SOC 120 Introduction To Ethics And Social Responsibility
A Right to Good Healthcare
SOC 120: Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility
This is the United States of America, land of the free. Good health care is a right, not a privilege. Healthcare (including public health) is special because it protects normal functioning, which in turn protects the range of opportunities open to individuals (Daniels N. 2001 pg.2). Currently President Obama has been trying to change the way health care is approached in the United States. He is facing quite a bit of opposition in his ideas that the government should provide health care for all Americans. No matter what your stance is on President Obama 's healthcare plan, we all realize that it is better to have health insurance than not. With prescription-drug costs being so out of control, many people have to choose between food and their prescriptions. Which is just not right, the fact is that health care is out of control. …show more content…
If healthcare was made more affordable it would actually end up costing taxpayers less in the long run because the expense of having to pay for uninsured patients medical expenses is so high.
The cost of going to a doctor is so high that many don 't even bother until it is often too late. Having experience a major health issue myself at the last minute, because I am not offered any type of healthcare insurance through my job. Many Americans just cannot afford the cost of health insurance. In this paper I will address several issues on why healthcare is so important to Americans; such as the types of preventative care needed. Ways to prevent diseases, screenings and causes. The reasons many Americans just do not have any type of healthcare
coverage.
Preventative Care The emphasis on preventative healthcare is all for good reasons. By maintaining normal functioning, healthcare protects an individual 's fair share of the normal range of opportunities (or plans of life) reasonable people would choose in a given society (Daniel, N. 2001, pg.2). Many people without access to healthcare only go to the Doctors after they have been ill or injured. We all know that regular exercise, a good nutritious diet, not smoking, and drinking to excess is the best course to minimize health problems and reduce the amount of money spent on health care. Along with life style selections we make the environment in which we live and work are critical to good preventative health practices. Prenatal Care is a preventative care practice. Women in developing countries are bleeding to death after giving birth, writhing in the convulsions of eclampsia, and collapsing from days of futile contractions, knowing that they have suffocated their babies to death (Maine, D &Yamin,A, 1999, pg.562). Getting good prenatal care is very important for the expectant mother and the unborn child. Many pregnant women in Georgia receive free prenatal care for their unborn child. This is great for the many women like myself that do not have healthcare insurance, and do not make enough money to actually pay out of pocket to have a baby. There are so many doctors’ appointments, screenings, and tests that need to be taken as a precaution before a mother gives birth. Moreover, according to the World Bank, although men and women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four lose approximately the same number of years of healthy life due to disease, there is no single cause of death and disability for men that comes close to the magnitude of maternal death and disability (Maine, D & Yamin, A., 1999, pg.564). Many women choose not to participate in having prenatal care, either from being in such denial, embarrassment, and even religious beliefs. This could be very dangerous to both mother and baby, many tests and screenings could have shown if the pregnancy needed to be aborted or if there is a complication such as the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby’s neck, or the baby may be breeched (the baby head is not down for delivery). Also tests can detect birth defects which are physical abnormalities that may be caused by inherited genes, genetic mutations, or environmental factors.
Technology is so advanced now many expectant mothers are offered 3D and 4D visual of their precious baby. Even learning the sex of the unborn baby can be very exciting for new parents, but all which is very expensive to those that do not have medical coverage in place. Well care check-ups are so important staring with infants. Most infants have their first well-baby exam within the first few days to weeks after birth. Even when things are going well, frequent checkups during the first year are an important way to monitor the baby 's growth and development. Many parents have their children vaccinated according to their age. These vaccines are to help prevent many childhood diseases, not saying that the child still may not get sick, but it is a great prevention plan all parents should participate in. As parents it is very important that, they make sure their children stay on the vaccinated scheduled for their age. Many children must have all their immunizations done before they can enter kindergarten. Other screenings are ear, eye, and dental checks.
Many low-income or single parent homes, their children may be eligible for the Medicaid Program. This helps assists many single mothers with keeping up with their children well-care check-ups, vision and dental screenings. Well care check-ups go on into adult hood, many people that are students and may not be covered by their parents healthcare plan, or working for employers that do not offer any healthcare tend to slack up on doctor visits.
But regular check-ups are still very important, certain age screenings are still needed. Early diagnosis for many diseases can be detected. Being without healthcare insurance, I was put into a life-threating health scare in 2009, and it could have been prevented if I had been receiving regular check-ups, but like millions of Americans around the world, the cost are just beyond high.
Also, many Americans feel as though they are treated differently if they do not have any type of health coverage. Without co-pay at the time, one may be sent home without the proper screenings or tests run, and this is and can be very scary, and could be life-threating.
