Health care expenditures in the United States continue to soar with health care costs accounting for 17% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) (http://www.usgovernmentspending.com) [If this URL is in a citation, it should not appear here but rather on the references page] . The United States, along with Turkey and Mexico, are the only countries without universal health coverage. Americans are primarily insured through employer paid health care benefits. Other sources of coverage for health care include government insurance, and private insurance. This paper [When writing an introduction, some approaches are best avoided. Avoid starting sentences with “The purpose of this essay is . . .” or This paper will . . .” or any similar flat announcement of your intention or topic.] will compare how inmate care and private insurance have influenced the cost of health care in the United States as part of the GDP. It will also compare inmate care and private insurance to government insurance and employer group insurance. Inmates are “the only segment of the US population with a constitutional right to receive adequate physical and mental health care” (Ofogh, 2011, p. 81). This law was passed in 1976 as a result of the Estelle v Gamble Supreme Court decision. The ruling was based on the Eighthth Amendment guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. Prior to this court decision health care in prisons was minimal to none. Before the 1970s, much inmate health care was provided by other inmates, correctional
Health care expenditures in the United States continue to soar with health care costs accounting for 17% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) (http://www.usgovernmentspending.com) [If this URL is in a citation, it should not appear here but rather on the references page] . The United States, along with Turkey and Mexico, are the only countries without universal health coverage. Americans are primarily insured through employer paid health care benefits. Other sources of coverage for health care include government insurance, and private insurance. This paper [When writing an introduction, some approaches are best avoided. Avoid starting sentences with “The purpose of this essay is . . .” or This paper will . . .” or any similar flat announcement of your intention or topic.] will compare how inmate care and private insurance have influenced the cost of health care in the United States as part of the GDP. It will also compare inmate care and private insurance to government insurance and employer group insurance. Inmates are “the only segment of the US population with a constitutional right to receive adequate physical and mental health care” (Ofogh, 2011, p. 81). This law was passed in 1976 as a result of the Estelle v Gamble Supreme Court decision. The ruling was based on the Eighthth Amendment guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment. Prior to this court decision health care in prisons was minimal to none. Before the 1970s, much inmate health care was provided by other inmates, correctional