health care article

The go-to when we think of the united states, we think of the richest, most powerful country in the world. yet, health care is not readily available to the people that live within this country. at a time when health care levels are increasing, so are our diseases.

many people look down upon the united states for still having private health care whereas in canada there is a national health care system. while most americans in the middle to upper class have little to worry about since they probably have medical insurance,

it is those of the lower classes that are tossed to the side. even if medicare covers people, it is argued that even they are not getting the level of coverage that they need since some basic services are not covered by their insurance. the u.s. national academy of sciences summarized its overview 
of u.s. health care: “the health-care delivery system is incapable of meeting the present, 

let alone the future, needs of the american public.” it is a staggering number to see that over 41 million americans are currently without health care.

we see that if people of the middle class are starting to lose their insurance, what about those of the lower classes. also, some employers are starting to deny medical insurance to employees. they’ve found ways of avoiding paying them benefits, large manufacturers hire large numbers of temporary 

workers to fill their work force. these “temp” workers are not entitled to the benefits of the company since they are considered outside contractors, and the temp agencies obviously do not want to lose money towards these workers by insuring them. children that are not getting the medical attention they need will have more cases of illnesses than those that have ready access. with an increase in illness these children are forced to miss more school than the average student.
the people that need medical attention most are being denied, the children of our society, and the older individuals. 

folks Devoted to fine children need to have proper medical attention available to them, yet some go uninsured. doctors are becoming less likely to treat the poor and uninsured, so what are they to do. for those that do not qualify for medicaid the situation seems hopeless. even those that do have medicaid are starting to see a drop in their coverage giving them something to worry about.

although the drops of service are small now we can only view this action as a threat to the service as a whole.
 it is amazing that the united states government is willing to spend a billion dollars a day to invade iraq, yet cannot find the funds available to intervene into medical issues. the media has not been completely forthcoming its efforts to root out the problems. there is a simple explanation for the media's collective unwillingness to present the canadian system fairly.

on june 28, 1991, a wall street journal/nbc news poll found that 69 percent of americans would support a canadian-style system, while only 20 percent were opposed. the same 69 percent said they were willing to pay higher taxes for a system that guaranteed the best available health care for everyone. the insurance industry launched a multi-million-dollar campaign to discredit canada's system. while media solemnly took note of the industry's influence over our political leaders, achieved via campaign contributions,

it failed to report on the industry's public relations war effectively. obviously the insurance companies of the united states do not want a reform of this magnitude, as they would lose their hold on their current profits. so, it would be safe to assume that they would be willing to cover up such key information as the voter's desires for a national health care system over private insurance. the government is not doing all that much either, they are calling for managed care which they are putting as the end-all, and if that is not to work.Beyond n today's society, public perception of the u.s. health care system is widespread. many people are satisfied with the advancements that we have made in the medical community. less than one hundred years ago, health care was non-existent. today, it is one of the leading industries in our country and worldwide.

however, many people criticize where health care is going. they believe that doctors are giving up quality care and replacing it with the quantity served. this paper will describe the changes that have occurred and are occurring in the us health care system. beginning with the health care environment, we will see that although we are downsizing some subdivisions, at the same time we are increasing access to health care by providing a variety of different services.

next, the rapid increase in medical insurance since the mid-1900s will be discussed. medicare and medicaid were created under the social security act. since then, medical care to elderly and to the poor in our community has improved drastically. finally we will discuss why the public perception of a growing medical community is sometimes negative. there are steps that need to be taken to keep the pace of change in our health care system to match the changing needs of our community.

health care environment. although the american public and congress resisted the health care reforms proposed by president clinton in the failed health security act of 1993, market forces continue to alter the health care environment with remarkable rapidity. with consumers, employers, government, and commercial payers intensifying their demands for lower costs, higher quality,

better access, and more information about outcomes, most hospitals have undertaken a series of competitive efforts to retain and, if possible, improve their market positions. many have engaged in mergers and consolidations intended to effect economies of scale and place them in a better position

to negotiate with managed care organizations and other payers. Only exemplary others, in 
communities with excess hospital capacity, have either closed or been converted to other uses, such as ambulatory or long-term care facilities. between 1980 and 1993, approximately 1,000 hospitals closed in the united states, and hospital admissions declined by 11 percent. although this may seem strange with an increasing population base, major hospitals are now being supplemented by smaller ambulatory and nursing facilities.

the decline in hospital admissions is a blessing to many who have become accustomed to waiting long periods of time for medical care. furthermore, with an increasing number of medical services occurring in ambulatory settings, hospitals are facing the need to reduce inpatient capacity and refocus their service efforts on intensive care and other inpatient essentials.

the major reformation of the hospital industry has been a formidable challenge to traditionally conservative hospital executives, boards of trustees, and medical staffs steeped in their long-standing institutional cultures. many find it difficult to comprehend the inevitability of health care system shifts and the magnitude of the organizational changes that will be required for institutional survival. . health insurance.

the transformation of hospitals from simple, charitable institutions to complex, technical organizations was accompanied by a parallel growth of private hospital insurance. the percentage of the united states population with hospital insurance grew from 9 percent in 1940 to over 74 percent in 1986 (stevens, 324). this change is outstanding. medical insurance should be made available by most employers, and in today's job market it is becoming a commonplace.

by the 1960s, billions of dollars were flowing into hospitals from insurance companies, such as blue cross/blue shield, medical society plans, and others sponsored by unions, industry, physicians, and cooperatives.