Global Health Portfolio Term Paper

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Health Care Reform Reflection

The 21st century has seen a great deal of effort and debate regarding the future of American health care as healthcare reform has been one of the most discussed and divided political issues in the most recent election cycle. The effort to pass comprehensive legislation to ensure a standard degree of coverage for all Americans has been in the works for over two decades. The passing of the health care reform assembled by the Obama administration has reignited the debate over the role and relationship between the state, the health care system, and the public. This is an opportune moment for healthcare industry workers to reflect upon these relationships and to interrogate their underlying philosophies and perspectives on the role of the health care industry at large.

Looking at health care from legal, ethical, and economic perspectives provides keen insight into the role of the individual within the larger system. With the passage of the health care reform act last year, the concept of the health system as a safety net has been given more national attention and speaks to contemporary attitudes about the responsibilities of medical professionals and public health systems. Through a legal lens, it has become clear that the responsibilities of medical professionals to the patients for which they provide medical care pertain largely to the elimination of liability and risk of malpractice. With health care reform, it remains to be seen how the legal framework in which health care workers operates will change and how economic considerations will impact the legal obligations and concerns of the medical workforce.


The matter of ethics in health care provision of services is similarly influenced by the philosophy by which one understands the role and responsibilities of healthcare to inform the operation and construction of a health care system. What is the fundamental purpose of the healthcare industry? How do we define healing and health in the contemporary public-private American medical system? These are questions that are important to address on an individual basis in addition to accepted standards of bioethics in order to develop an informed personal and professional standard of care.

A key issue surrounding the legal and ethical aspects of medical care is what the health care worker feels is necessary to provide to patients and their families. When personal issues are impacting the patient health and well-being, such as when a person who is dealing with homelessness presents with a chronic medical condition, there are a variety of ways in which a medical professional such as a nurse might respond to assisting the patient. While many social problems require a mandated reporting of the issue to social service divisions, the medical professional has the opportunity to provide more comprehensive care through arranging referrals, coordinating follow up care, and….....

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"Global Health Portfolio" (2011, April 18) Retrieved May 20, 2024, from
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"Global Health Portfolio", 18 April 2011, Accessed.20 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/global-health-portfolio-119794