National Health Care Spending Essay Example for Free

National Health Care Spending Essay Introduction Health care in the United States is provided by many distinct organizations. Accordingly, the US Census Bureau (2010) reported that health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private sector businesses. While sixty-two percent of hospitals are non-profit, 20% are government owned, and 18% are for-profit. Furthermore, 60–65% of healthcare provision and spending comes from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration. Most of the population under 67 is either insured by themselves or a family members employer, buy health insurance on their own, and the remainder are uninsured. Health insurance for public sector employees is primarily provided by the government. Still, the United States has a life expectancy of 78.4 years at birth, up from 75.2 years in 1990, and is ranked 50th among 221 nations, and 27th out of the 34 industrialized countries, down from 20th in 1990. Of 17 high-income countries studied by the National Institutes of Health in 2013, the United States had the highest or near-highest prevalence of infant mortality, heart and lung disease, sexually transmitted infections, adolescent pregnancies, injuries, homicides, and disability. Together, such issues place the U.S. at the bottom of the list for life expectancy. On average, a U.S. male can be expected to live almost four fewer years than those in the top-ranked country (NIH, 2013). Thesis Statement As dismal as the statistics are, in recent years, policy makers as well as leading economists have focused a considerable amount of attention on  aggregate spending increases in health care and how health care spending impacts the United States economy. Thereby, specific emphasis has been given to identifying and examining distinctive factors that have contributed to spending growth, and proposing solutions for reduction. Seemingly, factors that have contributed to spending growth encompass changes in health care utilization, population demographics, price inflation, and advances in medical technology. Thus, as more and more advanced scientific technology is developed the costs associated with providing quality health care increases. With that said, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spent more on health care per capita ($8,608), and more on health care as percentage of its GDP (17.2%), than any other nation in 2011. Yet, the United States ranked last in the quality of health care among similar countries, and notes United States care costs the most. Similarly, in a 2013 Bloomberg ranking of nations with the most efficient health care systems, the United States ranks 46th among the 48 countries included in the study. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 49.9 million residents, 16.3% of the population, were uninsured in 2010 (up from 49.0 million residents, 16.1% of the population, in 2009). In addition, a 2004 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report said: The United States is among the few industrialized nations in the world that does not guarantee access to health care for its population.† Further, with the exception of Mexico, Turkey, and the United States, all of the other countries had achieved universal or near-universal (at least 98.4% insured) coverage of their populations by 1990; and recent evidence demonstrates that lack of health insurance causes some 45,000 to 48,000 unnecessary deaths every year in the United States. In 2007, 62.1% of filers for bankruptcies claimed high medical expenses, and 25% of all senior citizens declare bankruptcy due to medical expenses, and 43% are forced to mortgage or sell their primary residence. On March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) became law, providing for major changes in health insurance. The medical system has been forced to change normal procedures to meet federal regulations. The law includes a large number of health-related provisions  to take effect over the next four years, including expanding Medicaid eligibility for people making up to 133% of FPL, subsidizing insurance premiums for peoples making up to 400% of FPL ($88,000 for family of 4) so their maximum out-of-pocket pay will be from 2% to 9.8% of income for annual premium, providing incentives for businesses to provide health care benefits, prohibiting denial of coverage and denial of claims based on pre-existing conditions, establishing health insurance exchanges, prohibiting insurers from establishing annual spending caps and support for medical research. The costs of these provisions are offset by a variety of taxes, fees, and cost-saving measures, such as new Medicare taxes for high-income brackets, taxes on indoor tanning, cuts to the Medicare Advantage program in favor of traditional Medicare, and fees on medical devices and pharmaceutical companies; there is also a tax penalty for citizens who do not obtain health insurance (unless they are exempt due to low income or other reasons). The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the net effect (including the reconciliation act) will be a reduction in the federal deficit by $143 billion over the first decade. Conclusion In conclusion, in contrast to the argument that rising health care spending at the Federal and State level decreases economic growth, and employee health care costs decreases job growth, a reasonable argument, could also be made that rising health care spending has important benefits, often outweighing the increased costs. I submit that improvements in quality may produce a cause and effect whereby, the cost of medical care is decreased. Subsequently, increased health care spending improves increases in access to new technologies, providing both new options of treatment and treatment for a greater number of individuals; which provides for healthier employees. Moreover, health care spending growth is more likely to create health care jobs, increases wages for health care workers, expands local tax revenues, and increases demand for related goods and services. We, as Americans, profess to be the richest, strongest, and greatest country, yet we stand by and watch homeless citizens sleeping on the streets, children going to bed at night hungry, and citizens dying because they lack health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is a good start, however we must keep legislators who oppose the bill from chipping away at it. Health care should be a human  right, not a privilege. For example, in May 2011, the state of Vermont became the first state to pass legislation establishing a Single-Payer health care system. The legislation, known as Act 48, establishes health care in the state as a human right and lays the responsibility on the state to provide a health care system which best meets the needs of the citizens of Vermont. The state is currently in the studying phase of how best to implement this system. Of the 26.2 million foreign immigrants living in the US in 1998, 62.9% were non-U.S. citizens. In 1997, 34.3% of non-U.S. citizens living in America did not have health insurance coverage as opposed to the 14.2% of native-born Americans who do not have health insurance coverage. Among those immigrants who became citizens, 18.5% were uninsured, as opposed to noncitizens, who are 43.6% uninsured. In each age and income group, immigrants are less likely to have health insurance. With the recent healthcare changes, many legal immigrants with various immigration statuses now are able to qualify for affordable health insurance. We need to push for more. The cost for individuals that use emergency rooms as port of entry to medical care far exceeds obtaining a primary care provider. References Institute of Medicine (2004). Retrieved from http://.www.institutesofmedicine, May 09, 2014. National Institute of Health (2013). Retrieved from http://.www.nationalinstituteofhealth, May 10, 2014. U. S. Census Bureau (2010). Retrieved from http://.www.uscensusbureau, May 10, 2014. World Health Organization (2014). Retrieved from http://.www.worldhealthorganization, May 10, 2014. www.healthcare.gov (2014). Retrieved from http://.www.healthcare.gov. May 10, 2014

