...Assignment #1 – Health Care Issues in the United States July 17, 2011 Because the United States spends the most on a health care system, one would think that most people in the U.S. would be healthy. This is not the case. Surprisingly, the United States does not have a particularly high life expectancy rate. Within this paper I will discuss heath issues in the United States including how heath effects behavior, economics, and social structure. I will also include key stages of medical technology development and population demographics. Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Statistical data and reports show social behavior, economic status, and social structure are important determinants of health. According to Williams and Torrens, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and illicit drug use are all examples of personal decision making and patterns of behavior that have a tremendous adverse effect on personal health and on the nation’s economy (Williams & Torrens, 2010) p.46. Individuals develop and live in social systems. People influence and are influenced by their families, social networks, the organizations in which they participate, their communities, and their society. Interventions to improve health or to influence health-related behavior can occur at any one or several of those levels. Several behaviors that exert a strong influence on health are tobacco use, alcohol abuse, physical activity, diet, and sexual practices.One example...
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...Health Care Issues in the United State Hamza Abobaker DR / Jo-Rene Queensberry Health Service Organization January, 19.2012 Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics and social behaviors. Behaviors in many ways can affect how health is affected. If a person chooses to smoke, it can lead to such things as cardiovascular disease, and cancer. These things in return will cause that person to have the burden of many follow up doctor visits and specialist to treat their disease. The worry for this person is also do they have the insurance that will cover the necessary office visits, tests, and procedures without it coming out of their own pockets. Another example that could affect a person by behavior choice is drinking alcohol. Alcohol consumption can lead to liver damage and in return again will lead to many long term doctor visits and specialist down the road. Another issue is drunk driving, the behavior changes that take place while drinking and so on that become a danger to not only the person drinking but to others that person comes in contact with. Economics play a role in health with many people in the simple fact of what will it cost out of pocket? Many people will neglect their health care due to the simple fact of no health coverage or the fear of that bill they will receive after being seen. In today’s economy with more and more people being laid off their jobs and losing their health coverage more and more people are neglecting their...
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...Health Care Issues in the United States The health care system of the United States has change in many different ways during the last century. It has evolved from a system which lacked technology and knowledge of medical science, to a nation full of the vast wealth of medical technology and how it applies to its community. Due to the rapid growth, health care has become a significant force “The nation’s health care system has increasingly moved to center stage, drawing the attention of many Americans and our nation’s politicians.” (Torrens & Williams, 2009) With all of this attention and government interaction, it is no wonder why our nation strives to improve and rationalize the health care system. While there are many aspects to discuss in terms of improvement, this paper will attempt to explain how health care is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Also, it will discuss the three stages of medical technology, major trends in population demographics, as well as the most important trends in mortality over the past century. Behavior, Economics, and Social Structure The behavior or involvement of the public, economics and social structure are three aspects that greatly affect the health care system in the U.S. Behaviors or individual involvement of the nation has significantly impacted the health care system of the past as well as present day. Health care and medical science during the early stages of the health care development can be best described...
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...Running head: Health Care Issues in the United States Health Care Issues in the United States Strayer University Winter 2010 Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics and social questions? As we see in the world today, people’s health are affected by several things such as behavior, economics and social issues. Health or unhealthy living, are caused by certain behaviors which may be considered risky. Let’s take a look at what some people may consider risky behavior; driving reckless, using illicit drugs and or abusing alcohol. These types of behaviors are on the high end. On a less dramatic level, there are some behaviors such as tobacco use unbalanced nutrition along with a lack of physical activities will affect your health. It is known that when you have poor behaviors in any of the above mentioned health areas, can cause or lead to major health diseases which will ultimately lead to death. When looking at the health concerns among people in the United States and other countries in the world today, there are two other areas which have a profound effect on our health. The areas are economic situations and social issues. Our societal and economic statuses have become critical regarding health concerns and problems. For instance, some individuals and most third world countries with little or no income have very poor health. This is mainly due the ability to obtain or maintain health insurance because...
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...Health Services Organization Management HSA500 | Health Care Issues in the United States | James Driscoll | Sophia D. Smith 1/23/2011 | 1. Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Health is affected by many different situations in life. The main one is a person’s behavior, a person could choose to be an healthy individual and exercise, eat properly and treat their body as a temple or they could do just the opposite. They could abuse their body and eat unhealthy foods that will later on in life give them so many problems, or engage in risky activities. This can cause sexually transmitted diseases, heart disease, strokes or even cancer. It’s that person’s choice if he or she wants to live long and healthy lives or suffer the consequences of making bad decisions. Depending on the behaviors they make in life has a lot to do with the economy they are in. Economy is not just where that person is at the present state but has a lot to do with their past and how they were brought up. If in their past life they ate a lot of unhealthy foods growing up then that’s pretty much all they know and it’s hard to try new things when your accustom to one way of living. Being able to think outside of the box has a lot to do with a person’s health. If they are able to shy away from what they have grown up with then they are now able to fully understand. It is so much easier to make unhealthy decisions when they are the ones that are shown all...