Long-term illnesses sometimes may not be able to be prevented, but detecting them early can save a person life. Cancers, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS are a few long term diseases, even though some are not preventable, but when detected early your chances of either recovering or living comfortable with it may be easier. Many people feel like do not ask do not tell, or if it is not broke then do not fix it. These feelings can sometimes cause many people to be severely sick and suffer, or cause an unexpected death. This all could have been prevented with regular check-ups. Education is also an important factor; many people just do not have the knowledge on the type of signs and symptoms on many illnesses. This is why having regular check-ups are so important.
Disease Prevention
Disease Prevention is a very important role in healthcare. Prevention comes with check-ups, screenings, and knowledge. There are so many diseases that cannot be prevented, but can be treated with antibiotics and other medicines. Several of those diseases are: Arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and Cancers cannot be prevented, but they can be treated.
There are two common types of Arthritis which are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid. There are commercials that have different types of medicines to help with the pain of Arthritis. Many people have seen the Celebrex commercial.
Alzheimer 's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. The most common symptom is difficulty remembering, and usually develops slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. As Alzheimer 's advance it leads to severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behavior changes.
Alzheimer 's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues.
Cancer is characterized by an abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Cancer symptoms vary widely based on the type of cancer. Cancer currently has no cure, but treatment options include: includes chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. With early and proper treatment these diseases can make living with them a lot easier. Later detection can result in emergency surgeries, long term pain, and even death.
Diseases that can be prevented are Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. STDs are infectious diseases that spread from person to person through sexual contact. STDs can affect anyone who is having sex. STDs are common among teens, since they are at a higher risk, it 's important to learn what you can do to protect yourself, things simple as abstinence, and condoms. If untreated, some STDs can cause serious health problems, permanent damage, such as infertility, and even death (in the case of HIV/AIDS). Early detection can cure some STD’s, with medication such as antibiotics. As stated in (Biehl, G. 2007, pg. 1086), amidst denial, stigma, and inaction, AIDS became the first major epidemic of present-day globalization. Of more than 40 million people estimated to be HIV-infected worldwide, 95 percent live in middle- or low-income countries, causing life expectancy to drop dramatically in those countries worst hit (Biehl, G. 2007, pg.1086). In late 2003, with only about 400,000 people receiving treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced their goal of having 3 million HIV-positive people on antiretroviral therapy by 2005 (Biehl, G. 2007 pg. 1086). Early detection of HIV/AIDS can allow someone to live comfortable with the disease while on their medication.
Reasons many do not have Coverage
Statistics show that people without health insurance do not get their health checked regularly and therefore are at a greater risk of having something that may have been prevented happen later on. Given the cost of even basic insurance, many people of modest means who do not qualify for Medicaid cannot reasonably afford insurance without subsidy (Menzel, P. 2011, pg.86). The high expense of going to a doctor visit is why most people without insurance do not go to the doctor and this is something that should be changed as well. Costs of medical insurance as well as the cost of having health insurance all need to be made more affordable for Americans so they will take better care of themselves. Having health insurance is important because coverage helps people get timely medical care and improves their lives and health (Levy, H &David, M. 2004, pg.110).
It’s sometimes about $500 or more to see a doctor, and then add lab tests, x-rays, etc. Many will see their family doctor if it is not a true emergency. There is a reason why they are called Emergency Rooms there are walk-in clinics everywhere. At your family Doctor get the same treatment at half the price. You also are not taking up space when someone 's life may be at stake, and truly need the emergency room. There are new triage system evaluates your symptoms and can even refuse to admit you to the ER, referring you to your family doctor, where you should probably go in the first place. Many people will go to the ER because they think they can 't be refused, and think they can be seen at no cost to them. Verses going to their own doctor, they may have to pay a co-pay or office visit, and even have to take a prescription to their local pharmacy and have to buy their own meds.
Since 1989, the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) have prohibited hospitals from refusing acute care to those who cannot afford to pay (Menzel, P. 2011, pg.83). Realistically, when hospitals live up to this requirement, it is difficult for them to confine the care they provide to the emergency room (Menzel, P.2011, pg.83). Patients who are not kept on for further acute care outside the emergency room will likely just show up again, incurring more emergency room care for which they are not insured.
Self-employed individuals have limited choices when it comes to health insurance coverage. Many go without going to have regular check-ups and preventative care screenings. They can buy an individual plan, start a group policy or forgo coverage altogether. However, even having coverage won 't guarantee financial security in the event of medical catastrophe.
