--American Hospital Association
As a group, we vary in our political standpoints, so therefore, we have decided to remain open-minded but with a bipartisan view point. We aren't aligning with any particular political party to base our decisions upon at this time.
However, we do believe:
- The pharmaceutical companies have too much control and money invested in our health care system
- Everyone should have access to health care, especially in rural and inner-city settings
- Too much money is spent on administrative costs due to a multiple-payer fragmented market system
If the government can offer a subsidized lunch program in our school systems, then why can't they offer a subsidized health care program/system that meets the needs of all Americans?
We value:
The fact that health care is a basic human right
- Health care should be accessible, cost effective, and high quality for everyone
- An emphasis on primary care and prevention instead of the traditional medical model (overspecialization)
Out team's values and beliefs influence the workforce in that the shift from the traditional medical model towards primary care and prevention, the cost of health care as a whole will be greatly reduced. Due to large disparities within the quality of health care in metropolitan versus rural areas, with the induction of a health plan that includes universal access, out quality of health care as a nation should become more standardized. Our idea of encompassing every one's human right to health care into a universal plan would provide citizens with two options for coverage. There would be the general public insurance provider that is controlled via the government and then if citizens choose to opt out, they can pick up their own choice of private insurance options at their own discretion and payment options.
Currently, the health care workforce (especially physicians) within our national health plan, are being controlled like puppets while the large and powerful pharmaceutical companies are controlling the stings like puppeteers. Our health plan would make sure that health care providers are not able to establish contracts with the pharmaceutical companies. Again, we need to focus on primary prevention, and not let the pharmaceutical companies dominate our health care system. By focusing on primary prevention, it's possible that we would not need such a large quantity of prescription drugs on the market today.
the point you bring up about pharmaceutical companies essentially buying doctors is really scary! especially when doctors are not up to date on their knowledge of the drugs they're prescribing. as a comm health education i especially like your stance on improving primary care and prevention, as well as, the idea that health care coverage should be a right, not a luxury
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with the two option idea. I think that its important to still be able to have the insurance you are used to and have had before you are forced to switch to the national plan. Also, private insurances will probably cover more for a price, and for me, that's very important. I want everything that happens to me covered, and I don't think a national plan will have such a wide array of coverage.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your idea that health care should be a right. Interesting that we live in the number one country in the world, yet we have millions of people dying due to lack of health care every day. The pharmaceutical companies issue is definitely scary as Neal said before; it's hard though to control such a thing in a free market system that our health care (before the health reform) currently resides on.
ReplyDeleteThe pharmaceutical companies having so much control in our system is not a very comforting thought. It makes me feel like we are putting to much emphasis on drugs in our society when some patients may not actually need them. This doesn't help health care costs go down and I think we need to revamp the role of pharmaceutical companies in health care in the US.
ReplyDeletePlacing too much control and authority with pharmaceutical companies is a regrettable mistake we will be making as a nation. Politics like this are just a small way of corrupting health care and changing the core values from which it originated.
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