Access to Healthcare as an Ethical Issue - Research Paper Example

? Access to Healthcare as an Ethical Issue The objective of this research paper is to offer an opportunity to critically think about US health care as a business faced with challenging ethical issues. This paper summarizes, and explains the ethical issue of access to health care, and information that a leader would consider to help resolve this issue. The final segment of this paper summarizes two examples of how poor access to healthcare can be resolved. Ethical issue in healthcare Due to lifestyle and living conditions in the US, many individuals suffer from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. These health conditions are proved to be very expensive to manage. Likewise, other chronic health conditions such as heart ailments are very costly to treat. Due to the elevated costs of maintaining these health conditions, the cost of health care has also plummeted. Consequently, some of the societal and collective courses of action aimed at improving and making healthcare accessible to everyone such as Medicare have been adversely affected by this costly management. This is the reason why a substantial percentage of Americans do not have health insurance. One of the issues of ethical or moral concern in the U.S. facing leaders in healthcare today is improving access to health. The issue of inability to access healthcare has remained an issue of concern in the field of healthcare over the recent past. According to Trotochaud (2006), “In 2002, almost 85% of the US population reported having healthcare insurance coverage from employer-based insurance (55%), Medicaid, other means-tested programs (17%), or Medicare (13%). The remaining 15% of the population had no health insurance coverage of any type.” (166). Many critics of the US health care system have been arguing that the US government does not deal with or tackle the ever increasing expenditure on healthcare. Americans on the other hand believe that issues of accessibility and expenditure incurred on health care are issues of great worry. According to Trotochaud (2006), the issue of access to healthcare is concerned with issues of fairness and impartiality. Citizens of a democratic nation have the right to fair and impartial allocation of national assets. To effectively comprehend on the issue of access to healthcare as an ethical issue, it is important to categorize fairness and impartiality to healthcare into access and allocation. Access to healthcare means that individuals possessing the right to access healthcare are able to obtain it. Allocation on the other hand includes the procedures that are incorporated in deciding the percent of national income and assets will be dispersed to cater for healthcare services in the community. The issue of access to healthcare in the US is a political and policy problem. What makes it unethical or immoral is uneven and lopsided access. As a leader, it would be important to implement plans of action that would level the ground and ensure access to healthcare is even. In fact methodical studies conducted in the past have elucidated the fact that three quarters of Americans believe that the social order and the world in general is ought to guarantee universal and equal access to healthcare for all individuals. More than half of Americans believe that the issue of access to healthcare is more of a moral issue as compared to being a political and economic predicament. There are certain moral or ethical issues in access to healthcare including equal opportunity for all, fairness, as well as consideration and sympathy. Leaders have been involved in trying to make the American dream a reality. I believe one of the components of the American Dream is equal opportunities for all Americans in all aspects of the society. Therefore, individual well being is a significant component geared to attainment of equal opportunities for all. When some communities in the US fail to have an equal opportunity in accessing healthcare, then this becomes amoral issue. This is contrary to American principles as individuals from some racial and ethnic backgrounds do not benefit from appropriate and affordable access to healthcare. Furthermore, the old citizens who are unable to work enjoy subsidized rates hence the younger and working population pays for their health insurance literally. This in itself is unethical since everybody should be able to pay for his/her health insurance. Therefore, these are some of the issues that a leader ought to consider Resolving the issue of access to healthcare as a leader According to Ubokudom (2012), there are certain issues that a leader in healthcare should consider geared towards ensuring universal access to healthcare. Implementing plans of actions to ensure motivation of workers in healthcare is of importance. To effectively understand the how motivation can lead to elevated access to healthcare, a description of an example of motivation theory is of importance. Herzberg motivational theory, also called the two-factor motivational theory offers a good illustration to this case. Herzberg did a methodical investigation whereby he queried two hundred engineers and accountants in different organizations on the occasions they were enthusiastic in accomplishing a task and occasions they were displeased with their work. In his conclusion, he emphasized that enthusiasm and drive in the workplace is determined by positive reception and accomplishment. Less compensation for accomplished tasks may result to individuals being displeased in their work. Motivation is directly related to productivity. Motivated workers are more likely to offer services to many individuals and are likely to go to extreme lengths in a bid to offer healthcare services to all. Issues that contribute to motivation in the workplace are directly connected with satisfaction. Discontentment is cause by issues related to settings and physical conditions in the workplace. Motivation is contributed by accountability, accomplishments, appreciation, as well as progression and