A business group insurance policy costs members less because the financial risk for the insurance company is spread throughout the group. Joining a group policy will save you money and provide better coverage, there are many ways for self-employed people to join a group.
Most people obtain health coverage through a health plan offered by their employer. However, many people have become unemployed either to termination, job closures, and even being laid off. Currently state and federal law allows people who have recently become unemployed to continue their previous health coverage for some time. If one loses their group coverage for employment-related reasons, some may be able to continue your coverage for a limited time. Employees who stay at a job, but lose coverage eligibility because of a reduction in the number of hours they work, are also usually able to elect to continue their coverage. The employer is no longer required to contribute any amount toward premium costs, so you must pay the full price of coverage yourself. However, continuing a work-sponsored plan may still be more affordable than purchasing coverage individually
Conclusion
The central moral importance, for purposes of justice, of preventing and treating disease and disability with effective healthcare services (construed broadly to include public health and environmental measures, as well as personal medical services) derives from the way in which protecting normal functioning contributes to protecting opportunity (Daniels, N.2001, pg.2).
Access to medical services, regardless of income, is as necessary to individual freedom, opportunity, and self-responsibility as is access to the protective services of fire or police departments (Menzel, P., Light, D. 2006, pg.39). No matter which type of healthcare service that one may need, whether it is preventative care or disease prevention, costs or loss of a job should not prevent one from being taken care of and being in good health.
References
Biehl, João Guilherme. (2007). Pharmaceuticalization: Aids treatment and global health politics. Anthropological Quarterly 80(4), 1083-1126.
Daniels, Norman, 1942-. (2001). Justice, health, and healthcare. The American Journal of Bioethics 1(2), 2-16.
Maine, Deborah. & Yamin, Alicia Ely. (1999). Maternal mortality as a human rights issue: Measuring compliance with international treaty obligations. Human Rights Quarterly 21(3), 563-607
Menzel, Paul T., 1942- & Light, Donald, 1942-. (2006). A conservative case for universal access to health care. Hastings Center Report 36(4), 36-45.
Paul T. Menzel. (2011). The cultural moral right to a basic minimum of accessible health care. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 21(1), 79-119.
Levy, Helen and David Meltzer. 2004. “What Do We Really Know about Whether Health Insurance Affects Health?” chapter 4 110-113.
SOC 120: Introduction to Ethics and Social Responsibility
This is the United States of America, land of the free. Good health care is a right, not a privilege. Healthcare (including public health) is special because it protects normal functioning, which in turn protects the range of opportunities open to individuals (Daniels N. 2001 pg.2). Currently President Obama has been trying to change the way health care is approached in the United States. He is facing quite a bit of opposition in his ideas that the government should provide health care for all Americans. No matter what your stance is on President Obama 's healthcare plan, we all realize that it is better to have health insurance than not. With prescription-drug costs being so out of control, many people have to choose between food and their prescriptions. Which is just not right, the fact is that health care is out of control. …show more content…
If healthcare was made more affordable it would actually end up costing taxpayers less in the long run because the expense of having to pay for uninsured patients medical expenses is so high.
The cost of going to a doctor is so high that many don 't even bother until it is often too late. Having experience a major health issue myself at the last minute, because I am not offered any type of healthcare insurance through my job. Many Americans just cannot afford the cost of health insurance. In this paper I will address several issues on why healthcare is so important to Americans; such as the types of preventative care needed. Ways to prevent diseases, screenings and causes. The reasons many Americans just do not have any type of healthcare
coverage.
Preventative Care The emphasis on preventative healthcare is all for good reasons. By maintaining normal functioning, healthcare protects an individual 's fair share of the normal range of opportunities (or plans of life) reasonable people would choose in a given society (Daniel, N. 2001, pg.2). Many people without access to healthcare only go to the Doctors after they have been ill or injured. We all know that regular exercise, a good nutritious diet, not smoking, and drinking to excess is the best course to minimize health problems and reduce the amount of money spent on health care. Along with life style selections we make the environment in which we live and work are critical to good preventative health practices. Prenatal Care is a preventative care practice. Women in developing countries are bleeding to death after giving birth, writhing in the convulsions of eclampsia, and collapsing from days of futile contractions, knowing that they have suffocated their babies to death (Maine, D &Yamin,A, 1999, pg.562). Getting good prenatal care is very important for the expectant mother and the unborn child. Many pregnant women in Georgia receive free prenatal care for their unborn child. This is great for the many women like myself that do not have healthcare insurance, and do not make enough money to actually pay out of pocket to have a baby. There are so many doctors’ appointments, screenings, and tests that need to be taken as a precaution before a mother gives birth. Moreover, according to the World Bank, although men and women between the ages of fifteen and forty-four lose approximately the same number of years of healthy life due to disease, there is no single cause of death and disability for men that comes close to the magnitude of maternal death and disability (Maine, D & Yamin, A., 1999, pg.564). Many women choose not to participate in having prenatal care, either from being in such denial, embarrassment, and even religious beliefs. This could be very dangerous to both mother and baby, many tests and screenings could have shown if the pregnancy needed to be aborted or if there is a complication such as the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby’s neck, or the baby may be breeched (the baby head is not down for delivery). Also tests can detect birth defects which are physical abnormalities that may be caused by inherited genes, genetic mutations, or environmental factors.