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...Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Health is affected by everything that individuals do; such as smoking, eating and sleeping. Behavior which is unusually defined as how we carry our self or how we act plays a huge part in individuals health. When it comes to behaviors any economy status or social structure has it's negative and positive behaviors. Some people who come from lower social class structures are introduced to drugs, alcohol and abuse, that is all they know. That then causes health issues and addiction for those who can't get away or out of it. Even some individuals in a higher economic class have negative behaviors such as having parties where lots of alcohol and wine are served. I feel that with each social structure individuals are affected health wise in different ways. While some can afford to visit the doctor and have no issues others are unable to go to a doctor unless it is a clinic or free of charge. The better your status more than likely those individuals live healthier lives. Even religion and culture have affected health due to those individuals having their own beliefs or remedies. Different races and genders have specific behaviors in which they feel are right or carry out sometimes due to stereotypes. Stereotype such as all African Americans eat a lot of fried food such as chicken or pork chops. In some cases people follow what they see and hear and that's where a lot of behaviors come from...
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...Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. When approaching behavior as a possible factor that affects one’s health, they must look at all aspects of their behavior, the good, the bad, and the ugly. What a person views as a good form of behavior may not be viewed the same by someone in the medical profession. Behaviors that are presumed as risk factors for one’s health consist of reckless driving, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, unbalanced nutritional diet, and a lack of exercise. When a person changes just one of these bad habits or unapproved behaviors, they expand their life expectancy by an average of five to ten years. While watching the Doctors on NBC, they showed that a person who smokes can lengthen their life by ten years and improve their health by lowering their risk of lung cancer and coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker after one year of quitting. The economic factor of a person’s health is vastly simulated based on the depression and the economic hardship of the United States as a whole. Researchers found that the economic factor of a person’s health is directly linked to their behavior. During an economic “boom”, people tend to not take care of themselves. They drink excessively, have a higher caloric intake, and don’t exercise or visit their doctor as much due to work-related commitments. People work more and spend less time treating their bodies as the temples they ought to. A well-to-do economy...
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...Executive Summary The United States continues to spend significantly more on health care than any country in the world; however, even though with this statistic the United States has a lot of uninsured and does not have the healthiest citizens. The lack of universal healthcare coverage in the United States has been a forefront issue. With the overwhelming amount of uninsured Americans and the past unsuccessful efforts of health care reform, the possibility of universal health care seemed to be very unlikely. The new healthcare reform bill that was recently passed under Obama’s administration anticipates covering 30 more million of the uninsured (Riegelman, 2010). However, this bill does not offer universal healthcare. While excellent medical care is available in the United States, the rising cost and the U.S. health care delivery system present many challenges for the consumer and lawmakers. This paper addresses four dimensions that are pivotal to the successes and failures of the system: cost, efficiency, quality. The cost of the U.S. health care system is higher than any country in the world. Its efficiency is also under heavy scrutiny. If it were not an emergency most physicians would require insurance verification. Therefore, patients would be delayed of treatment. Moreover, The healthcare system in the U.S. should be redesigned in terms of prevention rather than treatment when people are already sick. Insurance should not go higher for people that have pre-existing conditions...
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...religion, civilization, spirit of adventure, the political rivalry between various European powers and many other factors. Spain was the first European nation to explore the North America following the discoveries made by Christopher Columbas. It was later on followed by Britain, France and Dutch. Introduction The exploration and subsequent colonization of North America was prompted by economic, social and political interests held by various European powers. These engulfed various European nations. This saw Spain, Britain, France and Dutch setting out their way in order to explore North America. The European powers eventually colonized the American natives in countries such as Canada, Columbia and the United States. The Exploration and Colonization in North America by European Rulers There are several reasons as to why European rulers promoted exploration and colonization in North America. First and foremost, there was increased need to find a sea trade route from Europe to Asia. European traders longed for spices, silk and sugar from Asian countries such as china and India. Earlier trade routes between the two regions had been interfered with by the wars in the Middle East (Bolton & Marshal, 2005). This called for a new trade route. The desire for a new trade route was kept alive by technological advancements in Europe and the rise of the spirit adventure. This saw Spain’s Christopher Columbas making a voyage in 1492. Columbas initially intended...
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...Land of the Free: Except for Health Care America, dubbed the “land of the free” by the Star Spangled Banner, is known for democracy, freedom, and the American Dream. American citizens have the right to free speech, free press, the right to bear arms, and the right to religious freedom to name a few. The Declaration of Independence states that American citizens have the rights including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” America promises equality and freedom and the protection of their rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But with all the rights and freedoms that American citizens enjoy, there is one particular area where the United States seems to be lacking. That area is health care. The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t have some form of legal recognition of a right to health care (Yamin 1157). Health care reform in the United States has become a major controversy for politicians, health care professionals, businesses, and citizens. Those in opposition to reform claim that health care is not a human right, therefore the government should not be involved. Supporters of reform believe that health care is most definitely a human right and should be available to everyone in the United States instead of only those who can afford it, and that it is the government’s responsibility to uphold that right. Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States is the only one that doesn’t...
