, or even inefficient care.
Despite the established health care facilities in the United States, most citizens do not have access to proper medical care. We must appreciate from the very onset that a healthy and strong nation must have a proper health care system. Such a health system should be available and affordable to all. The cost of health services is high. In fact, the ...
The U.S. healthcare system is very complex in structure hence it can be appraised with diverse perspectives. From one viewpoint it is described as the most unparalleled health care system in the world, what with the cutting-edge medical technology, the high quality human resources, and the constantly-modernized facilities that are symbolic of the system. This is in addition to the proliferation of innovations aimed at increasing life expectancy and enhancing the quality of life as well as diagnostic and treatment options. At the other extreme are the fair criticisms of the system as being fragmented, inefficient and costly. What are the problems with the U.S. healthcare system? These are the questions this opinion paper tries to propound.
In 1998, the American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Americans’ satisfaction with hospitals at 70 percent, just below the U.S. Postal Service (71%) and just above the Internal Revenue Service (69%)”. Reading this, and experiencing the healthcare in our country first-hand provides enough evidence that our system is a burning fire and the author is right. I don’t think the author wants the reader to simply agree with him, rather he wants to educate the readers about our broken healthcare system and how we should try to fix it as a whole, not just a Band-Aid approach, and that everyone has a voice, and we need to work together to come up with solutions. I whole-heartedly agree with what Dr. Berwick was saying. If nothing changes, it’s only going to get
In the video provided “Sick Around the World”, writer for the Washington Post T. R. Reid travels to different countries and compares their health care system to the United States health care system. Reid finds that these countries have a system that lets citizens have health care without going bankrupt. Even though the US is the top economic power in the world, the “U.S. health care system rates 37th in the world in terms of quality and fairness.” (Reid) Our US health care system costs more than other countries for the same type of care and treatment.
It is hard to imagine life without health insurance. If you have any type of medical problem that requires attention, and you have appropriate health care insurance, you can be cared for in the finest of private hospitals. You can get great treatment and your ailments, depending on the severity, can be treated as soon as possible. Doctors, physicians and surgeons are willing to put out a big effort if they know that they are dealing with patients who are insured and have the money to go under extensive medical treatment. But imagine life without such luxuries. For example, what happens if a relative requires much needed surgery, but does not have health insurance to cover the procedure? What happens if a lack of medical insurance prevents you or your family from seeing a doctor, which could result in health problems that had not been identified but could have been treated before they became life threatening? These scenarios may seem far-fetched, but these types of situations happen to people who lack health coverage everyday. There is a true story about a patient who was insured and diagnosed with treatable cervical cancer. Unfortunately, she lost her job and with it her insurance. She was then unable to see her private doctor, and was turned away from other hospitals because ?cancer treatment is not considered an emergency in a patient who can?t pay? (?Help for D.C.?s Uninsured?). The woman later died at her home without ever being treated. This example raises the question, since when are people with less money less deserving of health care or appropriate treatment?
Rising medical costs are a worldwide problem, but nowhere are they higher than in the U.S. Although Americans with good health insurance coverage may get the best medical treatment in the world, the health of the average American, as measured by life expectancy and infant mortality, is below the average of other major industrial countries. Inefficiency, fraud and the expense of malpractice suits are often blamed for high U.S. costs, but the major reason is overinvestment in technology and personnel.
The United States’ healthcare system is often compared to health care systems in other industrialized countries. According to Davis, Stremikis, Schoen, and Squires (2014), “The
When my father stopped paying postsecondary support and I could no longer afford tuition at USF, I worked 3 jobs to save enough money to go back. At CVS, I saw the repercussions of neglected health and mismanaged patients. Patients would pick up hundreds of dollars of medications for preventable chronic diseases. I spent countless hours mediating between insurance companies and prescribers for authorization of prescriptions that might maintain what’s left of a patient’s ‘health’. I was spoken to with more courtesy by patrons on my overnight shifts at IHOP than I was by patients at the pharmacy. There was a deviation in my understanding of medicine. As I took jobs in different fields, I found that this impersonal approach to patient care pervaded nearly all of them. I shadowed under doctors who relied on signals from machines over conversation with the patient in front of them. When there was conversation, they lacked a degree of compassion and despite the doctors medical abilities, made patients feel needless
In order to comprehend the problem entirely, first we must observe the effects that healthcare costs have on the economy and American families. The soaring cost and perpetual necessity for health care have led to dramatic increases in debt for a large number of Americans, as well as the nation as a whole. While performing astonishing acts of salvation every day, modern medicine is as expensive as one may assume such a miracle may cost. For example, the average cost of a triple bypass surgery, such as my grandfathers, cost over $200,000 and is mainly covered through insurance. Also, patients who requir...
I heard a conversation at a seminar that was held by the Austin Forum. At that time, one of the officials in the Dell Medical School, Maninder Kahlon, PhD, was explaining the following example. One of the cancer drugs came in one-size-fits-all vials, so the whole body of the cancer patient, whether big or small, will get the same drug. The doctors can adjust the dosage, sometimes used one-third or one-fourth of these drugs and discarding the rest. This continues to happen every year and the waste is expected to reach a value of $1 billion dollars a year, but nobody is doing anything about it. The doctors weren’t concerned enough about the drugs. The patients never knew whether the drugs that they purchased were discarded. Even if they knew, they would not really care because their bills are paid by an insurance company and the government. The distributor, they never got complains and continues to receive a large profit. The result of all this is the increase of budget expenditures in health care. Surprisingly, the government initially saw this favorable because it has administered a good health to its citizens. However the facts said the opposite, according to data, American people are not getting healthier. This waste of money leads to inefficiency. This is where the health care reforms need to be renewed. We cannot fix only one side of the problem because it will not satisfy all parties. The