development hence leaders are ought to implement appropriate strategies. To ensure motivation, leaders are ought to encourage communication. In doing so, productivity will be enhanced and therefore elevated access. As a leader it would be necessary to consider the issues of healthcare insurance to ensure as many individuals as possible are covered. Current and up-to-date directives in healthcare insurance are formed with the purpose and target of improving healthcare structures. Each and every individual in the United States and company owners are indebted to obtain or secure indemnity on health. Ensuring up-to-date healthcare directives requires that individuals unable to obtain health insurance through their bosses are brought together in a bid to procure health insurance effectively and also benefit from cheaper insurance charges. Healthcare mandate makes it automatic or a routine that each and every individual acquire insurance (Devettere, 2010). In many organizations, employees have been automatically registered in the organization’s health care plans. Current leaders in healthcare should therefore be involved in campaigns to encourage people have healthcare cover. Access to healthcare can be elevated to a great extent by ensuring good leadership in the health sector. Ensuring impartiality in establishing effective healthcare is of significance. Incorporation and adoption of an egalitarian procedure in establishing the substance of appropriate and affordable healthcare is also important. This is where effective leadership comes in. According to Rowitz (2012), “Public health leaders are the major spokespeople for the communicating to the public the various health risks and problems” (p. 157). The involvement of the community members or their representatives must be ensured as they are the beneficiaries. Leaders in health issues are unable to ensure available, appropriate, and affordable care. Availability of care means that diseases are able to be identified and subsequently treated expeditiously; individuals can acquire deterrent care in a timely manner such that serious sicknesses and tricky medical situations are taken care of. Leaders are also faced with the dilemma of ensuring appropriate care is availed to the community. Appropriate care means that there is availability of qualified and experience medical practitioners that are capable of providing efficient and high quality care to individuals. Appropriate care goes beyond race and ethnic barriers. Therefore, despite language hurdles, as well as customs and traditions practiced by various groups of individuals, individuals are able to access suitable healthcare. Providing affordable healthcare in US is a nightmare for leaders. Affordable healthcare is ensured through laying down appropriate strategies and plans of action that makes it obligatory for all citizens to have health insurance cover. The issue of access to healthcare is considered a dilemma for many leaders today. It is important to posit that moral quandaries or predicaments in access to healthcare are associated with decision-making within health institutions, at the local government level, as well as in the national government. Moral predicaments in regard to healthcare access are also associated with stability, outcomes of apportioned resources, disparities among specialized responsibilities and opportunities, as well as results of various medical alternatives. There are also additional issues that a leader can address in a bid to alleviate this issue of moral concern such as ensuring appropriate decisions are made within the health institution, and appropriate policies related to access to healthcare are put into place at the national level. Health access policies should not discriminate against anybody regardless of sex, age, ethnic background, and level of education. Individuals who have achieved higher levels of education are more likely to buy health insurance as compared to illiterate individuals. This is attributed to the fact that educated people get jobs more easily and therefore are able to afford health cover (Trotochaud, 2006). Alternative examples of how access to healthcare can be resolved Collaboration Collaboration can be defined as a procedure in which individuals, activists, donors, health and political leaders, as well as other individuals and institutions within the community involved in healthcare investigate impediments, discrepancies, and optional plans of actins geared towards advancing access to healthcare. It is important to posit that gaining support from political leaders is of importance to ensure accomplishment and victory of these mutual shared programs. Methodical investigations conducted on various undergoing programs showed that attempt by members of the community in trying to augment the accessibility of health services devoid of the involvement of local leaders have not been successful. Results from these investigations also brought out the fact that timely and continued participation and contribution of the government contributes to the attainment of additional, inventive and supple advances capable of countering societal dilemmas associated to health care (National Policy Consensus Center, 2004). According to National Policy Consensus Center (2004), inability to benefit from health services is associated with some other problems n the society. For instance, individuals may experience certain unnecessary and avoidable sicknesses, early and untimely death. Due to these avoidable sicknesses, issues of community well being are affected, individuals unreasonably fail to go to work, children skip classes, issues of delinquency are elevated, and the possibility of acquiring other illnesses are enhanced. Through collaboration or involvement of all the stakeholders in health issues, the society is able to reflect extensively in a bid to tackle impediments in accessibility to healthcare. Collaboration can decrease or lessen the occurrences of serious health issues as a result of inaccessibility through formation of groups that have the capacity to achieve and obtain health