Healthcare Ethics

Paper Summary:

The paper explores the ethics of healthcare in America, which are all about the judicious use and apportionment of scarce funds, expensive technology and trained personnel. The paper looks at the funding of the healthcare industry and the perspective and challenges of the caregiver. The paper shows how healthcare ethics have essentially been reduced to a policy of corporate ethics, with the practice of medicine transformed into a business at even the most basic of levels.

Outline:
Introduction
The Money Trap - How to Fund an Expensive Industry
The Business of Healthcare - An Industry of Illness
Healthcare Spending Priorities - The Caregiver Side of the Equation
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Healthcare is one of the most contentious topics in America today. Beyond the basic question of whether healthcare should be made freely affordable to everyone, there are numerous ethical dilemmas in regard to quality, availability, and oversight. First among the debates over availability are those regarding precisely who should pay for individuals' medical care. Current plans tend to vary between comprehensive government coverage and provision of care by various forms of private insurance or even wholly private care the financing of which is left up to the individual alone. Ethically, these different schemes raise the issue of denial of care to those unable to afford treatment. Additionally, there is much controversy over the potential sources of care. The healthcare industry can be seen as divided among physicians, insurance providers, and pharmaceutical companies - each of which lays a particular role in the process. Each of these in turn is commonly responsible to others not directly in receipt of medical care or treatment i.e. stockholders and other investors."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chu, M. (2004). Cigna Settles with Health Care Providers. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 32(1), 177+.
• Coppolo, S. D. (2006). Not Just a Minimum Income Policy for Physicians: The Need for Good Faith and Fair Dealing in Physician Deselection Disputes. William and Mary Law Review, 48(2), 677+.
• Geyman, J. P. (2004). The Corporate Transformation of Health Care: Can the Public Interest Still Be Served?. New York: Springer.
• Havighurst, C. C. (2002). How the Health Care Revolution Fell Short. Law and Contemporary Problems, 65(4), 55+.
• "Health Insurance Cost." (2008). Facts about Healthcare. The National Coalition on Health Care. Washington, DC 20005. URL: http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml.

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