Health Care

26 Pages 6525 Words

orical phase began around the turn of the century with the introduction of the scientific method into medicine. The year 1900 brought about the opening of medical schools, such as Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. With the development of medical schools, a need for medical education was imperative. The Flexner Reports (1900-1910) were the first serious effort of manpower planning, which established standards for medical schools. The third phase came about with the nearing of World War II. The United States went through a major social, political and technological eruption. Scientific advancements continued but were analogued by a growing interest in the social and organizational structure of health care. The interest was directed toward financing health care. During this period evolved the health insurance plans, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield. This epoch also witnessed an increased concentration of power in the federal government. An example of this would be the Hill-Burton Act of 1946. The Hill-Burton Act supplied federal funds to underwrite new hospital construction. Finally, 1965 brought about a turning point for Americans with the creation of Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicare is a type of health insurance for the elderly, where as Medicaid provides health benefits to the poor. Torrens states that during this period, the principle of “health care as a right, not a privilege” was discussed and widely accepted in society. The writer feels that in society today, health care is viewed more as a privilege. Reason being, health care is expensive and employers are not providing their employees with full benefits. Individuals have more out of pocket expenses when it pertains to the health insurance. Also, health insurance is not affordable to all individual’s. This is why in today’s society it is important to look back on the past health care system, in order to provide the foundation ...