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...The Future Challenges Facing Health Care in the United States Gregrey McDaniel Professor: Manuel Johnican, PhD Strayer University HSA 500 11 June 2011 Identify and describe at least three of the most difficult issues facing health care in the United States today. One of the most difficult issues facing the United States health care system is combating diseases. Even with mortality rates continuing to decrease and with life expectancy rates continuing to increase, these trends are masking concerns with specific diseases, injuries, and population groups. The diseases that still give us a formidable challenge include many varieties of cancer, some kinds of infectious diseases, and influenza. The second difficult issue is health disparities. These disparities are widespread. Differences in how patients receive treatment and the access to treatment are measurable through financial, physical, and attitudinal indicators. Disparities affect all groups of our population. These disparities are related to race, sex, language, genetics, age, and income. We all could benefit from a more efficient system which removes or minimalizes disparities. The third difficult issue facing the health care system in the United States is paying for health care. In the United States, we have had insurance as the biggest payer of health care for many years. There has been evolution in the types of insurance and how they manage aspects of the business. Insurance companies have been held...
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...Health Care Spending Sheilah Schmidt HCS/440 July 21, 2014 Marcia Smith Health Care Spending Health care is rising rapidly. Health care spending is a serious and major issue that needs more focus and stability. In 2009, the gross domestic product (GDP) rose to 17.6% and reached $2.5 trillion. The United States spends thousands of dollars per person for health care. People treated and diagnosed for chronic conditions, and obesity rates are still at large. The current health expenditure for the United States is 15.7% in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Hospital care, physician and clinical services are responsible for half of the national health care spending increase between 2005 and 2009 (Understanding U.S. Health Care Spending, 2011). If nobody takes action, bankruptcy may be present. Further readings will explain the level of current national health care expenditures and whether the spending is too much or not enough. Further readings will also address where the nation should add the cut; how the public’s health care needs are paid for; and the future economic needs of the health care system. Current National Health Care Expenditures In 2012, the United States spent $2.87 trillion on health care (Management, 2013, p. 1). In 2013, the United States spent $2.9 trillion on health care which is a 3.8% increase. According to Emanuel (2013), the United States spent more than the French and German economy. Health care spending is a big issue in the United States than in any...
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...There are some issues that affect the health care industry negatively and positively. There issues with the pharmaceutical companies, the drugs pricing in America, the impact of different medical career trends, why has the numbers for health care professionals decline over the years, the effect of the different health care policy and what kind of development need to help fix this already crumbling health care industry. There have out cried from the public to congress and health care professionals to help elevate this issue from the American people suffering. There have been little or no definite and concrete solution on their part and the American people are suffering the consequences of high health care bills. This has led to stress on the pharmaceuticals companies all across the United States. The pharmaceutical market is looking forward to the by the year 2020 the United Sates pharmaceutical sales will double fifth globally. The issue with increase of chronic disease will increase in the develop world as it is the under develop world, if there is no effort to improve the health care system. Some of the example is the rising cost of drugs on the American people. The United States people pay a high cost on drugs than any other develop country. This one of the injustice in the health Care industry has must be taken care of in the future to come. The United States forbid the selling of drugs or important it in the United Sates even if that drug has met the FDA requirement...
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...Health Care Spending University of Phoenix One of the major issues in health care has become heath care spending. For those who pay insurance, notice that their insurance premiums have gone up. The reason for that being is to help prepare for future expenses down the road. Since the health care has reformed, more people that are low to middle income have qualified for Medicaid in which others are taxed to help fund. This has caused the spending to increase for the United States. According to National Health Expenditures of 2013, “health care spending increased 3.6 percent to reach $2.9 trillion”. The spending that comes from the different health care facilities are all factored in the overall spending. Hospitals, Dentist, Home Health Care¸ Nursing Homes and even prescription medication are factors, the price of prescription medication is costly. Some people that take specialty medication and the others use name brand medication that cost more than the generic brand. These certain medications drive the expenses up and the spending deficit continually rises. Considering that Medicare and Medicaid will continue to grow as the old become older and the middle class become low and the low become lower. The reason I say this is because eventually more nursing homes will be needed and the need for home health care will be increased. The cost of medication, hospital stays and even going to the dentist for a teeth cleaning will even cost more. The cost of private insurance will...
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...Illegal Immigrants in healthcare Illegal Immigrants, Health care and the United States The influence of illegal immigrants on health care economics in the United States has become a serious problem. With health care stretched the impact of the illegal immigrant population increases the already high costs. Medical service in communities affected by high population of the illegal immigrants is being severely compromised as hospitals absorb the $200 million plus in unreimbursed health care costs (How are illegal immigrants getting free health care? para. 5). A woman who the United States illegally, gives birth in a United States hospital, and does not pay for the services this costs the hospital approximately $6000 dollars provided if there are no complications; this burden on the health care system must be remedied. The following paper will share some facts and discuss a few of the solutions that will help to decrease the affects immigration has on the economics of health care. One solution given is to provide a wider availability of preventative care and education. Another suggests that placing tighter restrictions on the borders and photo identity before health care may also be a choice in reducing the impact of the immigrant population on the health care system. In today’s health care, illegal immigrants affect the economy in more ways than one may think. Think about all the personnel coming in and out of this country from...
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