health care issues
There are a number of controversial health care related issues, some of which are as follows:
Universal Health Care: The notion of free health care services for every man, woman & child in America has been a dominant political health care issue for many years. Did you know that there are more than 40 million Americans who are totally without any kind of health care coverage? And that there are countless millions more who can only afford to purchase the most minimal available health care coverage? As it is, health care insurance premiums continue to rise, meaning that more and more Americans will soon fall into the category of those unable to afford health care coverage. There are a number of groups, such as Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) who are lobbying the Government for a total overhaul of American health care. Such groups generally want full health care coverage for everyone in the country through a single health care insurance plan that is sponsored by the Government. The Government would pay an annual $ amount that would cover all health care expenses at facilities around the country. Those who disagree with such a health care plan claim that it is too costly (Taxes would have to be raised substantially) and that it would be too dangerous to divert funds from defense / military programs, especially given the current National security climate.
Euthanasia: The issue of euthanasia is one of the more controversial topics within the health care establishment today. Sometimes referred to as the "right-to-die" and/or "physician-assisted suicide," euthanasia consists of the intervention of a physician in assisting the willful termination of a dying patient. The idea is that when someone is faced with the possibility of a painful and/or undignified death, they should have the option, or freedom of choice, to be able to choose to die in a more dignified, controlled manner. Euthanasia is a very broad health care issue that has been broken down into 3 distinct categories, those being:
- Patient is comatose or brain-dead. (DNR - Do Not Resuscitate) or known as "pull-the-plug" situation. This is the least controversial form of euthanasia.
- Administration of respiratory depression drugs such as Morphine to a patient who is in the painful final stages of a terminal disease such as AIDS or Cancer.
- People who are still in relatively good health, (Although diagnosed with terminal disease) who wish to die before the onset of a terminal or severely debilitating disease such as AIDS or Alzheimer's. This category is at the height of euthanasia controversy.
There are a number of arguments against legalizing euthanasia, however, those opposed generally boil it down to the fact that it would be impossible to differentiate between acceptable & unacceptable euthanasia. Homicides would be argued as willful terminations. The other major argument against euthanasia is that nobody should be playing God, making a decision as to when someone should or should not die. It is a health care issue that will long be controversial.
HIV Disclosure: Here is a scenario for you. You have an HMO health care insurance plan, and you have recently selected your Primary Care Physician (PCP) from a list of network health care professionals. Without knowing, you have selected a PCP who is HIV +. Do you feel, as the patient, that it is your right to be privy to the fact?
As it is, the standard policy for health care professionals is one of "don't ask; don't tell," in an effort to quell any kind of liability issues. Most health care professionals deem it to be a moot issue due to the fact that under no circumstance do health care professionals pose a risk to their patients, especially considering the many safety precautions that are taken at health care facilities and the fact that the virus cannot be transferred without fluid-to-fluid contact. That being said, there has only ever been a single documented case of an HIV + physician infecting his/her patient, but isn't 1, 1 too many? Those who agree with the notion of full disclosure are of the position that although hospitals take many preventive measures, there is still a risk of infections, as that lone case demonstrates. Why take any kind of risk? It is their belief that patients entrusting their health care to a physician are entitled to know all aspects surrounding said health care, including being informed about an HIV + physician treating them.
Stem Cell Research: We've all had cuts and scrapes before. Do you know how your skin heals from a cut? There are special cells in the underlying layers of the skin that produce new skin cells. The sole purpose of these cells is to generate replacement cells for a given cell in the body, in this case for the skin. These replacement cells are better known as stem cells, named after the fact that they are viewed as a type of root that gives way to the growth of new cells. Bone marrow stem cells, for instance, are capable of producing the many different cells of the blood. But that's not all they're capable of. It has been found that certain stem cells, such as bone marrow stem cells, are not simply limited to producing cells for the tissue in which they reside. Bone marrow stem cells are also capable of producing skeletal muscle, neural, cardiac muscle, and even liver cells.
The issue of stem cell research can definitely be considered one of the most controversial health care issues of recent years. The issue doesn't surround the use of adult stem cells; rather, it surrounds the use of Human Embryonic stem cells. ES cells are believed to carry the greatest potential for treating degenerative diseases such as:
- Diabetes
- Parkinson's
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Spinal chord injuries
- Alzheimer's
The only way to establish ES cells is through the destruction of human embryos, an obvious ethical uncertainty.
>>>>>>> HEALTH CARE REFORM
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