Technology is so advanced now many expectant mothers are offered 3D and 4D visual of their precious baby. Even learning the sex of the unborn baby can be very exciting for new parents, but all which is very expensive to those that do not have medical coverage in place. Well care check-ups are so important staring with infants. Most infants have their first well-baby exam within the first few days to weeks after birth. Even when things are going well, frequent checkups during the first year are an important way to monitor the baby 's growth and development. Many parents have their children vaccinated according to their age. These vaccines are to help prevent many childhood diseases, not saying that the child still may not get sick, but it is a great prevention plan all parents should participate in. As parents it is very important that, they make sure their children stay on the vaccinated scheduled for their age. Many children must have all their immunizations done before they can enter kindergarten. Other screenings are ear, eye, and dental checks.
Many low-income or single parent homes, their children may be eligible for the Medicaid Program. This helps assists many single mothers with keeping up with their children well-care check-ups, vision and dental screenings. Well care check-ups go on into adult hood, many people that are students and may not be covered by their parents healthcare plan, or working for employers that do not offer any healthcare tend to slack up on doctor visits.
But regular check-ups are still very important, certain age screenings are still needed. Early diagnosis for many diseases can be detected. Being without healthcare insurance, I was put into a life-threating health scare in 2009, and it could have been prevented if I had been receiving regular check-ups, but like millions of Americans around the world, the cost are just beyond high.
Also, many Americans feel as though they are treated differently if they do not have any type of health coverage. Without co-pay at the time, one may be sent home without the proper screenings or tests run, and this is and can be very scary, and could be life-threating.
Long-term illnesses sometimes may not be able to be prevented, but detecting them early can save a person life. Cancers, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS are a few long term diseases, even though some are not preventable, but when detected early your chances of either recovering or living comfortable with it may be easier. Many people feel like do not ask do not tell, or if it is not broke then do not fix it. These feelings can sometimes cause many people to be severely sick and suffer, or cause an unexpected death. This all could have been prevented with regular check-ups. Education is also an important factor; many people just do not have the knowledge on the type of signs and symptoms on many illnesses. This is why having regular check-ups are so important.
Disease Prevention
Disease Prevention is a very important role in healthcare. Prevention comes with check-ups, screenings, and knowledge. There are so many diseases that cannot be prevented, but can be treated with antibiotics and other medicines. Several of those diseases are: Arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and Cancers cannot be prevented, but they can be treated.
There are two common types of Arthritis which are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid. There are commercials that have different types of medicines to help with the pain of Arthritis. Many people have seen the Celebrex commercial.
Alzheimer 's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. The most common symptom is difficulty remembering, and usually develops slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. As Alzheimer 's advance it leads to severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behavior changes.
Alzheimer 's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues.
Cancer is characterized by an abnormal growth of cells. There are more than 100 types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and lymphoma. Cancer symptoms vary widely based on the type of cancer. Cancer currently has no cure, but treatment options include: includes chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. With early and proper treatment these diseases can make living with them a lot easier. Later detection can result in emergency surgeries, long term pain, and even death.
Diseases that can be prevented are Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS. STDs are infectious diseases that spread from person to person through sexual contact. STDs can affect anyone who is having sex. STDs are common among teens, since they are at a higher risk, it 's important to learn what you can do to protect yourself, things simple as abstinence, and condoms. If untreated, some STDs can cause serious health problems, permanent damage, such as infertility, and even death (in the case of HIV/AIDS). Early detection can cure some STD’s, with medication such as antibiotics. As stated in (Biehl, G. 2007, pg. 1086), amidst denial, stigma, and inaction, AIDS became the first major epidemic of present-day globalization. Of more than 40 million people estimated to be HIV-infected worldwide, 95 percent live in middle- or low-income countries, causing life expectancy to drop dramatically in those countries worst hit (Biehl, G. 2007, pg.1086). In late 2003, with only about 400,000 people receiving treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) announced their goal of having 3 million HIV-positive people on antiretroviral therapy by 2005 (Biehl, G. 2007 pg. 1086). Early detection of HIV/AIDS can allow someone to live comfortable with the disease while on their medication.
