Essay on "U.S. Health Care System"

Essay 4 pages (1314 words) Sources: 3

[EXCERPT] . . . .

The Social Justice Model focuses on providing health care to all Americans, regardless of ability to pay (Shi & Singh, 2010, p. 27). Social Justice health care operates with several assumptions: health care is a basic right and a social resource that is different from other goods/services; health care requires governmental involvement and central planning because health care for all members of the society is a social responsibility; the government can allocate health care more equitably than can Market Justice; ability/inability to pay for medical care is irrelevant; due to the fact that society cannot cover all health care requirements, the government decides which health care services are basic and must be provided by society (Shi & Singh, 2010, pp. 38-40; Daniels, 2001, p. 6). Logically, the Social Justice health care model is merely one facet of total Social Justice, for there is a "surprising convergence" between the needs of social/political well-being and the needs of mental/physical health (Daniels, 2001, p. 7). Examples of ways in which the American health care system applies the Social Justice Model are: designated basic services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and Workers Compensation (Shi & Singh, 2010, p. 40) and provided/regulated by our Federal and State governments. Due to obviously different beliefs and values, Market Justice and Social Justice Models of health care are often at odds with each other.

Conclusion

Generally defined as "the complete network of agencies, facilities, and all providers of health care in a specified geographic area," the health care system exists in America on national, state, county, town, village and neighborhood bases. As health care systems are based on and sustained by a society's beliefs and values, America's health care system is uniquely structured according to American beliefs and values. In addition, reform of societal systems, including the health care system, is difficult due to the deep-seated nature of any society's beliefs and values, along with the human resistance to change and high valuation of what is "owned." Consequently, despite even an obvious need for reform, resistance to reform is a significant barrier that may be overcome by a consensus on beliefs and values.

In our uniquely American health care system, there are two basic models for the provision of health care. The Market Justice Model, which is the primary model in American health care, is based on the American notion of free enterprise and individual responsibility. Privately funded by insurance and/or cash payments, this model involves private practices and institutions providing health care to individuals. The model assumes that health care is like any other good or service that can most rationally be purchased by an individual with his/her doctor's assistance and with little or no governmental involvement. In sharp contrast to the Market Justice Model is the Social Justice Model, which regards health care as a unique system of basic goods and services to which every member of a society is entitled. The Social Justice Model of health care assumes that equitable health care requires significant government involvement, central planning and allocation of basic health services for which the individual's ability/inability to pay is irrelevant. Existing in American society in the forms of Medicare, Medicaid and Workers Compensation, the Social Justice Model necessarily involves significant governmental involvement on the Federal and State levels. Based on severely conflicting notions, Market Justice and Social Justice Models coexist uneasily in American Society, with Market Justice being the more dominant model at this time.

Works Cited

Daniels, N. (2001). Justice, health and health care. Retrieved on June 9, 2012 from www.hsph.harvard.edu Web site: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/benchmark/ndaniels/pdf/justice_health.pdf

Mosby. (2008). Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Shi, L., & Singh, D.A. (2010). Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System, 2nd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Surowiecki, J. (2009, August 31). Status-quo anxiety. Retrieved on June 9, 2012 from www.newyorker.com Web site: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2009/08/31/090831ta_talk_surowiecki READ MORE

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