Health Care Inequality

1. Health Care Inequality

2. Inequality and Health Care • Does the United States provide any socialized services to it’s citizens? • How many advanced industrialized nations do not have a nationalized (“socialized”) health care system? • What are some of the main problems associated with the American Health Care System?

3. Problems in American Health Care • Inadequate Health Insurance Coverage • The High Cost of Health Care • U.S. World Rankings • Unequal Access to Health Care • The Politics of Health Reform and Influence of Private Industry

4. The Sociological Imagination and Health Care • “Whether or not you are healthy, or can be healthy, depends on a lot of factors beyond your control…In other words, your health depends on where you fit into the larger society…[and the] global, economic scheme” (Dollars and Sense 2001:2) • Access to nutritious food and health care • Ability to minimize stress level • Living in a non-hazardous area

5. Inadequate Health Insurance Coverage • 2010: 50 Million Americans Uninsured • 700,000 bankruptcies a year due to medical bills • How many bankruptcies occur per year due to med bills in France? Germany? Japan? Britain?

6. The High Costs of Health Care • In 2009, Americans spent $2.5 trillion on health care. • 17.3% of the GDP • This is more than any other modern nation.

7. The High Costs of Health Care • System is driven by profit. • System is inefficient. • Many physicians practice defensive medicine. • Overuse of Specialists • Prescription Drug Costs

8. Is it reasonable to expect that the country that spends the highest proportion of it’s GDP on health care should have the healthiest population and the finest health care system in the world?

9. U.S World Rankings • The U.S. spends 50% more per capita on health care than any other country. • The U.S. ranks 47th in average life expectancy. • The U.S. ranks last among 23 wealthy countries in its infant mortality rate. • The U.S. ranks 54th out of 191 countries in terms of the fairness of its health care system. • The World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th out of 191 countries in Overall Health Care • (From Eitzen and Baca, Social Problems (2012))

10. Unequal Access to Health Care • Social Class • The poor are more likely to suffer from certain types of diseases and illnesses. • The poor are more likely to receive inferior medical service. • The poor are less likely to use preventive medicine. • Medicaid helps, yet it is often the working poor and their families who do not qualify

11. Unequal Access to Health Care • Race • Life expectancy • Infant mortality • Maternal mortality • Prenatal care • Low birth weight • Cancer and other diseases • From Eitzen and Baca, Social Problems (2012)

12. Unequal Access to Health Care • Gender • Women have significant health advantages over men. • Women have been left out of medical research. • Women are less likely to have health insurance than men. • From Eitzen and Baca, Social Problems (2012)

13. U.S. Health Care Reform • The U.S. is the only country in the industrialized world that does not guarantee health care to its citizens. • Health care is rationed in United States on the ability to pay • In all other industrialized nations there is a mechanism for guaranteeing health care to all citizens. Many industrialized nations provide national health care, or Universal health care, which is also known as socialized medicine

14. Reforming the Health Care System • In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt proposed a national health insurance plan, and since then, many presidential administrations have sought health care for all citizens • In 2009, the majority (61%) of U.S. adults was in favor of the government guaranteeing health coverage to all citizens, even if it meant higher taxes.

15. Application: Canada’s Health Care System • Federal proposal-The National Health Insurance Act-Expand Medicare to every U.S. resident • Creates a single payer health care system-a tax financed public insurance program that replaces private insurance companies • National health insurance card for all citizens-covers all medical services with no co-payments or deductibles and would see doctor of choice. • What are the primary barriers?

16. Barriers to Reform • The Insurance Industry is in great opposition to reform • Interest groups have spent hundreds of millions on televisions ads, lobbying, and campaign contributions to combat against reforms. • (1.5 million recently went to the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee) • In 2009 there were 3,098 health-sector lobbyists. • Reconstruction of the social problem using misinformation and the media-Critical Constructionism

17. Barriers to Reform • The Politics of Health Reform-Partisan issues • Government should be involved in the health care system (Democrats). • The marketplace should dictate the health care system (Republicans).

18. Reforming the Health Care System • The Obama Plan • Everyone must have insurance. • Government will subsidize those with low income. • Individuals may keep their current plan. • Private plans will compete for business. • Individuals cannot be denied for a preexisting medical condition. • Millions uninsured will become insured.

19. Reforming the Health Care System • Obamacare is not socialism. • A public option was not included; health care is a mostly private system. • Although not perfect, it is an historic achievement. • How might a critical constructionist view the Obama Reforms and the way ObamaCare was created?