Reasons many do not have Coverage
Statistics show that people without health insurance do not get their health checked regularly and therefore are at a greater risk of having something that may have been prevented happen later on. Given the cost of even basic insurance, many people of modest means who do not qualify for Medicaid cannot reasonably afford insurance without subsidy (Menzel, P. 2011, pg.86). The high expense of going to a doctor visit is why most people without insurance do not go to the doctor and this is something that should be changed as well. Costs of medical insurance as well as the cost of having health insurance all need to be made more affordable for Americans so they will take better care of themselves. Having health insurance is important because coverage helps people get timely medical care and improves their lives and health (Levy, H &David, M. 2004, pg.110).
It’s sometimes about $500 or more to see a doctor, and then add lab tests, x-rays, etc. Many will see their family doctor if it is not a true emergency. There is a reason why they are called Emergency Rooms there are walk-in clinics everywhere. At your family Doctor get the same treatment at half the price. You also are not taking up space when someone 's life may be at stake, and truly need the emergency room. There are new triage system evaluates your symptoms and can even refuse to admit you to the ER, referring you to your family doctor, where you should probably go in the first place. Many people will go to the ER because they think they can 't be refused, and think they can be seen at no cost to them. Verses going to their own doctor, they may have to pay a co-pay or office visit, and even have to take a prescription to their local pharmacy and have to buy their own meds.
Since 1989, the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) have prohibited hospitals from refusing acute care to those who cannot afford to pay (Menzel, P. 2011, pg.83). Realistically, when hospitals live up to this requirement, it is difficult for them to confine the care they provide to the emergency room (Menzel, P.2011, pg.83). Patients who are not kept on for further acute care outside the emergency room will likely just show up again, incurring more emergency room care for which they are not insured.
Self-employed individuals have limited choices when it comes to health insurance coverage. Many go without going to have regular check-ups and preventative care screenings. They can buy an individual plan, start a group policy or forgo coverage altogether. However, even having coverage won 't guarantee financial security in the event of medical catastrophe.
A business group insurance policy costs members less because the financial risk for the insurance company is spread throughout the group. Joining a group policy will save you money and provide better coverage, there are many ways for self-employed people to join a group.
Most people obtain health coverage through a health plan offered by their employer. However, many people have become unemployed either to termination, job closures, and even being laid off. Currently state and federal law allows people who have recently become unemployed to continue their previous health coverage for some time. If one loses their group coverage for employment-related reasons, some may be able to continue your coverage for a limited time. Employees who stay at a job, but lose coverage eligibility because of a reduction in the number of hours they work, are also usually able to elect to continue their coverage. The employer is no longer required to contribute any amount toward premium costs, so you must pay the full price of coverage yourself. However, continuing a work-sponsored plan may still be more affordable than purchasing coverage individually
Conclusion
The central moral importance, for purposes of justice, of preventing and treating disease and disability with effective healthcare services (construed broadly to include public health and environmental measures, as well as personal medical services) derives from the way in which protecting normal functioning contributes to protecting opportunity (Daniels, N.2001, pg.2).
Access to medical services, regardless of income, is as necessary to individual freedom, opportunity, and self-responsibility as is access to the protective services of fire or police departments (Menzel, P., Light, D. 2006, pg.39). No matter which type of healthcare service that one may need, whether it is preventative care or disease prevention, costs or loss of a job should not prevent one from being taken care of and being in good health.
References
Biehl, João Guilherme. (2007). Pharmaceuticalization: Aids treatment and global health politics. Anthropological Quarterly 80(4), 1083-1126.
Daniels, Norman, 1942-. (2001). Justice, health, and healthcare. The American Journal of Bioethics 1(2), 2-16.
Maine, Deborah. & Yamin, Alicia Ely. (1999). Maternal mortality as a human rights issue: Measuring compliance with international treaty obligations. Human Rights Quarterly 21(3), 563-607
Menzel, Paul T., 1942- & Light, Donald, 1942-. (2006). A conservative case for universal access to health care. Hastings Center Report 36(4), 36-45.
Paul T. Menzel. (2011). The cultural moral right to a basic minimum of accessible health care. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 21(1), 79-119.
Levy, Helen and David Meltzer. 2004. “What Do We Really Know about Whether Health Insurance Affects Health?” chapter 4 110-113.