Karl Marx :: Biographies Philosophy Papers

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx was born on May 5, 1818, in the city of Trier in Prussia, now, Germany. He was one of seven children of Jewish Parents. His father was fairly liberal, taking part in demonstrations for a constitution for Prussia and reading such authors as Voltaire and Kant, known for their social commentary. His mother, Henrietta, was originally from Holland and never became a German at heart, not even learning to speak the language properly. Shortly before Karl Marx was born, his father converted the family to the Evangelical Established Church, Karl being baptized at the age of six. Marx attended high school in his home town (1830-1835) where several teachers and pupils were under suspicion of harboring liberal ideals. Marx himself seemed to be a devoted Christian with a "longing for self-sacrifice on behalf of humanity." In October of 1835, he started attendance at the University of Bonn, enrolling in non-socialistic-related classes like Greek and Roman mythology and the history of art. During this time, he spent a day in jail for being "drunk and disorderly-the only imprisonment he suffered" in the course of his life. The student culture at Bonn included, as a major part, being politically rebellious and Marx was involved, presiding over the Tavern Club and joining a club for poets that included some politically active students. However, he left Bonn after a year and enrolled at the University of Berlin to study law and philosophy. Marx's experience in Berlin was crucial to his introduction to Hegel's philosophy and to his "adherence to the Young Hegelians." Hegel's philosophy was crucial to the development of his own ideas and theories. Upon his first introduction to Hegel's beliefs, Marx felt a repugnance and wrote his father that when he felt sick, it was partially "from intense vexation at having to make an idol of a view [he] detested." The Hegelian doctrines exerted considerable pressure in the "revolutionary student culture" that Marx was immersed in, however, and Marx eventually joined a society called the Doctor Club, involved mainly in the "new literary and philosophical movement" who's chief figure was Bruno Bauer, a lecturer in theology who thought that the Gospels were not a record of History but that they came from "human fantasies arising from man's emotional needs" and he also hypothesized that Jesus had not existed as a person. Bauer was later dismissed from his position by the Prussian government. By 1841, Marx's studies were lacking and, at the suggestion of a friend, he submitted a

Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (Ehrs) by Physicians Essay

Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (EHRs) by Physicians Introduction In the article, â€Å"Barriers for Adopting Electronic Health Records (EHRs) by Physicians,† researchers analyze the resistance associated with adoption of EHR systems by U.S. physicians. Current research supports the notion that electronic health records are not vastly supported in the U.S., especially in comparison to other countries. According to researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College, â€Å"Doctors who go digital do appear to provide significantly better health care† (Nordqvist, 2012). While there are many productivity concerns around implementing a new system, this article explains why physicians are resistant to the adoption of EHRs and how those oppositions can affect the system. Analysis of Key Issues In 2012 approximately 72 percent of office-based physicians had adopted any HER system and 40 percent had adopted basic EHR systems (King, Patel, Furukawa, 2012). While there are a myriad of issues associated with the adoption of EHRs nationwide, some of the most prevalent are miscommunication, misinformation and misinterpretation. Physicians are apprehensive about the level error that could prevail with using EHRs. Joseph Conn found that, â€Å"an alarming number of clinicians are anecdotally reporting a substantial increase in the incidence of wrong order/wrong patient errors wile using the computerized physician order entry component of information systems† (2013). Clearly physician resistance to EHRs is directly related to the safety of patients as an increased predisposition for error is being revealed. Conversely, EHRs can be equally superior as they can also contribute more accuracy to the healthcare infrastructure. The Missouri Health Connection shared that EHRs can pr ovide health records universally, â€Å"improving the coordination and continuity of care and promoting informed decision making† amongst many other things (n.d.). Findings Based on the results from the study there are 20 reasons that physicians are resistant to the adoption of EHRs; stemming from cost to doctor-patient relationship. With all the viable concerns that physicians have, they  remain resistant and the acceptance rate is still low. Personal Assessment The evolution of EHRs and its impact on Obamacare and the overall healthcare system is pioneering. Obamacare is based on the perception that health care in the U.S. is more expensive than any other industrial nation because the incentive configuration is inadequate. Ideally, the government would like for Medicaid and Medicare patients to be consistently healthy and otherwise reimburse the physicians for keeping them healthy. However, for this to work the government needs instant access to patient records. With this access the government can eliminate reimbursement solely on test and procedures but incentivize for health results. While EHRs are beneficial for physicians they are equally beneficial for patients. The ability to walk into any healthcare facility and the physician have access to your medical history is substantial. As it relates to someone with health complications, this can minimize the risk of misdiagnosis or allergic reaction. Deuteronomy 15: 7-8 says, â€Å"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy bretheren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth† (KJV). As Obamacare seems to favor those who are less fortunate or helps those who need healthcare, there is a need to support this agenda. No one should go without health insurance and there are an alarming number of citizens without it today. References Conn, J. (2013). HER systems pose serious concerns, reports says. Modern Healthcare. Retrieved from www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130624/NEWS/306249952. King, J., Patel, V., & Furukawa, M.F. (2012). Physician adoption of electronic health record technology to meet meaningful use objectives: 2009-2012. ONC Data Brief. Retrieved from www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/onc-data-brief-7-december-2012.pdf Nordqvist, C. (2012). Electronic health records linked to much better quality care. Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/251633.php.

Anthropology, Cultural Studies, And Physical Anthropology

The study of anthropology traverse across four subfields that focus in archaeology, linguistics, cultural studies, and physical anthropology. Each field can specialize in an area of expertise. For physical anthropology, the sub-discipline bioarchaeology, incorporates both physical studies of human remains while contextualizing the data found from archaeological evidence and other sciences. One researcher explains that, â€Å"information from the human skeleton can be combined with historical documents and material culture to understand social processes on multiple scales,† (Hollimon 2011, 163). Bioarchaeology is unique in that it bridges biology and social science to create new theories and ask more meaningful questions. The virtuosity of bioarchaeology and why it is important is that it is a heavy question based field. It contextualizes all fields of anthropology that can span into answering specific questions asked by researchers in archaeology, culture studies, and physical anthropology. The questions that bioarchaeologists seek to answer can range from demography, diet, identity, food-ways, and mortuary analysis. In general, the study of gender in anthropology is a relatively recent phenomenon that covers all subfields. Since anthropology is the study of all things human, it is interesting that study of identity and gender are only recently in the field. McGee and Warms (2012), claim the trend in studying gender lies within identities that do not fit traditional westernShow MoreRelatedAnthropology and Its Branches1728 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropology is the study of human beings, in particular the study of their physical character, evolutionary history, racial classification, historical and present-day geographic distribution, group relationships, and cultural history. 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