Assignment - Health Care a Right or a Privilege?
In many countries access to health care is not dependent on the individual's ability to pay; it is considered a right to all the citizens of their countries.
The point of this assignment is to get you thinking about what elements a good health care system should have and whether health care is considered a right or a privilege to the citizens in these countries.
For this assignment I want you to compare the health care system of the country you've been assigned to the U.S., or your home country.
Your research should start with some major health indices like life expectancy, birth and death rates; HIV rates of infection, access to adequate nutrition and clean water; information about costs to the patient and to the government, i.e., spending per person on health care. (Try the CIA World Fact Book or just do a simple "Google" search to get started.).
Once you have developed your opening statements, consider investigating the following:
What are the educational requirements to become a M.D., and who pays for their education?
A discussion about who owns the medical facilities? Are they owned by the practitioners (Private practice), for profit health care conglomerates (HCA, Keizer, United Health Care type companies), or the government?
Is everyone covered or are there exceptions/limitations, what might these exceptions be?
If there is universal coverage are there exceptions to what is covered? (hint- elective surgeries)
Who pays the health care providers and doctors (patients, insurance, or the government)?
Is oral health included as part of the health care system?
If someone is held in a malpractice suit, are there limits to what they can be sued for?
What is the tax rate for countries that provide universal health care? How would this compare to the U.S. if insurance premiums were added to the tax bill of U.S. citizens?
Does the health care system negotiate pharmaceutical pricing? If so, explain how this is done.
To answer the questions above you will need to do a fair amount of research. Include at least five different sources. Be sure follow American Psychological Association (APA) writing style guidelines when writing this paper. In particular I will be looking for correct use of in-text citations as well as references at the end of your paper.
After you've found the information above, develop your paper further by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each countries health care system. Is health care considered a right to the citizens where it's universally available?
For countries that don't provide health care to their citizens describe what is needed to gain the privilege to access the health care system.
After you've completed your research and developed your thoughts describe your opinion as to whether health care should be a right or a privilege. Finally, include in your opinion, a discussion about what is the right thing to do when it comes to access to health care.