insurance cheaply. In doing so, even individuals without the capacity to acquire enough money to individually cover for their health needs benefit. Collaborating with international institutions and donors connects groups of individuals with institutions providing health insurance. There are various strengths associated with collaboration. Various regional governments in the US have the mandate of developing health strategies and other plans of action that are aimed at reorganization, restructuring, and improving health care structures in their regions. These regions are otherwise referred to as States. Consequently, the already available forms of cooperation or teamwork forms the basis through which health representatives and other officials are able to assess the forms of cooperation and teamwork that that yields the best results and at the same time recognize and classify useful advances that are of importance in guaranteeing availability and access to fundamental healthcare services. The trouble with collaboration is the fact that certain rules and guidelines established by the State sometimes delay or hampers some programs within the community aimed at providing solutions to certain community based problems such as access to healthcare (National Policy Consensus Center, 2004).. The government therefore should ensure rules and guidelines implemented in the US accommodate these collaborative programs in order to ensure each and every individuals within the country regardless of age, gender, level of education, and race have equal, appropriate and affordable access to healthcare. Tax benefits Methodical investigations done over the recent past have shown that tax cuts have positive results to issues associated with access to healthcare. Exempting underprivileged individuals from certain tax related penalties as well as other benefits have been seen to lead to increased accessibility of healthcare by individuals. In supporting this point, Stephens (2003) asserts that “By lowering the after-tax cost of insurance, the tax benefits extend coverage to more people” (p, 59). There are a number of strengths associated with tax benefits. Tax cuts have also been seen to benefit individuals in a great way. In fact, through tax cuts, individuals are capable of servicing their health insurance and at the same time enable them to be covered not only for admittance to hospital, but also for regular check-ups. Tax cuts have other strengths. For instance, individuals attain or achieve indemnity that is payable in small installments. Tax cuts elevate the requirements and desires for individuals to hold health insurance cover. Tax cuts in insurance enables individuals to access indemnity at a subsidized price hence a larger percentage of people are able to afford. Through tax cuts, the government encourages people to seek health care cover as the society demands (Stephen, 2003). However, this resolution may be uneconomical as it appears extravagant and hence result to provision of inappropriate care in the long run. Researchers have in the past elucidated that these extra and elevated requirements and desires for health indemnity is what has resulted to elevated cost of healthcare (Stephen, 2003). There is also the issue of equity arising from tax cut as they are not made obtainable or accessible to each and every individual. Conclusion The issue of access to health care is an issue of ethical concern. Each and every individual has the right to access effective, appropriate, and affordable health. Employers and other individuals in positions of leadership in organizations have the responsibility of providing insurance cover for their employees. The law allows them to send contributions for health cover on behalf of their employees. As a result of increased costs of living worldwide particularly in the U.S, affording health indemnity has become next to impossible as individuals have to let go a huge chunk of their income. Effective leadership strategies in the health sector can ensure funds from the government meant for healthcare are used for the right purpose. Impartiality and adoption of an egalitarian procedure in establishing the substance of appropriate and affordable healthcare is also important. Dealing with the issue of poverty is of significance in resolving inaccessibility of healthcare. Some individuals have been unable to access insurance services in healthcare as a result of poverty. Other issues to consider and address in resolving inaccessibility of healthcare include sex, age, ethnic background, and level of education. Through collaborating with all stakeholders in health industry such donors, the government, and the community in general, healthcare can be made accessible to each and every individual in the US. Tax cuts in health insurance have increased the demand for healthcare cover hence many individuals are able to access efficient, appropriate, and affordable healthcare. Tax cuts and other benefits in insurance enables individuals to access cover at a subsidized price hence a larger percentage of people are able to afford. Through tax cuts, the government encourages people to seek health care cover as the society demands. References Devettere, R.J. (2010). Practical Decision Making in Health Care Ethics: Cases and Concepts. Washington, USA: Georgetown University Press. National Policy Consensus Center. (2004). Improving Health Care Access: Finding Solutions in a Time of Crisis. Portland, USA: Portland State University. Rowitz, L. (2012). Public Health Leadership: Putting Principles into Practice. Burlington, USA: Jones and Bartlett. Stevens, W. S. (2003). Health Insurance: Current Issues and Background. New York, USA: Nova Science Publishers. Trotochaud, K. (2006). Ethical Issues and Access to Healthcare: Journal of Infusion Nursing. Retrieved form http://ethics.emory.edu/resources/Publication/PDFs/Ethical%20issues%20and%20access%20to%20healthcare.pdf Ubokudom, S. E. (2012). United States Health Care Policymaking: Ideological, Social and Cultural Differences and Major Influences. New York, USA: Springer. Read More